The starry night at David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center put a spotlight on the career and remarkable contributions of the Oscar nominee to the performing arts.
Her capacity to inspire through multidisciplinary storytelling was spoken when actress, dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen presented Erivo with the award.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 29: Katie Holmes and Jason Bard Yarmosky attend the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala Honoring Cynthia Erivo at Lincoln Center on October 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for American Ballet Theatre)
Angels and Demons themed night brought a whimsical sense of fantasy and mystery to the occasion. Curated by Jaffe, the exclusive one-night-only program featured ballet excerpts from Coppélia, Swan Lake, La Sylphide, Sylvia, The Dream, and Whipped Cream alongside performances of Frederick Ashton’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits, Michel Fokine’s Le Spectre de la Rose, and Agnes de Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 29: Misty Copeland attends the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala Honoring Cynthia Erivo at Lincoln Center on October 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for American Ballet Theatre) Misty Copleand
ABT dancers included: Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Skylar Brandt, Daniel Camargo, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Isaac Hernández, Catherine Hurlin, Chloe Misseldine, SunMi Park, Jake Roxander, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo, Christine Shevchenko, Devon Teuscher, James Whiteside, Roman Zhurbin, Sierra Armstrong, Léa Fleytoux, and Tyler Maloney.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 29: (L-R) Natalie De’Banco, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, and Elizabeth Sulcer attend the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala Honoring Cynthia Erivo at Lincoln Center on October 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jenny Anderson/Getty Images for American Ballet Theatre)
The Fall Gala convenes prominent figures across arts, culture, fashion, entertainment, philanthropy, and business to support one of the world’s leading ballet companies. Proceeds support ABT’s productions, the creation of new works, dancer training, education initiatives, and community engagement programs that bring the joy of dance to audiences of all ages.
The 2026 Fall Gala was led by Gala Grand Chairs Sloan Lindemann Barnett; Emily Blavatnik and Laila Blavatnik; and Julia Koch and Mary Julia Koch.
