AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE DANCES BACK TO LOS ANGELES TO HOST ITS ANNUAL HOLIDAY BENEFIT

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) returned to Los Angeles on Monday night to host its much anticipated annual Holiday Benefit — dancing, pliéing, and pirouetting its way back on to the stage at The Beverly Hilton.

It was a special, “en point” kind of evening, with a star-studded guestlist that included Jane Seymour, Lesley Ann Warren, Keltie Knight, Tai Beauchamp, and more. The one-night-only holiday program included a cocktail hour, two-course sit-down dinner, and dessert buffet — but the true piece de resistance was, naturally, the magic that happened when the dancers took to the stage. 

Lesley Ann Warren, who grew up with dance and wanting to be a ballerina herself, shared that “it’s such an ecstatic feeling to sit so close to these genius ballet dancers and get to see this intimate performance for just us. It’s incredible.”

Principal Dancers performed excerpts from Raymonda, Great Galloping Gottschalk, La Boutique, Sylvia Pas de Deux, Neo Sinatra Suite, and Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, along with ABT apprentice Brady Farrar’s Flight of the Bumblebee.

The benefit is always one of my favorite events of the season in LA, but it also marks an exciting time for ABT. Principal Dancer Cassandra Trenary (who also performed on stage) said, “We’re in the middle of our Nutcracker season so the dancers are welcoming a short break to take on different repertoire to share with a sometimes newer audience and to spread the word that we’re here and we’re eager to have this West Coast presence continue to grow.”

Indeed, that was another exciting highlight of the night when ABT’s Executive Director Barry Hughson announced that the company would be growing their presence in Southern California.

The memorable evening also honored Andrew F. Barth for his more than eight years of exemplary leadership service as Chairman of the ABT Board of Trustees, along with a special dedication to the late Clara Yust, former ABT Trustee and dedicated philanthropist.

Sponsored by the Lloyd E. Rigler – Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation, the event brought together other guests, including chairs Andrew F. Barth, Jr., Catherine Kohler, Emily Kukta, Stewart R. Smith, and the Family of Clara Yust; Principal Dancers Aran Bell, Herman Cornejo, Thomas Forster, Catherine Hurlin, Chloe Misseldine, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo, Cory Stearns, and Cassandra Trenary; Soloists Breanne Granlund, Jarod Curley, and SunMi Park; ABT corps de ballet members Lauren Bonfiglio and Hannah Marshall; and ABT apprentice Brady Farrar. 

Other guests included: Ariel Paredes, Challen Cates, Carrie Bernans, Carly Hughes, Dame Sandra Costa, Imad Izemrane & Hannah Ferguson, Isaac Hernández, John Zambetti, Joshua Uduma, Keni Silva, Stacie Greenwell, Terrence Bankole, and more.

As guests walked the red carpet, I had the opportunity to meet and greet (and chat) about their love of dance. Jane Seymour, who is a professionally trained dancer (as well as a former contestant on Dancing with the Stars) was excited for the future of dance and ABT, sharing that ballet “has an enormous amount of artistry. It’s a stunning form, it’s a beautiful form.”

But perhaps the best part of the evening is simply this: that you’re in a space with people that absolutely love the art form… from former dancers like Jane Seymour and Lesley Ann Warren, to perhaps less famous faces. Everyone is there to lend their support to ensure a future where the dancers and the art form are thriving.

After the performances, the dancers came out and joined the audience and it is a perfect evening for the celebration of dance in Los Angeles.

Proceeds from the Holiday Benefit support American Ballet Theatre, America’s National Ballet Company®, and its education and engagement programs.

After the benefit, the company moves on to perform The Nutcracker at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County through December 22.