American Ballet Theatre 2017 Spring Gala

May 24

May 24 American Ballet Theatre 2017 Spring Gala

Guests arrived at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center for American Ballet Theatre's Spring Gala on a rainy Monday evening.

Daniil Simkin, Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/PMC

Anh Duong, Hamish Bowles, Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/PMC

American Ballet Theatre celebrated its 2017 Spring Season with the annual Spring Gala, an anchor to the spring cultural and social season. The evening featured ABT’s world-renowned dancers in the New York premiere of Whipped Cream. Choreographed by ABT Artist-in- Residence Alexei Ratmansky, Whipped Cream is set in Vienna, Austria to a lavish score by Richard Strauss, with exquisite costumes and sets designed by pop surrealist visionary Mark Ryden.

Hughes De Pin, Debra Gunn Downing, Gala Chair Elizabeth Segerstrom, Mark Ryden Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC

Co-Chairs for the evening included Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Kate Bosworth, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sofia Coppola, Amy Astley, Giovanna Battaglia, Anh Duong, Calvin Klein, Allison Sarofim, Sarah Arison, Elettra Wiedemann and Beth Chartoff Spector. Caroline Kennedy served as Honorary Chair of ABT Spring Gala. Emily and Len Blavatnik, Lisa and Dick Cashin, Pamela Ford, Elizabeth Segerstrom, Toni and Martin Sosnoff, Sutton Stracke and Nadja Swarovski served as Chairs for the evening.

Blake Lively and Fernando J Garcia in Oscar De La Renta, Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC

Hamilton E. James, President, Blackstone and Chairman Emeritus of American Ballet Theatre, was honored with an inaugural award from ABT that recognizes great Americans for their civic leadership and philanthropy in the arts.

Eric Rutherford, Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC

Austrian-based Swarovski was the Lead Partner for American Ballet Theatre’s Spring Gala and New York Premiere of Whipped Cream. Nearly 80,000 Swarovski crystals adorn the sets and costumes for Whipped Cream. Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: “As supporting excellence in the creative arts is of great importance to us, Swarovski is delighted to partner with American Ballet Theatre on its Spring Gala and to collaborate with Mark Ryden on this wildly imaginative production. Mark’s creative integration of Swarovski crystals illuminates the action and helps bring the set and costume designs to life.”

A Gala dinner on The Promenade of the David H. Koch Theater immediately followed the performance. Mark Ryden’s Princess Tea Flower painting was sold by silent auction.