When American Ballet Theatre (ABT) returned to Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater for its fall gala on October 24, the company chose to spotlight the importance of the arts by featuring its dancers at every level. “For people who see the arts, it can really change their lives,” ABT’s artistic director Susan Jaffe said before the opulent, star-studded event began. And with renowned celebrities from across the arts in attendance—from singer Mick Jagger to actress Annette Bening and fashion designer Zac Posen—the magnitude of that statement wasn’t lost.
Before the program began, Jaffe, who was a principal dancer with the company for twenty-two years, took a moment to thank the gala’s honorees, the Shubert Foundation and journalist Katie Couric, for their support. “You don’t need to be a journalist to understand that we are living through some very dark times; at home and especially now abroad,” Couric said when she took the stage. “It is against this backdrop that now, more than ever, we need to appreciate the importance of the arts and their capacity to lift us up, transport us to a different time and space, and yes, even unite us.”
In her first New York gala program since being appointed artistic director at the end of 2022, Jaffe chose to unite the audience for the evening by illustrating what a dancer’s journey might look like in the company. Beginning with Pièce d’Occasion, which included costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, the new work featured moments from the youngest of dancers at ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School to pre-professionals in the studio company and ABT apprentices. Then came the company dancers, performing eight excerpts from a mix of classical and contemporary ballets in ABT’s repertoire, including favorites like Swan Lake and Romeo & Juliet, as well as a Premiere choreographed by principal dancer James Whiteside. After the performance, attendees were invited to use that newfound inspiration on the dance floor, following champagne and a seated dinner on the Promenade of the theater.
