New York City Ballet Gala Features Tiler Peck Debut and Mick Jagger
The annual event at Lincoln Center raises money for City Ballet and had a star-studded hosting committee list
On a picture-perfect recent May evening, New York City Ballet held its Spring Gala at its longtime home at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center. The theme of this year’s event was “Set in Stone—Creation & Preservation.” The annual Gala raises funds for a slate of programs and needs throughout City Ballet.
The host committee was stacked with some of the arts community’s most enticing names: Gwendoline Christie and Giles Deacon, Stephen Colbert, Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy, Ariana DeBose, Fran Drescher, Jennifer Garner, Ashley Graham, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Diane Kruger, Hari Nef, Leslie Odom, Jr., Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl, Nicole Ari Parker, Emmy Rossum, and Christian Siriano. And there was one especially bright name, listed as Honorary Chair, a name that has raised eyebrows for 60 years: Mick Jagger. Would he really be there?
The evening began with cocktails, followed by a two-part performance, then dinner and dancing. The performance was split into two halves. The first was the world premiere of ballerina and choreographer Tiler Peck’s second ballet for NYCB, “Symphonie Espagnole,” a four-part piece set to music by the 19th-century French composer Édouard Lalo. The second part was George Balanchine’s beloved “Diamonds,” set to music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Something special happened in between the acts due to the need for a major costume and scenery change. The orchestra pit rose to the level of the audience, and Conductor Andrew Litton served up a mini-lesson on the story of “Syphonie Fantastique.” He introduced virtuoso violinist Hilary Hahn, who had accompanied Peck’s dance in her very first performance with a ballet. Hahn gave an appealing, friendly talk on preparation for the benefit, and gave the impression that her Master Classes at Juilliard must be fun.
And then, the moment that sounds like ultimate hyperbole in terms of a thing happening: Mick Jagger appeared. He brought Jimmy Fallon with him for a couple minutes of inspired clowning around and praise for City Ballet. They walked out to the orchestra playing “Satisfaction,” and the comment was heard, “I like this arrangement!” After giving the audience a moment worth mentioning for the rest of their lives, Jagger and Fallon walked off singing “Goodbye, Ruby Thursday,” as the New York City Ballet Spring Gala was on a Thursday.
Dancers wore jewels on loan from Christie’s, a sponsor of the event. And the weather couldn’t have been prettier for gazing down at Lincoln Center while sipping yellow gazpacho from a tall shot glass.
The dinner menu consisted of roasted young beets with goat cheese mousse, gem lettuce, pearl onion, puffed quinoa and miso vinaigrette; barolo braised short ribs of beef with stoneground polenta, white and green asparagus and thumbelina carrots; and caramel popcorn cheesecake with brown butter, yuzu gel, macerated berries, and coconut sorbet. Ruinart, a key corporate sponsor of the event, kept the champagne flowing.
The benefit succeeded in giving a delightful reminder that ballet is beautiful and that spending more time watching it from the seats of City Ballet is a good idea.
