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| The Grand Promenade of the David H. Koch Theater designed by Bronson van Wyck for ABT's annual Opening Night Fall Gala. |
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| American Ballet Theatre (ABT) held its annual Opening Night Fall Gala benefit Wednesday night at the David H. Koch Theatre. More than 700 patrons, sponsors, supporters, friends, alumni and members of the Board of Trustees attended. The evening raised $1.65 million, a portion of which will support ABT's education and community outreach programs. This is the first time in 37 years that ABT held its inaugural season at the David H. Koch Theater. The gala serves as the opening of ABT's fall season. Sponsored by Badgley Mischka and Clinique, the evening featured a one-time-only Gala performance highlighted by the World Premiere of Alexei Ratmansky'sThe Tempest led by Marcelo Gomes as Prospero, Daniil Simkin as Ariel and Herman Cornejo as Caliban. The program also featured a new production of George Balanchine's Theme and Variations led by Gillian Murphy and James Whiteside, and a Pièce d'Occasion choreographed by ABT Principal Dancer Marcelo Gomes, set to Souvenir de Florence by Tchaikovsky. |
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| In attendance: Sigourney Weaver, Meghan Markle (from USA Network's Suits), Bebe Neuwirth, Alan Cumming and Taye Diggs; Elettra Wiedemann, Robyn Lawley, Jessica Stam, Alyssa Miller, Crystal Renn, and Maryna Linchuk; Christian Siriano, Thom Browne, Carlos Souza, Genevieve Jones, Hamish Bowles, and Nicky Hilton; James Lipton, Bryant and Hilary Gumbel, Chris and Cristina Greeven Cuomo,Star Jones; Olympic Medalist and FIFA Women's World Cup's Kelley O'Hara; the co-sponsors Mark Badgley and James Mischka, Leslie Ziff, Fe Fendi, Leonard Blavatnik, and David Koch. |
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| The spectacular décor of the dinner, held on the theater's Promenade, took center stage after the performance. Designed by Bronson van Wyck to reflect the mood and drama of the evening's world premiere of The Tempest, making the dinner and dancing portion of the evening a perfect nightcap to an exciting and beautiful evening of ballet. There was a 180-foot hand painted mural depicting the stormy sea, wrought with cyclones and lightning. Floor-to-ceiling cyclones were scattered about the vast room, and the feeling was enhanced by audiovisual effects. Even the menu was served on tables with deep reds and purples, scattered with navigational curios including maps, telescopes and compasses, inspired by the wedding feast and nautical voyage in the performance. |
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| A crowd filled the ballroom at the Pierre Hotel for Asia Society's Awards Dinner welcoming Asia Society's new President Josette Sheeran and honoring exceptional leaders in business and culture. Sheeran, who before joining Asia Society in June was Vice Chair of the World Economic Forum, led the evening program. Asia Society's Global Citizenship Award was presented to Unilever's Kees Kruythoff, for the company's Sustainable Living Plan. TPG Founder David Bonderman was recognized with the Global Leadership Award for his role in strengthening ties between U.S. and Asian companies and his early involvement in Myanmar. |
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| One of the evening's fine moments came when Charles Rockefeller took to the stage to honor MTV World - and managed to weave family history (his grandfather John D. Rockefeller 3rd was Asia Society's founder), Asia Society history, and childhood memories (staying up until all hours, waiting for his favorite MTV videos to appear). MTV's Nusrat Durrani pronounced himself humbled by Rockefeller's introduction, and the Cultural Achievement Award. Blackstone Chairman and CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman talked about the founding of the Schwarzman Scholars program at China's Tsinghua University — a bold endeavor to improve understanding about China and Stephen Bird, Citi Asia Pacific's chief executive officer, announced Citi's support of the Asia Society Policy Institute. |
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| Joining them to celebrate were Betsy and Ed Cohen, Carolyn Hsu-Balcer, Guoqing Chen, Kate and Bob Niehaus, Silas Chou, Harry Clark, Mitch and Thelma Julis, Ajit and Tinku Jain, Jim Hedges, Anne Heller and Tom Nagorski, Maya Lin and Daniel Wolf, Gary Loveman, Manuel Medina Mora, Victor and Tara Menezes, Nicolas and Jeanne Rohatyn, Daryl and Steven Roth, Sir Deryck and Lady Va Maughan, Carl Spielvogel and Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, James Von Klemperer, Anthony J. Walton, Lulu Wang, Jack Weingart and many other supporters and friends. Guests enjoyed a musical interlude by ending with music from Gods Robots, a Mumbai-San Francisco collaborative ensemble comprised of Janaka Atugoda on electronics, Shridevi Keshavan on vocals and Shabi Farooq on tabla. |
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| The 7th Annual Ackerman Institute for the Family "Moving Families Forward Gala" was held Monday, October 21st at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The 2013 Moving Families Forward Gala honored: • Colin Farrell, Actor, and family advocate with the Moving Families Forward Award. • Jeannie Ackerman Curhan, Board member with the Ackerman Distinguished Service Award. • Christopher J. Spano, President, CJS Builders with the Ackerman Partner Award. |
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| Natalie Morales hosted The Moving Families Forward Gala for the third consecutive year |
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| The event was hosted by Natalie Morales, News Anchor of NBC News' TODAY & Co-Host of the third hour. This was the third consecutive year Natalie hosted the gala, benefitting the vital programs and ongoing services for children, families and adults at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. Ackerman Institute for the Family's Gala Co-Chairs were Martha Fling, Founder & Managing Member of Drake Libby, and Alice K. Netter. Honorary Chairs for the 7th Annual Ackerman Institute for the Family "Moving Families Forward Gala" were John R. O'Neill, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal, and Kathleen O'Neill. |
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| In addition to Lois Braverman, President & CEO, Ackerman Institute for the Family, Colin Farrell, Jeannie Ackerman Curhan, Christopher J. Spano, Natalie Morales, Martha Fling, Alice K. Netter, and John and Kathleen O'Neill, VIP attendees included: Alan and Betsy Cohn; Doris C. Kempner, Ackerman board member and Valerie Kempner; Arthur Maslow, Ackerman board member and Carol Maslow, former Ackerman board member; Robert C. Ruckh, partner Ernst & Young and Ackerman board member; Al Feliu, partner, Vandenberg & Feliu and Ackerman board member; Samuel Peabody, Philanthropist; Judy Stern Peck, Director of The Money & Family Life Project at the Ackerman Institute for the Family; Stephen Sokoloff, Ackerman board member, and Helena Sokoloff; Nina Taselaar, Ackerman Board member & family therapist, and Pieter Taselaar, Owner, Lucerne Capital Management LLC; Lois Zenkel, photographer, and Bruce Zenkel; Tamsen Fadal, Emmy winning PIX 11 News Anchor; Marie C. Wilson, Co-Founder of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Founder & Emerita, The White House Project and Ms. Foundation for Women; Patricia VonMusulin, Owner, Patricia Von Musulin Signum Corporation; John Pizzarelli Quartet with Bucky Pizzarelli, who provided the entertainment for the Gala; C. Hugh Hildesley, Auctioneer for the Gala & Executive Vice President, Sotheby's; James Grant, President & CEO, JGPR; Lori Sokol, Publisher, Work Life Matters Magazine, Contributing Writer for The Huffington Post & Board Chair of Women's eNews; Javier Gomez, noted fine art photographer; Camilla Barungi, Entrepreneur, activist, and model of Project Runway fame. |
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| Martha Fling, Joseph C. Williams, Jeannie Ackerman Curhan, Colin Farrell, Natalie Morales, Lois Braverman, Christopher J. Spano, and Valerie Spano |
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| Since 1960, the Ackerman Institute for the Family has achieved international prominence and earned national awards for the development of innovative models of family therapy, professional training, and community programs for families facing major life challenges. One of the first training institutions in the United States committed to promoting family functioning and family mental health, Ackerman is dedicated to helping families from all walks of life and at all stages of family life. For more information about The Ackerman Institute for the Family go to: http://www.ackerman.org |
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| Honoree Colin Farrell, Natalie Morales and Ackerman President and CEO Lois Braverman |
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| Marie Wilson, Lois Braverman, and Judy Stern Peck |
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| Mark Schneider, Sheri Sandler, and Marcia Sheinberg |
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Photographs by Billy Farrell Agency (ABT) |