"A record-breaking, dazzlingly dressed crowd turned out for San Francisco Ballet's Opening Night Gala on Jan. 14, with the fete raising more money than any event of its kind since the organization's founding in 1933 - a major achievement at a time when the organization attempts to balance grand ambitions amid mounting controversy. The sold-out evening at City Hall and the War Memorial Opera House brought out big names"
"The black-tie affair began with a reception and three-course dinner at City Hall before attendees crossed the street and made their way to the Opera House for a performance curated by San Francisco Ballet's artistic director, Tamara Rojo. The program included excerpts from the 2026 season, including William Forsythe's "Blake Works I" and Helgi Tomasson and Yuri Possokhov's "Don Quixote.""
"Proceeds from the event support a number of the ballet's initiatives, including funding new choreographic commissions, scholarships for San Francisco Ballet School students and community education programs. The event occurred at a complicated time, as the ballet company is grappling with fallout from a scheduled performance at the recently rebranded Trump Kennedy Center. Other high-profile names, including composer Phillip Glass, have pulled out of commitments at the center in protest of the president."
A sold-out Opening Night Gala for San Francisco Ballet on Jan. 14 raised more money than any similar event since the company's 1933 founding. The event took place at City Hall and the War Memorial Opera House and attracted civic and cultural figures including Mayor Daniel Lurie, Rita Moreno, Hunter Pence, Zac Posen and Paul Pelosi. The evening featured a reception and three-course dinner, a performance curated by Tamara Rojo with excerpts from the 2026 season, and a late-night party with DJs and a local band. Proceeds fund commissions, scholarships and community education, even as the company faces controversy over a scheduled Kennedy Center performance.
Read at SFGATE
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]