“A Nod to Peacocks” as Houston Ballet Ball Celebrates a $1.6 Million Evening

“A Nod to Peacocks” as Houston Ballet Ball Celebrates a $1.6 Million Evening

The grand foyer at Wortham Theater Center was the proud host for the recent Houston Ballet Ball where an excited black-tie-clad group of 500 celebrated Artistic Director Stanton Welch’s adaptation of Raymonda, with a seated dinner and ballet performance.

Chairs Kristy & Chris Bradshaw and Melissa Juneau were overjoyed with the turnout and thrilled with the more than $1.65 million raised to inspire a lasting love and passion for dance in Houston and beyond.

The cocktail hour was resplendent in glimmering gold and vibrant florals arranged into a striking peacock design inspired by the “Peacock Ballroom” featured in Act II of this medieval Crusades-era love story. Guests with their handcrafted cocktails traveled through the silent auction and delighted in many of the sought-after offerings, such as a Houston Rockets ball boy/girl experience, tickets to the Bach Mai show and Pamella Roland show during New York Fashion Week, a five-night stay at a private seaside retreat in Santa Rosa Beach, and a walk-on role during Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker performance.

Attendees adjourned to the ballroom, lavishly decorated by Richard Flowers and The Events Company with black iron chandeliers, dramatic green velvet and black lace overlay table linens, intricate gold candelabras, dazzling floral centerpieces, a gold acrylic stage which framed the black-and-white checkered dance floor and peacock accents delicately scattered throughout.

Deborah and Edward Koehler, longtime Houston Ballet supporters, were honored for their unwavering commitment to the company and support of former Principal Dancer Lauren Anderson. They were deeply inspired by Lauren’s legacy, leading them to champion key initiatives in her honor, including the Lauren Anderson Young Dancer Scholarship Fund, which supports underrepresented students, and The Lauren Anderson Dance Residency at Ucross Ranch, which provides an annual residency for aspiring choreographers like company dancers Jack Wolff and Eric Best.

Twenty-one Corps de Ballet dancers followed the delectable three-course cuisine and assembled on the dance floor for a surprise performance to Harry Styles’ “Golden,” choreographed by Demi Soloist Jack Wolff and featuring Lauren Anderson. The performance culminated in a shower of gold streamers, leading guests to a packed dance floor where the tunes of Stratosphere were enjoyed until the wee hours.

In the Social Scene (not previously mentioned):  Jim Nelson, Julie Kent, Margaret Alkek Williams, Stephanie and Frank Tsuru, Jennifer and Scott Allison, Sarah and Scott Barrett, Michele and Bobby Marandi, Anne and Albert Chao, Jerry Ann Woodfin-Costa, Isabel and Danny David, Monica and Brad Radoff, Bruce and Pamela Earthman, Martha and Richard Finger, Jo Furr, Mignon and Steve Gill, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Christine and David M. Underwood, Jr., Allison and Troy Thacker, Marguerite Swartz, S. Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan, Leigh and Reggie Smith, Diana Skerl, Kent and Shara Schaffer, Akemi and Yasuhiko Saitoh, Alicia Smith, Beth Muecke, Roslyn and Derrick Mitchell, Andrea and Henry Medina, Yana and Warren McFatter, Jean and Henry May, Chad Libertus, Jay Jones and Terry Wayne Jones, Claudia and David Hatcher, Sunday Shepherd, Patti Murphy, Laura and Brannon Robertson, Bernie Cantu, Sharalynn and Tim Fenn, Sarah and Bryant Lee