Inside American Ballet Theatre’s Fall Gala Honoring Cynthia Erivo

American Ballet Theatre’s Angels & Demons, themed Fall Gala unfolded at Lincoln Center on October 29, transforming the David H. Koch Theater’s promenade into a gothic ballroom beneath chandeliers suspended from its 50-foot ceiling. Presented by Dior, the evening honored Cynthia Erivo, the Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award, winning actress, musician, and producer, for what American Ballet Theatre called her “remarkable contributions to the performing arts and her extraordinary capacity to inspire.” Debbie Allen, actress, musician, and dancer, presented Erivo with the award in front of a crowd that included Michael Kors, Phillip Lim, Katie Holmes, Misty Copeland, and Nicky Hilton Rothschild.

Erivo arrived in a dramatic black Erdem gown with a bulbous skirt fringed with white flowers, layered over a crisp white high-neck shirt and paired with sky-high black satin Christian Louboutin platforms. Her accessories included a stack of earrings, metallic sky blue Chanel bag, and super-long purple nails. Erivo reflected on her early days in New York, saying, “What I loved most about the city was its dedication to art in all its forms. Whether it be theater, opera, fine art, TV, film, or dance.” She singled out American Ballet Theatre’s legacy, noting, “ABT, with its rich history of storytelling, has provided New York, and the world over, with some of the most magical moving art one could ever wish for. And it created a way for us to marvel at the wonder that is Misty Copeland, and embrace many more passionate dancers into our hearts.”

The fashionable crowd, some in red devil horns and others as celestial apparitions, included designers, stylists, and artists. Natalie De’Banco, Elizabeth Sulcer, and Nicky Hilton Rothschild appeared in coordinating white, while Tina Leung wore a gold Jason Wu gown. Misty Copeland, who retired from the stage last year, wore a black blazer and latex lace pants by Sergio Hudson. Isabella Boylston chose a shimmering column by Là Fuori, and Chloe Misseldine brought drama in custom Vera Wang with a hand-molded bandeau bustier and layered tulle skirt. Catherine Hurlin sparkled in Akris, and Devon Teuscher wore a neo-Grecian dress by Valentino. The event drew guests from both sides of the Lincoln Center ballet divide, with New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia in Dolce & Gabbana.

James Whiteside described the program as including spirits, fairies, sorcerers, and swan women, while Thomas Forster remarked that it was a totally normal night at ABT. The evening opened with Daniel Camargo performing the company premiere of Frederick Ashton’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits. Catherine Hurlin and Isaac Hernández followed as Titania and Oberon in Ashton’s The Dream. Other highlights included Christine Shevchenko and Calvin Royal III in Sylvia, a segment from Alexei Ratmansky’s Whipped Cream, and the Swan Lake pas de deux, where Misseldine delivered the Black Swan’s 32 fouettés.

Artistic director Susan Jaffe revisited lesser-seen works, including Coppélia with Skylar Brandt and Michel Fokine’s Le Spectre de la Rose, danced by Léa Fleytoux and Herman Cornejo. Hee Seo starred in La Sylphide, which Jaffe announced she plans to mount as a full-scale production next year. Agnes de Mille’s comic ballet Three Virgins and a Devil returned to the stage after nearly a quarter century, with Jake Roxander as the devil trickster. Jaffe said that when she started looking for pieces to fit the theme, she really went down a rabbit hole, and noted that much of the ballet repertoire is about the supernatural world.

Dinner tables alternated between ivory linens with white garden roses and darker settings with black calla lilies and midnight Phalaenopsis orchids. The menu included roasted pumpkin soup and chicken pot pie. The evening’s surprise came as 50 students from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School performed Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in the center of the room. Sloan Lindemann Barnett, one of the gala’s grand chairs, led a paddle raise that brought in $700,000, helping the event surpass $3 million in fundraising.

The magazine has also looked at the most stylish moments from the MET Gala.