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    At the Ballet Barre

    A lewd ballet: Young professionals embrace the attitude in a rare behind-the-scenes look

    Joel Luks
    Oct 16, 2013 | 10:01 am

    Everyday gestures of brushing teeth, applying makeup and eating breakfast, combined with lewd signs such as giving the middle finger and mouthing aggressive indecencies, makes Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch's Play a strong statement to experience up close.

    In the company work, set to contemporary grooves by Moby, Welch draws his movement vocabulary from city life. The costumes are based on present-day attire; the ballet shoes are designed to resemble sneakers. Needless to say, this ballet's intent isn't to haul you away to a fantastical land of swans and dancing toys — unless such characters smoke, play video games and have a desire to "stick it to the man (or woman)."

    All those details were vividly intensified when a clique of young balletomanes were invited to watch a rehearsal at the Houston Ballet Center for Dance, a session that's part of the professional corps' prep for a run at the Joyce Theater in New York City later this month.

    "Ballet and Bubbles," one of Ballet Barre young professionals yearly program offerings, opens the doors to the inner workings of the art form in hopes of choreographing a connection between dancers and supporters.

    No social gathering, of course, is complete without hunger fighting goods. A spread from Sambuca that included light bites of flat iron steak, chicken parmigiana, margarita shrimp and a trio of sinful desserts, alongside what seemed like an endless supply of flutes bubbling with sparkling wine, followed the presentation.

    Prattling on with Ballet Barre chair Christine Transier and hubby Chris and commingling with dancers — among them Karina Gonzalez, Charles Yoshiyama, Ian Casady, Joseph Walsh, Oliver Halkowich and Jessica Collado — were Caroline Allison, Adrienne Pauly, Cynthia Thaker, Jennifer Ju, Ting Bresnahan, David Rassin, Marni Zarin and Lela Brodsky.

    Nao Kusuzaki, from left, David Rassin, Ting Bresnahan and Marina Willets at the Houston Ballet Center for Dance's Ballet and Bubbles October.

    Nao Kusuzaki, from left, David Rassin, Ting Bresnahan and Marina Willets at the Houston Ballet Center for Dance's Ballet and Bubbles October 2013
      
    Photo by Morris Malakoff
    Nao Kusuzaki, from left, David Rassin, Ting Bresnahan and Marina Willets at the Houston Ballet Center for Dance's Ballet and Bubbles October.
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    Children At Risk

    Fred Armisen brings the funny to benefit child advocacy in Houston

    Joel Luks
    Apr 11, 2025 | 9:15 am
    Fred Armisen brings the funny to benefit child advocacy in Houston
    Fred Armisen brings the funny to benefit child advocacy in Houston
    Fred Armisen brings the funny to benefit child advocacy in Houston

    In a ballroom brimming with heart and humor, more than 430 changemakers gathered at The Post Oak Hotel for Stand Up for Children, Children At Risk’s annual soirée in support of Texas’s most vulnerable. Suzan and Jeremy Samuels and Beth Wolff helmed the evening as event chairs, celebrating a night that raised $360,000 to fuel the nonprofit’s advocacy efforts tackling child poverty and inequality.

    The always-charismatic Khambrel Marshall returned to the stage as emcee and auctioneer. The crowd lit up for Emmy-nominated comedian and musician Fred Armisen, whose smart and quirky set — punctuated with guitar riffs and rhythm shifts — drew roaring laughter from the well-heeled audience.

    President and CEO Dr. Bob Sanborn reminded guests of the organization’s mission as a nonpartisan force for strategic research and public policy. Rep. Ann Johnson brought the message home with personal reflections on the devastating realities of human trafficking and the urgent need for community awareness and legislative change.

    A highlight of the evening: the recognition of Dr. Sippi Khurana as Community Honoree. Her passionate remarks, grounded in data and compassion, underscored why Children At Risk’s work matters more than ever. Her third-grade daughter, Seva, charmed the room with a beautiful invocation.

    Table centerpieces from H-E-B set the stage for a spirited evening of mingling, raffling, and bidding. Silent auction items kept smartphones buzzing, while live auction paddles flew high — especially for a “his and hers” package featuring dazzling Niara Jewelry earrings.

    Seen in the crowd were Ellen Sanborn, Doe and Henry Florsheim, Jenny and John Seo, Katy and Ed Wolff, Cynthia Wolff, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Ann and Jonathan Ayre, Ajay Khurana, Kristen Cannon, Nina and Clint Rand, Sneha and Nick Merchant, Alice and Matthew Brams, Shaina Perry and Jeremy Ross, Shawn and Donald Bowers, Amy and Rob Pierce, George Connelly and Evelyn Leightman, Katie and Seth Tsuru, Jayne Johnston, Dr. Julie Dickson, and David Charles.

    Children at Risk 2025 gala
      

    Photo by Daniel Ortiz

    Sippi Khurana, Fred Armisen, and Ajay Khurana.

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