A few cocktails after the curtain went down on Houston Ballet's exuberant Jubilee of Dance, the curtain rose again in the Brown Theater of Wortham Theater Center. But this performance — a late-night benefit dinner — was not scripted and only lightly choreographed.
While A Fare Extraordinaire set the stage for the repast, guests mingled in the Green Room for a hefty serving of delish hors d'oeuvres and libations.
Chairs of this first-time on-stage dinner for Houston Ballet patrons were Monica and John Blaisdell and Isabel and Danny David. But star of this part of the vibrant evening was 8-month-old Edie Kubin, daughter of retired first soloist Kelly Myernick and Kyle Kubin, as her mother paraded the beaming tyke through the well-heeled group.
For the latter portion of the evening, artistic director Stanton Welch and a number of the dancers were off-duty and joined the party, basking in the waves of praise that followed their not-to-be-missed performance. (Mark you calendar for next year as this is a one-night-only joyous dance extravaganza.) Receiving special notice was guest artist Julie Kent of the American Ballet Theatre who not only performed but also joined the gathering for dinner.
Among the 250 guests toasting the glorious evening were ballet board chair Phoebe Tudor and Bobby Tudor, Houston Ballet executive director Jim Nelson, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Soraya and Scott McClelland, Lindsey Brown and Chris Shepherd, Terry Wayne Jones and Jay Jones, Philamena and Arthur Baird, C.C. Conner and Audrey Cochran.
American Ballet Theatre's Julie Kent and Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch.
