BBT Stuns with Affair en Blanc Spring Event and Swan Lake Performances
Affair en Blanc
On April 25th, Boca Ballet Theatre celebrated a magical evening at Signature Flight Support for its spring fundraising event Affair en Blanc! Featuring an elegant all-white theme, guests wore Parisian-inspired couture and decorated their own tables in a spectacular display of creativity and taste. The winners of our costume contest were Cecilia Chinchilla and her table, which included Jorgelina Perez, Dianmarie Sanchez, Jessica Barrass, and Annmarie Helmke. The Smith/Bagdasarian table took home the prize for best table decor, while the Ramudo table took second place!
We were thrilled to host this event at a very unique location: an airplane hangar at the Boca Raton Airport, where guests could safely practice social distancing while watching planes take off from the nearby runway! Dancers dressed as white swans mingled with Affair en Blanc guests, adding another elegant touch to the event, which supported BBT’s spring production of Swan Lake.
We’d like to thank all of those who attended as well as those who made this event possible, including event chair Julianna Miron. Check out highlights from Affair en Blanc below!
Swan Lake
On May 8th and 9th, Boca Ballet Theatre stunned in-person and remote audiences alike in what was a spectacular performance of Swan Lake, presented by Eric and Olga Jorgensen! Saturday evening’s show was the first in BBT history to be performed for a live audience at the Countess de Hoernle Theater while a simultaneous broadcast streamed the show to viewers from as far away as Singapore and Brazil!
Headlining the show were special guest artists from American Ballet Theatre Skylar Brandt and Aran Bell, whose performances were made possible by the generous support of Henry & Harriet Pownall and Elizabeth H. Dudley. Brandt made her role debut as Odette/Odile in BBT’s production, sharing her special moment with a Boca-based audience as well as dedicated fans from around the globe! Fellow ABT dancers even tuned in to celebrate this amazing performance with Brandt and Bell from afar! The two brought audiences to their feet with their breathtaking dancing, but what made their presence truly special was their generosity when interacting with our own dancers, who were absolutely inspired by their talent. We feel so lucky to have hosted these incredible dancers!
We were thrilled to host familiar guest artists like BBT faculty member Shannon Smith and BBT alumnus Sanjay Saverimuttu as well as Samuel Huberty, Rome Saladino, and Lucas Segovia, who contributed their time and talent to the BBT stage. We were also happy to welcome guest artist Alexey Minkin for his first performance with BBT!
BBT Summer Workshop in Serenade, Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust — Photo by Silvia Pangaro
Looking Ahead
This year was challenging for many different reasons, but being able to host a performance in the theater while also welcoming new audiences into the BBT family online was certainly a dream! We are already looking forward to the summer, when we will take the stage for Resurgence, a mixed repertory concert that will feature a choreographic variety, including classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works from BBT’s repertory!
Thank you all again for your support of Swan Lake, and we look forward to seeing you again in the theater on July 31st and August 1st!