See What Happened at the World Premiere of Benjamin Millepied's Ballet
In "Reset," the new documentary about Benjamin Millepied, the famed choreographer and dancer remarks, "You cannot dance without pleasure."
If that's true, he must be ecstatic. Just six months since moving back to America with wife Natalie Portman, ballet's busiest man has been on a roll with a series of performances and new works, including a collaboration with Rufus Wainwright. Last week he premiered his latest piece, "The Chairman Dances," created especially for the opening gala of the San Francisco Ballet's 2017 Repertory Season.
Choreographed to a surreal sonic montage by composer John Adams, the 13-minute production bustled with emotional urgency and athletic intensity. The audience was enthralled. As if that weren't enough he also designed the ballet's striking costumes, reminiscent of a Donald Judd print in vibrant blue with orange inserts. For many it was a bold highlight to an evening that entertained well over 2,000 guests, raised over $2.8 million-more than ever in the organization's history-and showcased 11 spectacular performances, including the world premiere of Trey McIntyre's "Presence," and the glittering finale of George Balanchine's "Diamonds."
And such diamonds! Tiffany & Co. sponsored the gala's Grand Benefactors dinner at City Hall, so there were plenty of diamonds offstage too, with Tiffany gems worn by dancer Yuan Yuan Tan, gala chair Ave Seltsam, and several others. Dede Wilsey paired a green Andrew Gn with Harry Winston diamonds and emeralds, and artist Suzy Kellems Dominik added JAR jewelry to her black Ralph Rucci.
Tiffany's famous shade of blue was used to accent the decor, designed by J. Riccardo Benavides to match the evening's "Ever Magical" theme. "How do you make tutus look magical?" he remarked, pointing upwards by way of answer, revealing a lightshow of ballerinas dancing across the surface of the City Hall Dome 300 feet above, while nearby several tutus hung suspended mid-air, floating as if by magic.
San Francisco galas are known for the amount of ballgowns on display. This year the skirts couldn't get any bigger, as seen by Dr. Clara Shayevich in a fantastic Vasily Vein gown that trailed several feet behind her. In a grand Ali Rahimi construction, Patricia Kelly lived up to the expectations of her late husband, Hollywood icon Gene Kelly. "He always thought you needed to dress for an occasion," she said. "He thought black tie was black tie."
A more cutting edge approach was taken by art collector Norah Stone, whose dress and headpiece were designed by Andrea Spiridonakos in Miami, while designer Yuka Uehara of Tokyo Gamine created her own look, featuring an eye-catching, abstract, hand-painted robe.
La Perla hosted the evening's after-party, to which dancer Maria Kochetkova arrived, fresh from her triumph in "The Chairman Dances", wearing a Vetements football shoulder hoodie bearing the now infamous line from Beverly Hills, 90210: "May the bridges I burn light the way." A fitting allusion to the fire Benjamin Millepied lit in the dance world after abruptly resigning from the Paris Opera Ballet last year?
Having started off this year with a new documentary, a new ballet, and soon a new child, Millepied's future is indeed bright.
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