New York(SMI-WIRE,05.23.17)American Ballet Theatre celebrated its 2017 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House on Monday, May 22 with the annual Spring Gala, an anchor to the spring cultural and social season. The evening featured ABT’s world-renowned dancers in the New York premiere of Whipped Cream. Choreographed by ABT Artist-in-Residence Alexei Ratmansky, Whipped Cream is set in Vienna, Austria to a lavish score by Richard Strauss, with exquisite costumes and sets designed by pop surrealist visionary Mark Ryden.

​

Hamilton E. James, President, Blackstone and Chairman Emeritus of American Ballet Theatre, was honored with an inaugural award from ABT that recognizes great Americans for their civic leadership and philanthropy in the arts.

​

Attendees Included: Blake Lively, Katie Holmes, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Caroline Kennedy, Hilary Rhoda, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Amy Astley, Hamish Bowles, Anh Duong, Elettra Wiedemann, Allison Sarofim, Fernando Garcia, Rachel Feinstein, Alexis Mabille, Eric Rutherford, Mark Ryden, Christine Schwarzman, Sutton Stracke, Bettina Zilkha, Sean Avery, Sarah Arison, Cameron Silver and ABT Principal Dancers Misty Copeland, James Whiteside, Daniil Simkin, Gillian Murphy, Marcelo Gomes and Isabella Boylston.

​

Austrian-based Swarovski was the Lead Partner for American Ballet Theatre’s Spring Gala and New York Premiere of Whipped Cream. Nearly 80,000 Swarovski crystals adorned the sets and costumes for Whipped Cream. Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: “As supporting excellence in the creative arts is of great importance to us, Swarovski is delighted to partner with American Ballet Theatre on its Spring Gala and to collaborate with Mark Ryden on this wildly imaginative production. Mark’s creative integration of Swarovski crystals illuminates the action and helps bring the set and costume designs to life.”

​

Immediately following the Gala Performance, guests enjoyed dinner as well as dancing to the music of DJ Coleman, at the David H. Koch Theater.

​

About American Ballet Theatre :

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City.

It has an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House ( Lincoln Center) in the spring and a shorter season at the David H. Koch Theater in the fall; the company tours around the world the rest of the year. ABT was founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant and is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. ABT is also the parent company of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and was recognized as "America's National Ballet Company" in 2006 by the United States Congress.