THE ACADEMY BALL

Out of This World

Like the twinkling of stars in the night sky, the special scene created in the Lyric Theatre for the Academy for Performing Arts’ annual gala felt like something out of this world—a perfect result, given the “astral” theme chosen for the ball. The city’s movers and shakers were out in their most elegant gowns, with Antonia Li, Yolanda Choy-tang and Anne Wang-liu, to name just a few, resembling modern-day princesses.

Gala co-chairs Winnie Chiu and Jennifer Liu began proceedings with a formal welcome to the gathering before the members of the ball committee joined them on stage to salute the guest of honour, Regina Leung. The entertainment kicked off with a contemporary dance piece titled JaegerLecoultre Moment introduced by the evening’s emcee, Esther Ma. Sophia Kao-lo’s daughter Anna provided another memorable moment, performing Sara Bareilles’ Gravity and Styx’s Come Sail Away with the Yat Po Singers.

A silent auction took place throughout the event, and a live auction provided extra drama towards the end of the night. The lots included three astral-themed oneof-a-kind Jaeger-lecoultre timepieces made especially for the occasion. A number of keen collectors appeared to be in attendance, as there was strong bidding for the watches—so much so that the ushers, equipped with lights to direct the auctioneer’s attention to new bids, put on their own accidental avant-garde show. Following the live auction, guests continued to mingle until the clock struck midnight—a signal that the evening was coming to a close. All proceeds went to benefit the Academy for Performing Arts.

Adrian Li