Stunning gowns worn by Houston swans are showstoppers at white-tie Ballet Ball
The city’s white-tie takeover continues. Last Saturday, voluminous gowns, tuxedo jackets with tails and rarely seen jewels swept through Wortham Theater Center for the 2024 Houston Ballet Ball.
The evening, a nod to Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s “Mayerling,” was chaired by Cabrina and Steven Owsley and Margaret and Jonathan Cox, and honored Akemi and Yasuhiko Saitoh. Principal dancer Yuriko Kajiya presented the couple, who were instrumental to Houston Ballet leadership’s recent tour to Japan, with flowers and praised their efforts in Japanese. In return, Yasuhiko thanked the professional dance company for bringing four performances of Stanton Welch’s “Swan Lake” to Tokyo in 2022.
“Houston Ballet forever,” he said.
The gala, which took place in a stunning re-creation of Hofburg Palace, raised more than $1.6 million. Houston Ballet Academy Pro students brought the tale of Crown Price Rudolf, sole heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 1880s, to life through choreography by former company dancer and current academy instructor Hayden Stark. Male dancers wore tuxedos from Welch’s “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” while female dancers donned gowns from previous artistic director Ben Stevenson’s “Cinderella.”
Welch’s rendition of “Cinderella” opened Thursday, running through March 3. Soloist Jacquelyn Long plays the titular role; she and fellow dancers, including Natalie Varnum and Tyler Donatelli, were dressed by Houston fashion designer David Peck.
Ballet board president Kristy Bradshaw and Duyen Nguyen wore Bach Mai, a former Houston Ballet costume apprentice. Here are some of the most glamorous looks from the night:
Hunters Creek Village
Gated enclave. Brick façade with picturesque balcony and porch. Open kitchen, breakfast and family rooms. Trussed ceiling, wide-plank wood floors, fireplace. Large island. Elevator, three-car garage.$3,985,000
Sharon Ballas | 713.822.3895 | Greenwoodking.com ballas@greenwoodking.com
MLS# 9651707 | Greenwood King Properties