Fifty years after its premiere at Lincoln Center, three of the world’s most celebrated ballet companies come together for a once-in-a-lifetime presentation of George Balanchine’s masterpiece, Jewels, featuring the Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet, each dancing one act.
Youth America Grand Prix’s (YAGP) First Position Club celebrated the performance Friday night with ballet dancers from around the world at Susan Gutfreund’s Upper East Side residence. Mrs. Gutfreund’s famous hospitality ensured that guests from more than a dozen countries were not only made to feel at home but were greeted in their own language.
Dance patrons swanned through her Fifth Avenue duplex including Amy Astley, Barbara and Gary Brandt, Amy Fine Collins, Joanna Fisher, Olivia Flatto, Judith Hoffman, Allegra Kent, Kristina Allegra Kingston, Regina Kudoyarova, Lillian Kraemer, Margot London, Tara Milne, Vicki Reiss, Ralph Rucci, Denise and Andrew Saul, Denise Sobel, George Vanderploeg, David Weinreb and YAGP Board Chair Linda K. Morse with her husband, Ed. Guests also included many dancers from that evenings performance including the Bolshoi Ballet’s Semyon Chudin and Olga Smirnova; NYCB’s Harrison Ball, Joaquin De Luz, Emilie Gerrity, Christopher Grant, Spartak Hoxha, and Megan LeCrone; Paris Opera Ballet’s Artistic Director Aurélie Dupont with dancer Dorothée Gilbert as well as dancers from other world-renowned companies including American Ballet Theatre’s Skylar Brandt, April Giangeruso, Marcelo Gomes, Calvin Royal III, Gabe Stone Shayer, and Sarasota Ballet’s Ricky Rhodes.
YAGP is the world’s largest network for dance. Their mission is to support and develop world-class dancers (ages 9 – 19) of all ethnic backgrounds by providing scholarships, auditions, education, performance opportunities, and by serving as the global network of dance; connecting students, teachers, schools, dancers, dance companies and audiences.
Joanna Fisher, Ed Morse, Linda Morse, Michael Kelly by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
James Bont, Dorothee Gilbert by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Denise Saul, Andrew Saul by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Gary Brandt, April Giangeruso, Skylar Brandt, Barbara Brandt by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Ricardo Rose, Calvin Royal III, Jacek Mysinski, Marcelo Gomes by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Denise Sobel, Roman Gronkowski by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Elizabeth Orlov, Millicent Powers, Natalie Powers by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Yuri Vodolaga, Regina Kudoyarova by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Emma Powers, Elizabeth Orlov by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Guzal Fahri, Sergei Ivonin, Kristina Allegra, Stacy Kingston by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Harrison Ball, Megan LaCrone, Semyon Chudin, Alvina Chudin by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Howard Paley, Allegra Kent by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Jeff Hirsch, Danielle Hirsch, George Vanderploeg by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Joaquin De Luz, Semyon Chudin, Alvina Chudin by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
John Brewer, Lillian Kramer, Marnie Sadlowsky, Mark Lingle by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Kristina Allegra, Marcelo Gomes by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Joshua Lenihan, Joanna Fisher, Harrison Ball by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Judith M. Hoffman, Vicky Reiss, Allegra Kent by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Christopher Grant, Spartak Hoxha, Andee Dooley, Susan Gutfreund by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Kristina Allegra, Stacy Kingston, Guzal Fahri by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Marcelo Gomes, Ricardo Rose by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Margot London, Ellen Levitt by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Marnie Sadlowsky, Mark Lingle by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Millicent Powers, Emma Powers by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Olga Smirnova, Gabe Stone Shayer by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Olivia Flatto, Aurelie Dupont by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Olivia Flatto, Hal Witt by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Sergei Ivonin, Kristina Allegra by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Allen London, Maggie Brush, Lucille Corrier, Margot London by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Skylar Brandt, Gabe Stone Shayer, Susan Gutfreund, April Giangeruso by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Spartak Hoxha, Joanna Fisher, Christopher Grant by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
Yigal Ozeri, Jennifer Smith by ©Patrick McMullan Photo – Paul Bruinooge/PMC
New York Rag 