It has been a multicultural week on the gala circuit: Monday at the Met, all eyes were on China’s enduring influence on fashion; last night at New York City Ballet’s Spring Gala, the spotlight was on Denmark, birthplace of the great nineteenth-century choreographer, August Bournonville. Known for his effervescent footwork and repertory rich in pantomime, Bournonville might seem a world away from the modernist compositions by George Balanchine, the visionary founder of NYCB. In the spirit of spring renewal, the evening’s anticipated premiere was a revival of the Dane’s 1836 story ballet, La Sylphide, and a crowd including Valentino Garavani, Elettra Wiedemann, Patti Smith, and Ansel Elgort arrived to take it all in.
“I have a soft spot for Romantic ballets,” confessed Indre Rockefeller in daffodil yellow Delpozo, looking every bit the former dancer she is. Justin Peck, the company’s wunderkind resident choreographer and a soloist, paused to underscore the importance of the classics. “I actually haven’t seen any of the rehearsals for the piece, so I’m excited to just sit back and be a spectator,” he said. Wiedemann glided by in blush pink Lanvin, and on her feet? “Lanvin—not pointe shoes, thankfully,” she said with a laugh, showing off a sparkly sandal with a sensible heel. Growing up, her mother, Isabella Rossellini, used to take her to the ballet every year; Olivia Palermo, who seemingly walked out of Botticelli’s Primavera in a botanical Valentino dress, also has a balletomane in the family. “My mother just came last night! She has season tickets.”
Moments later inside the David H. Koch Theater, the curtain rose to reveal the first piece on the program, Bournonville Divertissements, a tasting menu of buoyant, jump-heavy excerpts by the choreographer. After a brief intermission on the terrace with champagne and a waning sunset, it was time for La Sylphide, staged by the company’s Danish-born ballet master in chief, Peter Martins. Set in Scotland, the story centers on a tartan-clad cad (a triumphant Joaquin De Luz) who jilts his betrothed for a winged sylph (Sterling Hyltin); she arrives by window and departs (to chuckles from the audience) by chimney. Their love affair ends in tragedy when he wraps a scarf—secretly cursed by a witch—around his paramour, causing her to perish, her delicate wings fluttering to the ground.
Heavy stuff for a spring night, but the mood was light at the post-show dinner on the promenade. The ethereal Wendy Whelan, who retired last fall from the company and appears at the Joyce Theater later this month, gushed about Hyltin’s performance, adding, “It’s my birthday—48!” Andrew Rannells, in the midst of filming the fifth season of Girls, chatted with Tiler Peck, a City Ballet principal whose husband, Robert Fairchild, stars in Broadway’s An American in Paris. “He plays the role that Gene Kelly did in the film,” Garavani explained. “I’m going to see it next week!” And with that, like a corps of winged sylphs, the guests dispersed into the night.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, a very rainy Hollywood evening set the stage for the premiere of Mad Max: Fury Road. As action-packed as the movie was, it didn’t outshine the equally exciting red carpet. Hollywood veteran and star Charlize Theron shed her movie look and opted for a clean black and white dress, while newcomer costar Zoë Kravitz looked elegant in a Valentino gown, paired well with her signature braids. The biggest surprise of the night was when original Mad Max star, Mel Gibson, came out to show his support for the newest chapter of the legacy. As guests filed into the theater, Riley Keough in a leather dress, stopped for a few selfies with fans, then joined Abbey Lee, in a Balmain jumpsuit, inside.
As the credits rolled, the night was just beginning. Guests ventured across the street for the after-party, where in one corner, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stunned in a sparkling Rodarte skirt and top. Across the room, costar Nicholas Hoult was seen laughing and talking amongst friends. Mad Max’s star-studded cast definitely failed to disappoint, both on the screen and on the carpet.
The post Valentino, Patti Smith, and More Celebrate New York City Ballet’s Spring Gala and Mel Gibson, Charlize Theron, and Other Stars Come Out for the Mad Max: Fury Road Premiere appeared first on Vogue.