Ballet and beer a good mix at the Emerald Gala
by March 19, 2012 8:09 pm 140 views
An intimate gathering of about 40 people attended the Western Arkansas Ballet Emerald Gala Saturday (March 17) at the Fort Smith Riverfront Pavilion.
The event, deliberately coordinated with St. Patrick's Day, featured a green theme set in Emerald City, the capital of the Land of Oz. Decorations included larger than life characters of the Tin Man, Wicked Witch of the West and Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.
Marica Porter, WAB ballet mistress, filled Champagne glasses with green ice cubes purchased for $10 each. Embedded in the cubes were trinkets and, in three of the cubes, keys. One lucky key opened a treasure chest with a pair of diamond and emerald earrings donated by Diamonds Plus.
The food was catered by Outback Steakhouse and served by Outback manager Angela Duncan, a former WAB student. Josh Whitson and Jonas Schaffer of Arkansas Beer Blog had 11 beers available for sampling and provided detailed beer information to guests.
Selections of the beer were paired with the menu items of seared ahi tuna, filet medallions, Burgundy mushrooms and shrimp cocktail. A card explaining the reasons why such beer was chosen for each food item was displayed in front of each entrée. Entertainment was provided by the band Boxfoot and drinks flowed from an open bar.
Melissa Schoenfeld, WAB executive artistic director, said she expects to raise between $6,000 and $8,000 from the event's $50 ticket price and silent auction items. The funds will be used for scholarships, sets and costumes for the upcoming performances of the Wizard of Oz and Regional Dance America festival in the spring of 2013.
About 6-10 students between the ages of 4 and 17 will benefit from the scholarships with funds aiding tuition or the purchase of dance apparel.
WAB is a member of Regional Dance America which hosts an annual festival. Next year, Fort Smith was chosen as the host location from among the dance companies in the southwest region.
The weekend-long event featured classes during the day and performances open to the public in the evening. More than 600 people, students, faculty and family members were expected to participate.
Schoenfeld said, hiring top-notch faculty is important not only for the instructional benefits but also for the scholarships offered by those faculty members.