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MAD HOT BALLET
Desert Dream

June 12, 2019

2019 Gala Co-Chairs: Rana Florida and Rochelle de Goias

MAD HOT BALLET: Desert Dream was a journey to the crossroads of culture, an unforgettable night inspired by the enticing tastes and the entrancing beauty of Morocco and the warmth of the Saharan sands.

An evening of dance, music, fashion and food, the edition of the annual gala raised over $1.2 million in support of the National Ballet artists, performances and community programmes. The evening began with an hour-long performance featuring the preview of a new work by Choreographic Associate Robert Binet, Dialogue Dances, performed by Principal Dancers Skylar Campbell and Xiao Nan Yu, First Soloist Hannah Fischer and Second Soloist Spencer Hack. The performance concluded with a pas de deux from The Merry Widow danced by Principal Dancers Guillaume Côté and Ms. Yu who retires after 22 years with the company at the end of the season.

Following the performance, 2,000 attendees enjoyed signature cocktails at a reception inspired by the tastes and beauty of Morocco in the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room. The 620 gala dinner guests took their places onstage at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts for a gourmet meal prepared by Sash Simpson and concluded the evening with a night of dancing with Artists of the Ballet.

The annual gala evening attracts luminaries from the cultural, social, fashion and corporate spheres. Since MAD HOT BALLET was established in 2007, the National Ballet has raised a total of $14.5 million thanks to the generosity of sponsors, donors, volunteers and ticket buyers