Inside The School of American Ballet’s 90th Anniversary Ball

Each year, The School of American Ballet takes over Manhattan s Lincoln Center with a celebration honoring its patrons, alumni, and the exceptional talents of its students. At the institution’s annual black-tie benefit gala, young dancers and ballerinas showcase their learnings with a performance to attendees. But this year, SAB dancers—spanning from the children’s division to the most advanced students—graced the stage of the David H. Koch Theater for the very first time. (Though the SAB gala is always held at the David H. Koch Theatre, SAB dancers have previously only performed on a makeshift dancefloor outside the theater space.) The reason for the change in program? The ball was celebrating SAB s 90th anniversary.

Upon arrival, attendees (many in proper ball gowns) wandered, martini glasses and Champagne flutes in hand, while others held white carnations denoting they were SAB alumni—many clutching flowers now perform for over 80 companies worldwide.

During the performance, dancers ranging from ages five to seventeen pliéd and pirouetted with precision and grace, showcasing the culmination of their training journey at SAB, from foundational exercises to executing full choreographies. Each piece elicited cheers and applause from proud siblings, parents, and friends. The performance reached its pinnacle with the students performing In Creases, choreographed by SAB alumnus Justin Peck, and a Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux performed by alumni and New York City Ballet principal dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.

With the generous support of Chanel, the evening honored alumna Coco Kopelman, whose longstanding dedication to the School of American Ballet has been instrumental in supporting young dancers through the establishment of the Coco F. Kopelman Pointe Shoe Fund, a foundation that provides pointe shoes for dancers from diverse backgrounds. The evening also paid tribute to Suki Schorer, a SAB faculty member for over 50 years and a protégé of George Balanchine.

As performances concluded, guests were ushered to the reception area, where they were greeted by white peonies and cherry blossoms adorning tabletops. Conversation buzzed among attendees about the performance. The SAB had clearly touched each of their lives, and for many of the dancers, this was just the beginning of a long career in ballet.