New York City Ballet Principal Lauren Lovette Brings Dance to Downtown with Pop-up Performance Gala, Dinner and Dancing

New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Lauren Lovette is producing a one-night-only gala, Why It Matters, Friday, July 16, 2021, to bring ballet back to live audiences while major arts institutions remain dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presented by Festival Ballet Ensemble and featuring artists from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet, the evening will serve as Lovette's debut as a producer while building the framework for her future choreographic endeavors following her retirement from New York City Ballet this fall.

Championing the creative process through a feminine voice and an unapologetic mission to challenge the culture of the art form, the program will offer 4 world premieres by Lovette in addition to excerpts from Not Our Fate, which premiered at the 2017 New York City Ballet Fall Gala, and Build a Body and Good Light, which both premiered at the 2019 Vail Dance Festival.

Presented in a pop-up theater created at the Tribeca-based Spring Studios with stunning views of Manhattan, Lovette will be joined on stage by New York City Ballet colleagues Unity Phelan, Indiana Woodward, Victor Abreu, Gilbert Bolden III, Preston Chamblee and Laine Habony, American Ballet Theatre's Herman Cornejo, Hee Seo, Zimmi Coker, Patrick Frenette and Remy Young, as well as San Francisco Ballet's Julian MacKay.

In addition to a full evening program, Why It Matters will invite patrons to enjoy a pre-performance rooftop cocktail reception, a sunset intermission boasted by 30-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, and an exclusive 3-course dinner at Spring's private restaurant.

"With the world now reconnecting, we offer this performance in celebration, in mourning, in love, and for the desire to express to the world exactly why dance matters and belongs in our lives," explains Lauren. "We all know what it feels like to lose contact and miss connections with those who inspire us most, ultimately forgetting our favorite versions of who we believe we are," she continues. "After almost a year and a half away from the stage, I look forward to gathering together to share the beauty of this art form with friends and audiences and look ahead toward the possibilities of tomorrow."

Lovette's production team also includes lighting designer Brandon Stirling Baker, media by Mackay Productions, musicians Caroline Shaw and Kate Davis, and costumes by Morgane Le Fay.

For more information visit https://whyitmattersdance.com.