The School of American Ballet to Host 2016 WINTER BALL This March

The School of American Ballet (SAB) announces the 2016 Winter Ball at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater on Monday, March 14, 2016, sponsored by legendary French jewelry Maison Van Cleef & Arpels for the ninth consecutive year. Cocktails begin at 7pm and dinner will commence at 8pm, followed by The Encore dessert and dancing at 9pm. Attire is black tie. To purchase tickets, a table, or for more information, contact the Special Events Office at (212) 769-6636.

This glamorous annual dinner dance, presented each winter for the past 12 years, is attended by 500 patrons, including the School's board members and alumni as well as leaders from the New York corporate and social communities.

A highlight of the evening includes a one-time-only performance by the students of the School of American Ballet choreographed by Peter Walker, who was selected by Peter Martins, Artistic Director and Chairman of Faculty for SAB, for the second consecutive year.

The proceeds from the event enhance every aspect of the School's extraordinary ballet training program, helping to provide $2 million annually in student scholarships, as well as supporting faculty, maintaining world-class studios and offering vital student programs beyond the classroom.

Famed French jeweler, Van Cleef & Arpels, will again act as the lead corporate sponsor for the gala. This long-standing partnership is a tribute to the friendship shared between SAB founder, George Balanchine, and one of the Van Cleef & Arpels founding brothers, Claude Arpels, who brought the famed French jewelry Maison to New York in 1939. Their shared passion for exceptional stones inspired a creative partnership that resulted in Balanchine's Jewels ballet and its sumptuous costumes.

The event is led by Chairmen Joyce Giuffra, Julia Koch, Serena Lese and Young Patron Chairmen Noreen Ahmad and Amanda Brotman.

The School of American Ballet, the official training academy of the New York City Ballet, was established in 1934 by legendary choreographer George Balanchine and philanthropist Lincoln Kirstein as the first and most essential step in their quest to create an American classical ballet company. SAB, located at New York City's Lincoln Center, is the premier ballet academy in the United States, training more students who go on to become professional dancers than any other school. SAB's former students fill the ranks of the New York City Ballet and other leading U.S. and international ballet companies.

Van Cleef & Arpels was born in Paris' Place Vendôme in 1906, following Alfred Van Cleef's marriage to Estelle Arpels in 1895.Always striving for excellence, the Maison has become a worldwide reference through its unique designs, its choice of exceptional stones and its virtuoso craftsmanship, offering jewels and timepieces that tell stories and bring enchantment to life.Over the years, the Maison has remained faithful to this highly distinctive style characterized by creativity, refinement and poetry. Whether inspired by nature, couture or the imagination, its collections evoke a timeless world of harmony and beauty. Peter Walker hails from Fort Myers, Florida, where he began his early dance training at age eight. He attended the School of American Ballet during the 2006 and 2007 Summer Courses and enrolled as a full-time student in the winter of 2007. Peter honed his choreographic skills while still an SAB student by participating in SAB's annual Student Choreography Workshop; and in 2011, 2012 and 2014, he was selected by Peter Martins to choreograph for SAB's Summer Course Choreographic Workshop. He was a recipient of SAB's 2011 Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise and became an apprentice with New York City Ballet. He joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in fall 2012.

Pictured: Performance from last year's WINTER BALL. Photo by Erin Baiano.