City Hall goes Venetian.
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET 72ND SEASON OPENING GALA
The San Francisco Ballet celebrated the opening of its 72nd season with āA Masked Ballā theme that set the tone for an opulent Venetian-esque evening of romance and revelry.
The dazzling gala also marked Artistic Director Helgi Tomassonās 20th anniversary leading the ballet company that is the third largest in the US and certainly one of the most innovative. You might remember Helgi from his 15 years as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, not to mention his work with the Joffrey and Harkness Ballets.
It took several venues to accommodate the sell-out crowd. About 950 benefactors and patrons dined in City Hall amid Venetian and Veronese backdrops while across the street in the War Memorial Opera House CafeĢ, 350 members of the Encore group (young professionals) partied in an Italian villa setting.
Not to be outdone, the women of San Francisco donned their most glamorous evening gowns for this sublimely stylish soireĢe.