All the Queer Fashion and Flamboyance at the 2024 San Francisco Ballet Opening Night Gala
The San Francisco Ballet ushered in a spectacular new era at their annual opening night gala held on January 24, 2024 at City Hall and the adjacent War Memorial Opera House.
Signaling the beginning of a brand new season, the black tie event also earmarked significant changes at the 91-year-old dance company, presenting works by newly appointed creative director Tamara Rojo, formerly of the English National Ballet. The company was formerly led by Helgi Tomasson, who stepped down at the end of last season after a 35-year run as artistic director and principal choreographer.
The winter rain acquiesced for the revelers as they arrived for a pre-reception located inside of San Francisco City Hall. After being photographed on the red carpet adorned by a stunning installation of futuristic blue lighting in the building’s main thorough fare, guests proceeded inside for an hour long cocktail party highlighted by passed glasses of champagne and caviar service stations scattered throughout the building.
Predictably, a festive energy circulated throughout the room, with the historic, beaux-art building’s opulent surroundings highlighted by the many couture gowns and gorgeous outfits worn by the evening’s attendees.
San Francisco’s queer community had an obvious presence, with many of the city’s LGBTQ elite dressed to impress and happily mingling among notable figures like actresses Rita Moreno and Ana de la Reguera, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Lady Camden, Senator Nancy Pelosi with Mr. Paul Pelosi, as well as prima ballerinas Yuan Yuan Tan and Nikisha Fogo, among others.
Post reception, revelers were ushered into an opulent dinner following the bellows of a brigade of trumpeters leading guests into their respective seating areas.
The event’s theme, “Pandora: Curiosity Unveiled” was evident in each respective space, with lush arrangements of white floral creations adorning surfaces scattered with touches of crystal, chrome, and silver as far as the eye could see.
After an hour-long, multi-course dinner, the trumpeters returned to usher the guests to the War Memorial Opera House for the evening’s 2024 repertoire season preview presentation. Assisted by uniformed officers from the San Francisco Police Department, an entire block of Van Ness Avenue in midtown San Francisco was blocked off between MacAllister and Grove streets, allowing guests their annual well-heeled parade of tuxedos and evening gowns directly across to the front steps of the performance hall.
Once seated, an audible gasp could be heard throughout the audience when Tamara Rojo stepped onto stage to make her inaugural speech. Adorned in a draped, gold lame’ floor-length gown with matching headband bisecting her raven colored hair, the 49-year-old timeless beauty originally hailing from Spain glistened beneath the stage lights. Speaking diplomatically about her newly anointed role, Rojo elegantly waxed poetic about her positive outlook for the future of the company with hints of what’s to come in the brand new season.
Opening up the program previewing selections from the 2024 repertoire season were principal dancers Sasha de Sola and Isaac Hernandez performing a stunning pas de deux from Swan Lake, Wona Park and Aaron Robison in Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux, Nikisha Fogo and Wei Wang in Vaganova after Petipa’s Diana and Acteon pas de deux, among other acts.
The showcase was concluded with a breathtaking ensemble performance from the cast of Balanchine’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, with stunning custom costuming provided by the house of Christian la Croix.
Afterwards, the audience made their way back to City Hall where the gala’s after party kicked off at 10 p.m. Moreover, despite it being a weeknight event, many had just arrived specifically for the post-performance afterparty, where several local DJs had set up shop within various rooms to entertain the masses.
In an adjoining ballroom, Bay Area band Wonder Bread 5 performed an energy-filled set of popular cover songs, packing the dance floor with champagne-toasting ballet patrons finally letting loose for the first time that evening.
In another room, a 10-foot-long candy bar glistened with various chocolates, jelly beans, gummy candies, and kettle corn. On other tables, what seemed like acres of hand-rolled sushi, charcuterie, skewered meats, and artisan breads were offered to anyone feeling peckish. Servers hovered around the crowd offering wine and sparkling water, with open bars neatly tucked away among the various rooms, allowing patrons to migrate from space to space with casual ease.
In another corner, Drew Altizer Photography hosted a photo area, allowing guests to take high school prom-style snapshots home with them as a souvenir. It was hard not to sit back and take in the entirety of the evening at that moment, as the flurry of Valentino gowns, Armani tuxedo jackets, Chanel handbags, and glittering diamond jewelry might be polarizing to some, but at the end of the day, everyone was there for the same reason: a common love and affectation for the San Francisco Ballet.
Anecdotally, many might also be surprised when informed of the large LGBTQ+ presence that evening, but the truth is, a true love of the arts breaks all barriers of demographics. Anyone with a passion for dance, music, fine food, and fashion would find themselves having a proverbial ball at the San Francisco Ballet opening night gala, with an emphasis on fashion.
The custom-made Christian la Croix ensembles made for A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, for example, were some of the finest displays of wardrobe possibly ever made for a professional dance company. Blurring the lines between ballet attire and couture runway offerings, a ticket to the late winter/early spring production is well worth it just to witness the breathtakingly stunning costumes.
Voltaire once said: “Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
And when it comes to the San Francisco Ballet, it would be foolish to think that one wouldn’t be welcome or belong just because they don’t fit the mold of a certain stereotype or income bracket.
In case you didn’t know, the company is still mostly run by an enormous staff of dedicated volunteers hailing from all walks of life, myself included, with an active membership in the BRAVO Club—an acronym standing for: “Ballet Resource And Volunteer Organization.”
Finally, a reminder that ballet, dance, and the concept of art itself is something that belongs to everyone. If you’re a true lover of performance arts, then the San Francisco Ballet is where you belong, whether you’re putting on your finest for the opening night black tie gala or demurely tucked away in a balcony seat for a weeknight performance. The beauty of the organization is that there truly is a place for everyone who wants to be involved, and all are graciously welcome.
“If we have no peace, it’s because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” – Mother Theresa
*All photos in this article by Kara Lugtu, unless otherwise accredited
