Michael Mindlin

American Repertory Ballet (ARB) will open its spring season with an evening of world premieres at its Mask-erade Gala on Saturday, March 12 at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC). This major fundraising event supports the organization’s artistic, educational, and community engagement programs.

The performance program will feature an exclusive sneak peek of Ethan Stiefel’s new A Midsummer Night’s Dream; an excerpt from the classical ballet Don Quixote; a duet created by American Ballet Theatre’s Claire Davison; and a work by Michael Mindlin, a Princeton Ballet School alumnus and dance supervisor of Hamilton, among others. Students from Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet, will also perform.

The evening’s honorees include the Rutgers Global Health Institute; Jeffrey Grosser, Princeton’s deputy administrator of health and community services; and the Princeton Spine & Joint Center, for enabling ARB and Princeton Ballet School dancers to safely return to the studio and the stage.

“These health partners have been instrumental in helping us safely navigate the ongoing pandemic,” said ARB Executive Director Julie Diana Hench. “Not only do they provide access to consistent testing, but they offer expert guidance that continues to shape our safety policies. We are incredibly grateful for the many ways they work in the community and behind the scenes to keep our dancers dancing.”

The Gala will also pay homage to dance legend Maurice Hines, honorary chair emeritus of DANCE POWER, American Repertory Ballet’s flagship residency program serving nearly 800 New Brunswick students each year. Hines served as honorary chair of DANCE POWER after his brother Gregory Hines’ passing in 2003, helping to ensure its continued success. DANCE POWER, founded in 1986 by Dr. Penelope Lattimer in partnership with the New Brunswick Board of Education, was the recent recipient of the 2021 Distinction in Dance Award from the Dance Studies Association.

Sponsors of the event will attend a VIP pre-show reception with Artistic Director Stiefel and honorees. Festivities continue in the lobby after the performance, with surprises inspired by the masquerade theme. The event will feature a silent auction and live lots presented by professional fundraiser Lucas Hunt, president of HUNT Philanthropy and a celebrated American poet.

Visit arballet.org/gala to purchase tickets.