Los Angeles Ballet's Cinderella Themed Gala Raises of $1.2 Million

 Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) hosted its annual Gala on May 17th by transforming the Beverly Wilshire Hotel into an enchanting Cinderella Fairytale Ball and celebrated the Company Dancers and the ballet art form. The evening included a special preview performance of a scene from Edwaard Liang’s Cinderella performed by Los Angeles Ballet dancers. Los Angeles Ballet will present the full ballet for five performances at Dolby Theatre June 13-15, 2025.

The evening was hosted by Golden Globe® nominated actress, Jennifer Grey. Sharon Davis, Erica Min and Koni Rich were the 2025 Gala co-chairs alongside Honorary Co-Chairs Bari Milken-Bernstein, Matilda Sung, Jenny Danzi Elias and The Gala raised over $1.2 million, with funds supporting the company and its community outreach programs.

The Gala began with red carpet arrivals, sponsored by the Michael & Lori Milken Foundation, Koni & Geoff Rich and Gov. Gray (Ret.) & Sharon Davis. Guests enjoyed a cocktail and mocktail hour sponsored by Tamar & Wache Manoukian and Sacred River Wine, that featured Cinderella’s carriage, costumed characters, music by harpist Anita Layton and a silent auction. Dinner was preceded by a live auction and appeal with auctioneer Jacqueline Towers-Perkins, followed by a look at the telling of the Cinderella fairytale through the decades followed by the ballet performance.

Guests included Sharon and Governor Gray Davis, Erica and Sung Ming, Koni and Geoff Rich, Jenny Danzi Elias and Alex Elias, Bari Milken-Bernstein and Fred Bernstein, Matilda and Stephen Sung, Oscar-nominated actress Lesley Ann Warren, who portrayed Cinderella in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Jessy Schram, who portrayed Cinderella in ABC’s Emmy-nominated series Once Upon a Time, Oscar® winner Joel Grey, award-winning actress Donna Mills, Snehal Desai (Artistic Director, Center Theatre Group), Glorya Kaufman (Founder of USC Kaufman School of Dance), Rachel Moore (Executive Director, Music Center of Los Angeles), Robert Van Leer (Executive Director, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts), Debbie and Jimmy Lustig and Michael and Lori Milken among others.

Over the last decade, LAB’s Gala has grown into a beloved event to celebrate ballet as part of the cultural landscape of Los Angeles while raising critical funds for LAB’s artistic programming and mission-driven community offerings. Since 2006, LAB’s Power of Performance (POP!) has provided over 60,000 free tickets to underserved members of the community including foster children, seniors in assisted living, cancer survivors, and veterans. A Chance to Dance (ACTD) provides monthly free dance instruction, taught by our professional dancers at the LAB Center and in local schools.

Past honorees include Paula Abdul, Lawrence Bender, Kris Bowers, Sofia Carson, Governor Gray Davis & Sharon Davis, Robert Day, Jenna Dewan, Linda Duttenhaver, Derek Hough, Ghada Irani, Nigel Lythgoe, Jennifer Bellah Maguire, Bari Milken, Lori Milken, Jeff Polak, Gelila Assefa Puck, Kenny Ortega, Jane Seymour, Adam Shankman, Anastasia Soare, Johnese Spisso, Alia Tutor and Ben Vereen.  

LAB is the largest professional dance company in Los Angeles and is on an exciting trajectory towards national recognition. Melissa Barak’s world premiere of Memoryhouse last June gained local and national acclaim. The Los Angeles Times wrote, “It is an exciting moment for ballet in Los Angeles” and Forbes wrote “Memoryhouse signals a dazzling creative accomplishment.”

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