2014 Miami City Ballet Gala
Valentine's Day gala celebrates West Side Story Suite


George Chakiris, Lourdes Lopez, Artistic Director, Miami City Ballet, Margarita and Armando Codina, Premiere Underwriters of West Side Story Suite
Love (for the Ballet) was in the air on Friday, February 14 at the Adrienne Arsht Center as Miami City Ballet (MCB) hosted a black-tie gala in celebration of Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez’s inaugural season of programming and the Company’s premiere of West Side Story Suite. As one of Miami’s premier benefit engagements, the Miami City Ballet Gala provides critical funding to support MCB performances, education, and outreach initiatives. Patrons of the gala enjoyed a pre-performance cocktail hour, VIP seating at the premiere of West Side Story Suite – Robbins’ ballet adaptation of his Tony Award-winning musical where MCB’s own Sharks and Jets rumble, fall in love, dance and sing to Leonard Bernstein’s vibrant score with its Latin rhythms, and Stephen Sondheim’s incomparable lyrics, followed by an elegant dinner reception and dancing.
The event paid tribute to George Chakiris — the award-winning actor who took home the Academy for his portrayal of “Bernardo” in the iconic film version of West Side Story. Gala honorees included The Codina Family, R. Kirk Landon and Pamela Garrison, Juan Js. and Ophelia Roca. West Side Story Suite was generously sponsored by The Codina Family, Premiere Underwriters, with additional support from Nancy Abbott and The Herman Abbott Family Foundation, Eugene and Jean Stark, and Rose Miniaci.
Event sponsors included Bacardi, Graff Diamonds, and The Setai, Miami Beach.
Charlene and Ron Esserman, Board of Directors, Miami City Ballet
Gala Honorees Robert Barlick, Jr and Ana Codina Barlick, Vice-Chairman, Board, Miami City Ballet
James and Bobi Eroncig, Board of Directors, Miami City Ballet
Tony Gebauer and Aura Reinhardt, Bacardi Gala Gold Sponsors and guests
Miami City Ballet Principal Dancers Carlos Guerra, Jennifer Kronberg and Gala Chairmen Dr. Margaret and Mike Eidson, Chairman, Arsht Center
Edward Shumsky and Susan D Kronick, Chairman, Board, Miami City Ballet
Sarah Arison
Honorary Gala Chair Toby Lerner Ansin, Founder of Miami City Ballet & Sanford Evans
Honorary Gala Chair Sheila Wohl with Miami City Ballet
Gala honorees Kirk Landon, Miami City Ballet Board of Directors, and Pamela Garrison
The Codina Family, Gala Honorees and Premiere Underwriters of West Side Story Suite
Miami City Ballet Trustee Michele and Lawrence Herbert
Betty and Michael Wohl, Gold Gala Sponsor
George Chakiris, Gala Host and original Bernando of the West Side Story Film
Adrienne Arsht & John Richard
Constantine Max, Claudia Perles, Miami City Ballet Trustee & Egor Tatarenko
Jean and Eugene Stark
Models from Graff Diamonds with Ruthina Malzoni in the center
George Feldenkreis and Marita Srebnick
Miami City Ballet dancers in West Side Story Suite
Charles and Deborah Adelman
Susan Pullin, Graff Diamonds Bal Harbour - Gold Gala Sponsors, and Michael Kurtz
Audre Carlin, center, and guests
Jorge & Darlene Perez
Gabriele and Frank Armstrong
Knight Foundation Vice President for the Arts Dennis Scholl and Rosalind Ritcher, Honorary Committee and Board of Directors, Miami City Ballet
Spencer Stewart and Stephanie Ansin
Miami City Ballet Trustee Randi Wolfson Adamo & Chris Adamo
Florence and Sheldon Anderson
Trish and Dan Bell, Swanee DiMare, Miami City Ballet Trustee
Liz and Adolfo Hernriques, Chair, Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council
Ingrid and Jean-Louis Fatio
Ronald Ager and Aida Politano, Rita and Jerry Cohen
Jorge Luis and Marile Lopez, Nora Bulnes, Selecta Magazine, Silvia Trinidad
George Skouras, Adriel Saporta, Ani Gujral, & Lourdes Lopez, Miami City Ballet Artistic Director
Rhoda Levitt, Claudia Perles, Rosita Sarnoff, & Beth Sapery
Rosalind Ritcher, Board of Directors, Miami City Ballet and Manny Soto