Dinner, Dancing, and Devotion

Dinner was light and refined: black cod with seasonal vegetables and potatoes, and a beet and asparagus salad to start. While the beverage selection leaned heavily on Cipriani house labels, the service was impeccable—attentive and polished without ever being intrusive.

I had the pleasure of being seated next to rising dancer Tristan Brosnan. I couldn’t help but ask if he was related to Pierce Brosnan, which made him laugh. He shared that he first began dancing through traditional Eastern European styles as a child and simply kept going. The intensity of being part of the company is no small thing—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Dancers only get one day off during the season, and the responsibility is constant. But his quiet focus and clarity made one thing obvious: it’s the love for the craft that sustains them.

After dinner, the evening closed with a packed dance floor and familiar hits. The energy was joyful and genuine as guests, many of whom have followed ABT’s dancers for years, celebrated together in motion. Following the performance, many of the principal dancers joined the guests, mingling with supporters and longtime fans to cap off the night with warmth and connection.

And while it may not have been a fairy tale for my footwear, I broke a heel mid-evening, unlike Cinderella or Carrie Bradshaw who lost their shoe or Choo, I marched on, Manolo Blahniks in hand. The show, after all, must go on.