By Stephanie Wilks
April 26, 2012

The annual Cincinnati Ballet benefit, a.k.a. Club B, was held last weekend at the Hilton Netherland Plaza. When I first stepped into the ballroom, I expected to see a flock of MTV cameramen filming the latest “Sweet 16” soiree. Thankfully, the graceful ballerinas swinging their hips on the dance floor assured me I was in the right place, so I grabbed a glass of fine vino and joined in on the fun.

Carmon DeLeone and The Studio Quintet supplied the tunes to kick-start the night. That was until DJ Randy Pepple took over for the late night after party.

Pink, black and white polka-dotted chairs with cocktail tables peppered the entryway, while Cinderella-like Plexiglas furniture lined the sides of the dance floor. To say the least, the décor was FAB-U-LOUS, and thus, it came as no surprise that Joe Rigotti, of Accent on Cincinnati, was the creative brain trust behind the operation. I’ll definitely be calling him for my next bash.

With all of the delicious food, merriment, and drinks, it was easy to forget that Club B wasn’t just a party, it was, first and foremost, an event benefiting The Cincinnati Ballet. Paintings, gift baskets, jewelry, and other items donated by some of the best merchants in Cincinnati were up for auction and everyone was bidding. A diamond necklace from Richter & Phillips and a fireworks viewing party at Southshore Condominiums were two highlights. The money raised from Club B will help fund ballet essentials like scenery construction, costume design, choreography and staging expenses for the coming year’s productions.

Carlos Roman-Marcovich, Victoria Morgan (Artistic Director and CEO of the Cincinnati Ballet) and Dr. Larry Eynon 

As was evident by the hopping dance floor, Cincinnatians know how to boogie down. Alongside the professionals, many of the individual sponsors, those who generously finance a portion of the dancers’ living and travel expenses, were also busting a move.

By the time we’d taken our final curtsy, I left Club B humbled by the overwhelming support of these fellow patrons and mindful of the important mission to preserve and continue to celebrate one of our city’s finest treasures: The Cincinnati Ballet.

The Ballet performs its final production of the season: The Princess & the Pea and The Steadfast Tin Soldier this weekend at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. For more information visit http://www.cballet.org/performances.

Photo credits: Framester

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