What went down at the 2024 Mad Hot Ballet gala

On Tuesday, the city’s most fashionable arts patrons came out to support the National Ballet of Canada’s annual fundraising gala. Held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the evening’s theme was Garden of Jewels, a summer soirée inspired by the natural beauty of flowers and gemstones. Attendees enjoyed an immersive dance performance, toasted to the arts and raised money for the National Ballet’s education and community engagement initiatives. Here’s who showed up.

Principal dancer Harrison James

Rana Florida

Devin Connell, Robin Kovitz and Emily Burnett

Emmanuelle Gattuso, former artistic director Karen Kain and principal dancer Heather Ogden

Principal dancer Siphesihle November and Bernadette Morra

Principal dancer Guillaume Côté and Lynda Prince

Karen Kain and Siphesihle November sharing a moment

Corps de ballet member Arielle Miralles, principal dancer Koto Ishihara, corps de ballet members Isabelle Bratt and Scott McKenzie, and first soloist Alexandra MacDonald

Jenna Bitove Naumovich, Suzanne Rogers and Vonna Bitove

Corps de ballet member Alexander Skinner in Desperate Drama of Red, an immersive piece

Sasha Exeter

Kirk Pickersgill and Krystal Koo

Trish Del Sorbo and Nick Del Sorbo

First soloist Chelsy Meiss and principal dancer Ben Rudisin

Artist-in-residence Greta Hodgkinson and principal coach Rex Harrington

John Bailey and music director and principal conductor David Briskin