AAADT's Glenn Allen Sims in Alvin Ailey's Love Songs, photo by Paul Kolnik

NOBA ‘Evening of Stars’ to include Allen Toussaint dance tribute

The New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the spectacular 50th Anniversary Evening of Stars on January 25 at 6 pm at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. 

The stunning evening will be filled with dances from renowned classical works such as Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Raymonda and Flower Festival of Genzano as well as sophisticated contemporary works performed by a leading all-star cast. Performances will feature international ballet superstars Maria Kochetkova and Victor Luiz, National Ballet of Canada’s esteemed principal dancers Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté, The Joffrey Ballet’s Victoria Jaiani and Temur Suluashvili, Jiyong Chae and Derek Dunn from the Boston Ballet, Nayara Lopes and Sterling Baca of Pennsylvania Ballet, Glen Alen Sims of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and more. 

The night’s events will commence with a special performance by members of NOBA Center for Dance alumni and students in honor of Pamela and Warner Williams for their outstanding leadership and contribution to NOBA. The performance, Lagniappe by David Parsons, is a tribute to New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint. The work was commissioned by NOBA and was originally performed with Toussaint at the Mahalia Jackson.

After the Evening of Stars performance, the Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization (BRAVO) will host its largest fundraiser of the year on the stage of the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Governor John Bel Edwards and First Lady Donna Hutto Edwards are the honorary chairs of the night and they will be joined onstage by 300 guests and Evening of Stars artists. There will be a gourmet dinner by 1718 Catering by the Hyatt Regency New Orleans as well as music and dancing to Julio & César, a silent auction, Lee Michaels shopping spree raffle, and more.

Tickets for the 50th Anniversary Evening of Stars start at $20 and are available online at NOBAevents.com, calling the box office at (504)-522-0996, or by visiting the box office in-person at 935 Gravier Street, Suite 800. Additionally, tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or at (800)-745-3000. Gala packages are available by contacting Francesa Martin at [email protected] or by calling NOBA at (504)-522-0996 ext. 208.