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40th Anniversary
Wedn esd a y, J une 2 2 , 20 22 | 6 pm Fe a t ur i n g Pa c if ic N o r t hwes t Ba l l e t The Da vi d H . Ko c h T h ea ter at L i n col n Ce n te r
A note from Linda Shelton Executive Director, The Joyce Theater Foundation Photo by: Joseph Moran
Thank you for joining us for this exciting night at the David H. Koch Theater. This evening marks a number of milestones including welcoming Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) and the PNB Orchestra for their long-awaited return to New York City, and The Joyce’s Annual Gala, honoring Denise Littlefield Sobel and Dr. Toni Hoover. This one-time-only program features George Balanchine’s celebrated Diamonds and the New York premiere of Twyla Tharp’s Waiting at the Station as well as a special conversation between former dance colleagues and longtime friends PNB’s Artistic Director Peter Boal and New York City Ballet’s Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan. Since 2019, The Joyce and PNB have worked tirelessly toward welcoming the company and their orchestra to Lincoln Center for a weeklong engagement as well as hosting a gala honoring Denise and Toni. It has been a long road and it is thanks to the perseverance of the many, especially the staffs of PNB and The Joyce, that we are gathered together tonight. My gratitude to Joyce Board Chair Virginia Millhiser for your vision and guidance throughout this journey as well as your and Tim’s tremendous support of this presentation. Special thanks to those who have directly supported this engagement including: Deborah and Charles Adelman, Torrence Boone and Ted Chapin, Kerry Clayton and Paige Royer, Leslie and Richard Curtis, John and Margaret Falk, Meryl Rosofsky and Stuart H. Coleman, and Monica B. Voldstad. Lead corporate support for The Joyce's presentation of Pacific Northwest Ballet at Lincoln Center is provided by First Republic. Pacific Northwest Ballet’s New York tour is made possible by Dan and Pam Baty, Susan Brotman, and James D. and Sherry Raisbeck. This engagement would not have been possible without your generosity and dedication. I am delighted to welcome PNB to Lincoln Center at last, and to celebrate this long-anticipated evening with you. Thank you for your remarkable support that allows us all to get closer to dance.
Linda Shelton, Executive Director The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc.
A note from Virginia Millhiser Board Chair, The Joyce Theater Foundation
Photo by: PJ Spaniol III
Welcome! We are thrilled to be to be with you in person at Lincoln Center. This evening is extraordinary in many ways; perhaps most singularly because it proves that— if you are very fortunate—the stars can align twice. In March 2020, The Joyce was on the verge of announcing a June gala featuring Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB), honoring Denise Littlefield Sobel and Dr. Toni Hoover, when the world paused. Yet, The Joyce and PNB’s dedication and determination to see that evening realized never wavered. Now, nearly two years to the original gala date, we have put the pieces back together. On behalf of The Joyce Theater, I am delighted that PNB, honorees Denise Littlefield Sobel and Dr. Toni Hoover, Peter Boal, and Wendy Whelan were all happily available again and able to share this evening with us. We are very lucky indeed. Of course, this event would not be possible without the remarkable work and dedication of The Joyce Special Events Committee, led by Lauren Shortt and Assistant Director of Special Events Vernon Scott, the Host Committee, as well as the Joyce staff led by Linda Shelton. Thank you to Peter Boal, Ellen Walker, PNB Board Chair Aya Hamilton, and PNB’s board of trustees for their vision and perseverance to make this event a reality. And my gratitude to you for joining us for such a special occasion and your support of two such exemplary organizations that continue to further the art of dance. Enjoy the evening!
Virginia A. Millhiser, Board Chair The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc.
About Denise Littlefield Sobel
Denise Littlefield Sobel is a philanthropist with a longstanding interest in the visual and performing arts. Because of extraordinary contributions to French culture, in 2019, Denise was given the title of chevalier, or “knight,” of the Légion d’honneur by the French government, the country’s highest order of merit. Denise was Vice Chair of the American Friends of Les Étés de la Danse, a Paris-based summer dance festival, which invited Pacific Northwest Ballet to Paris in 2018. Denise supports dance companies and education programs in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Jacob’s Pillow. Denise has been on the forefront of programs engaging female choreographers, promoting diversity in the performing arts, both on stage and behind the scenes. In addition to performing arts, Denise has been involved in many years as a patron of the visual arts. She serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. At the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., she provides leadership support for the Women Arts, and Social Change programs. She previously served on the board of Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, where she has been honored for her ongoing support of dance programs and historic preservation. She has been on several boards in New York, including Congregation Rodeph Sholom, New York City Ballet, and the American Red Cross in Greater New York, which recently honored her with its 2022 Humanitarian Award. Denise was born in San Francisco and moved to New York City in 1979. Denise created the Tikkun Olam Foundation, Inc., where she serves as President, focusing on women’s health, gender justice and reproductive rights. Denise received a B.A. from Williams College, and was one of the first women to graduate from this traditionally all-men’s college. At Williams, her passion for architecture has led her to fund many projects, including renovations of the Chapin Concert Hall, the Jewish Religious Center, the Spencer Studio Art Building, and the costume shop at the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance.
About Dr. Toni Hoover
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Toni Hoover, was introduced to the rewards of an abundantly diverse arts community from an early age. Her service as a trustee of both The Joyce Theater Foundation and Pacific Northwest Ballet has made a significant impact on a wide variety of dance artists across the country and strengthened their abilities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy Planning and Management for Global Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Toni leads a team responsible for supporting the President of Global Health in leading the division and its operations, supporting the programs and functions with business strategy and operations, portfolio and project management, and engagement with industry and product development partners. Her team works to create more opportunities to consistently deliver high impact interventions in global health by integrating the network of diverse partners involved in product development. Before joining the foundation, Toni was Senior Vice President and Site Director at Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, overseeing the operations of the company’s largest R&D laboratories located in Groton, Connecticut for 6 years. She is a 25-year veteran of pharmaceutical R&D, product development and management where she held positions in clinical research and operations, project and portfolio management, and laboratory and facilities management. While at Pfizer she led the global development of Lyrica® from exploratory development through early commercialization. Toni received her A.B., A.M. and Ph.D. in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard University. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Sonoma Biotherapeutics. She also serves on the board of the University of Washington Medical Center.
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Board of Trustees Virginia A. Millhiser, Chair Amit Wadhwaney, Vice Chair Stephanie R. Breslow, Treasurer Jane E. Goldberg, Secretary Kerry Clayton, Chair Emeritus David D. Holbrook, Chair Emeritus Stephen D. Weinroth, Chair Emeritus
R. Richard Ablon Charles M. Adelman Rob Ashford Monica F. Azare John M. Basnage de Beauval Ajay Bhandaram Tracy Brown Keane Ehsani Ronald Gumbaz Toni Hoover
Robert Musiker Susan Gluck Pappajohn Steven M. Pesner Meryl Rosofsky Saul Sanders Linda Shelton Susan Fawcett Sosin Lauren E. Shortt Monica B. Voldstad Madelyn Wils
In Memoriam: Richard Lukins (Trustee 1998-2011) In Memoriam: Theodore S. Bartwink (Trustee 1993-2014) In Memoriam: R. Britton Fisher (Trustee 1999-2020) In Memoriam: Anh-Tuyet Nguyen (Trustee 2007–2020) In Memoriam: Richard Shea (Trustee 2015-2022) Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, Founders and Trustees Emeriti
Special Events Committee Lauren E. Shortt - Chair Rob Ashford Tracy Brown Jane E. Goldberg Toni Hoover Dorina Spelman Link Michèle Pesner Linda Shelton Monica B. Voldstad
Gala Co-Chairs
Toni Hoover and Al Nettles Virginia and Timothy Millhiser Denise Littlefield Sobel and Jake Weiss The Friends of Pacific Northwest Ballet
Gala Vice Chairs
Deborah and Charles Adelman First Republic Elysabeth Kleinhans Michèle, Peace, and Steve Pesner Meryl Rosofsky and Stuart H. Coleman
Executive Circle Table Kerry Clayton and Paige Royer Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Madelyn and Steven Wils
Impresario Circle Table Jody and John Arnhold Auditorium Theatre Stephanie Breslow and Paul Watterson CHUBB/Risk Strategies Saul and Mary Sanders Selby Artists Management Monica B. Voldstad Stephen and Cathy Weinroth
President Circle Ticket Monica Azare and David Davenport Judi Rappaport Blitzer and David M. Blitzer Cathleen Collins Jeffrey Davis and Michael Miller Keane Ehsani Robert Goldberg and Betsy MacIsaac Lorna and Edwin Goodman Deborah Kaye Susan and Greg Pappajohn Betty P. and Michael H. Rauch Kathleen A. Scott Linda Shelton and Thomas Van Winkle
Executive Circle Ticket Dancers Responding to AIDS Gregg and Jean Frankel Ronald Gumbaz and Juliet Cozzi Aya Hamilton David Ivill and Vincent J. Weiner Jr. Dorina Spelman Link and Robert Link Larissa and Richard Miele Warrie and James David Price Barbara Madsen Smith Christian Zimmerman
Impresario Circle Ticket Richard and Nurit Amdur Anonymous Richard Ablon and Sian Ballen Ajay Bhandaram Marcy Blum Events Madeline Brine Tracy Brown Katherine Bruni Donna Case Trisha and Patrick Duval David and Ingrid Ellen Margaret and John Falk Sharon K. Falkner David L. Fanger and Martin Wechsler Gibney Dance Michael and Nancy Feller Jane E. Goldberg Diane Gooch Judith M. Hoffman Claire and William Houlihan David Ivill and Vincent J. Weiner Jr. Lynne and Douglas Mangini J.P. Morgan Diana Korsh Kathy Krall Sondra Kurtin Rosanne and Martin Leshner Maria Mackey and Joe Breskin Robert and Sharon Musiker Cherrie Nanninga Robert W. Parris Victoria and Donald Rose Ellen Rosen Fran Schulman Robert Schulman Marilyn Sobel The Joffrey Ballet Eric Wechsler
Betsy Alexandre is a charity auctioneer at Christie’s Auction House. She earned her B.A. in art history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has worked for Christie’s since 2017. She currently works as a project manager on the Christie’s client experience team, where she spearheads a variety of global digital initiatives. This evening's band:
Special Thanks Special Thanks to Peter Boal, Ellen Walker, Emil de Cou, Lia Chiarelli, Gary Tucker, Lexi Clements, Liza Madison, Carrie Mood Okada, Kiyon Ross, and the staff of Pacific Northwest Ballet; Margaret Selby; Jonathan Stafford, Wendy Whalen, Katherine E. Brown, Robert Daniels, Katharina Plumb, Kina Poon, and the staff of New York City Ballet; David Thiele, Joseph Padua, Chris Van Alstyne, Todd Tango, Natalie Brock and the staff of the David H. Koch Theater; Stephen Kennard, Alyssa Birrer and the staff of Canard, Inc; Jeff Segal; Andy Sheagren, Julia Thorncroft; Berry Basile and the staff of Extreme Digital; Alejandro Cerrudo, Crystal Pite, and Twyla Tharp; Lauren E. Shortt, and The Joyce’s Special Events Committee; and the Empire Hotel.