ODC and Banana Republic Dance Downtown Opening Night Gala

ODC Gala Downtown at dinner

Dinner, dancing and one fabulous party.  What better way for ODC Dance Company and Banana Republic to celebrate their newly formed collaboration than with a trio of events in one perfectly choreographed evening.

Jack Calhoun, Global President of Banana Republic and honorary dinner chair, alongside honorary gala chair, Laurene Powell Jobs, and gala co-chairs Lynn Feintech, Liz Fisher and Becky Saeger proudly debuted Banana Republic’s new partnership with ODC Dance at the opening night gala on Thursday, Marcy 14.

The three-part evening commenced with an enchanting dinner at the St. Regis Ballroom, where Calhoun and Tim Schroeder, ODC Board President, made a speech to officially kick off the the evening.

Following dinner, ODC dancers escorted guests to the YBCA Theatre to watch two performances: Transit: Next Stop, choreographed by KT Nelson, followed by Lifesaving Maneuvers, choreographed by ODC Founder Brenda Way.

After the performances, guests were led back to the St. Regis Hotel for the after party where desserts and drinks were served as dancer portraits were projected on the walls. Honorary Gala Chair Laurene Jobs spoke alongside Brenda Way. Brenda Way answered tweets about the show, introduced the dancers from the night’s performances, and ardently introduced a pop-up dance lesson for all guests to participate and enjoy.

The collaboration between Banana Republic and ODC’s Transit illustrates an artful interpretation of an everyday commute. Transit celebrates the chaotic pulse of urban centers – where high and low technology exist side-by-side – walking, biking and high-speed transit. Banana Republic’s Spring 2013 wardrobe perfectly complemented the energy of the dance on stage, adding the element of real-life costuming to the work. The performance incorporated hand-drawn film clips and custom-built bicycles, adding an amusing and fantastical air to a portrait of everyday commuter lives.

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