Brooklyn’s Covenant Ballet Theatre celebrates 35th with a ‘Cocktail Caper’

GRAVESEND — Covenant Ballet Theatre of Brooklyn (CBT), a cultural treasure located on Avenue U, created a “moving feast” to celebrate its 35th anniversary. Supporters, board members and faculty members gathered for the company’s first Cocktail Caper, a celebratory evening of “dance, drinks, and high jinks,” uptown on Manhattan’s Upper West Side at The Riverside Church, overlooking the Hudson River.

The event featured live music by the Craig Brann Trio, an open bar and passed hors d’oeuvres,  a silent auction, dancing, tributes, and an intriguing and playful new work by CBT Artistic Director and Founder, Marla Hirokawa. CBT also honored board member Frank Pratt and long-time faculty member Mandy Chan for their many significant contributions to CBT. With the help of event sponsors Apple Bank, Grand Prix Dance, Hydr8, Messiah’s Congregation, Skody Scot & Company, Vocational Management Consultants, CBT Alumni Association, and numerous individual donors, CBT exceeded its fundraising goal by nearly 50% and made a host of new friends in the process.

Reflecting on the work that CBT does, Ms. Hirokawa said, “Our alumni live and work all over the U.S. and around the world. They’re artists, they’re scientists, they’re entrepreneurs. They’re immigrants who have become citizens. They’re building families. They’re building their lives. They’re going out into the world, and they’re impacting it at large.  

“Anniversaries are a good time to look back and see all that has been accomplished.  Celebrating our 35th anniversary invigorates me and makes me look forward to the next  decade and beyond.”