Super Heroes!

The Ballet Ball is always the ultimate dance party — and this year’s “Heroes, Gods and Stars” bash was no exception. Richard Flowers of The Events Company transformed a tented space outside of the Houston Ballet Center for Dance into a custom ballroom filled with gold and gilded details, a nod to the company’s production of Sylvia, a show rooted in Greek mythology. A silent auction touted items like a trip to Aspen and gems from Tenenbaum Jewelers, contributing to the evening’s overall till of $1.6 million — and making this year’s ball the most successful ever. The crowd of 500-plus enjoyed a dinner of sea bass with pesto (made with olives from the Greek island of Thassos!) and orzo risotto with lobster, then joined The Big Beyond on the dance floor.

Wilson Parish
Hayden Stark, Jessie Gill and Bridget Kuhns



Parties

Mercy Renteria (Photo courtesy of Undebel Flamenco)

RING IN THE new year a bit early at Queensbury Theatre near CityCentre. On Dec 30, the Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra (ECHO) presents Dance the Night Away — an exciting evening of Spanish and Spanish-tinged music, including works by Isaac Albéniz and Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona y Casado; selections from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein (Have you seen Maestro yet?); dances from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker; and a special performance on the second half of the program by Houston-based, internationally recognized flamenco dancer, Mercy Renteria.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

One Fifth closed in 2022; a new concept will open in the space in 2025. (photo by Julie Soefer)

IT'S ONE OF the most iconic restaurant buildings in town, having once been the home to Mark's American Cuisine and, most recently, Chris Shepherd's groundbreaking rotating concept One Fifth, which closed in January 2022. Now, we know what's next for the cathedral at the corner of Westheimer and Dunlavy.

Keep Reading Show less
Food