Pre-party Set Up

The Young Patron Chairmen of The School of American Ballet (Chelsea Clinton, Jill Kargman and Alexis Tobin) hosted a pre-ball party at the Tuleh show room in the East Village on February 15, 2007 in honor of The School of American Ballet's Black Tie Winter Ball . New York Cool photographer Mary Blanco and I hiked down there and were amazed to find that the Tuleh showroom is housed in a newly renovated basement on East 1st Street right next door to the building where my son lived in an identical basement apartment (and what was then a rent controlled dump) while he was at NYU. If you want to see gentrification on the march, just walk down East First Street between First and Second Avenue. Why even the Catholic Worker across the street could be mistaken for an avant-garde dress factory with a faux distressed facade. But I digress.

Jill Kargaman, Chelsea Clinton and Alexis Tobin

Designer Bryan Bradley's Tuleh showroom has been completely renovated; it is now a sleek modern gallery space and a totally appropriate venue for the Upper Eastside crowd which quickly arrived. The (young patron) chairmen themselves brought their own measure of sophistication to the gathering: Jill Kargman (author of The Right Address, Momzillas and Wolves in Chic Clothing - jillkargman.com); Alexis Tobin (Tuleh); and Chelsea Clinton (a really cute former ballet student from Little Rock, Arkansas).

Victoria Aitken, Whit Stillman and Fred Stanton

But charming former ballerinas, witty authors or fashionistas aside, the real "Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore" moment for the party was the arrival of preppy film director Wilt Stillman (1990 debutante drama Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco). It is official; will someone please break a champagne bottle across the bow of the street?

The Winter Ball will be held on Monday March 5, 20087 starting at 7PM at the Promenade at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center. Tickets range in price from $75 for Encore tickets (desert and dancing) for patrons ages 21-25 to $25,000 for a Vice Chairman's table for ten. The Ball will feature a "Piece D'Occasion" choreographed by Melissa Barak and performed by students of The School of American Ballet.

Chellis Stoddard of Tuleh & Jim Shi of The Daily	Alex Thompson & Adelaide Dunnan

Pamela of Bulgari & Michele from Oscar De La Renta	Jon Marder of General Strategic Marketing & Barbra J. Silver of The School of American Ballet