One of Houston’s Great Grand Dames Gets Her Night: Ballet Savior Honored in a Stunning, Intimate Evening

What a privilege it was to be among the 40 guests who joined Margaret Alkek Williams on a very special night at the Houston Ballet Center for Dance! In honor of her three decades-plus of generous support, Houston Ballet fêted Houston’s philanthropic diva and friends to a view of Swan Lake behind the scenes and then to a dinner catered by Williams’ favorite restaurant — Tony’s.

A post-rehearsal presentation with company dancers Yuriko Kajiya, Chun Wai Chan, Christopher Coomer, Tyler Donatelli and Bridget Kuhns had even the most sophisticated among the gathering of balletomanes in awe. Artistic director Stanton Welch led the principal dancers through several pieces of his choreography for the production, which premiered in 2006 thanks to the largesse of Williams.

“There is not a moment that you don’t have to be perfect,” Welch explained as he worked with the dancers, going over the intricacy of the steps and the precision required in each movement.

“If it weren’t for Margaret, we would not be here in this black box theater,” Welch told the gathering of the theater that is named in her honor. Williams provided a transformational gift in the effort to fund the state-of-the-art facility where the evening played out. And yet another gift from Williams recently created the endowment for the Jubilee of Dance, now known as the Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance.

“It’s so exciting to be able to honor Margaret in her theater with her ballet,” Welch said. “We were just trying to find a way to say ‘Thank you.'”

Following the presentation, guests moved upstairs to a rehearsal studio where one long table had been set for guests and where the studio provided sunset views of the city skyline. A pianist performed on a grand piano as wait staff circled through serving three scrumptious courses from Tony’s menu. No surprise that the dinner concluded with Tony’s famed Tuxedo Cake as anyone who knows Williams knows of her sweet tooth and her penchant for chocolate.

Then it was champagne toasts to Williams led by Houston Ballet board chair Phoebe Tudor.

On their toes: Leigh Smith, Molly and Jim Crownover, Rose Cullen, Pat Breen, Carroll Robertson Ray and Hugh Ray, Gina and Dr. Devinder Bhatia, Kelley and Steve Lubanko, Tony Bradfield and Kevin Black, Shawn Stephens, Holly Alvis, Lynn Wyatt, Allison Thacker, Donna Vallone and Houston Ballet executive director Jim Nelson.