Scene in D.C.: Dracula, Vampires Dance to Michael Jackson
Friday night the fangs were out at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
At the Washington Ballet’s Dracula Soiree, glam vamps and mod monsters were looking for fun, not blood.
“It’s at the cleaners,” Jack Davies said of his Count Dracula cape, a sartorial favorite of many of the other male guests. Davies is the former president of AOL International, and served as co-patron of the evening.
The ladies of the night turned out in macabre chic: black gloves, skeletal accessories and a few love bites on their necks.
Event benefactor Bruce Lipnick, chairman and CEO of Asset Alliance Corp., came prepared. He sported pointy teeth. Nothing to fear, however. He said he was just getting in the spirit to support his daughter, Olivia, a dancer.
Lipnick compared choppers with Bill Marcus, senior managing director at Hedgeharbor, in nocturnal eyes and fangs.
Artist Dana Westring opted for the genteel vampire look, pairing a top hat with his ensemble.
The soiree was held to celebrate the ballet’s fall season, which will be inaugurated later this month by the company premiere of “Dracula” at the Kennedy Center.
The museum was decorated to resemble Dracula’s castle, with red bats fluttering across the ceiling and creepy creatures on the cupcakes.
A mini-casket was left ajar, revealing a treasure trove of chocolates.
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” got the zombies moving on the dance floor.
Also among the 400 guests were former U.S. ambassador to Morocco Marc Ginsberg, president of Layalina Productions; Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre; and Maribeth Bersani, senior vice president of public policy for the Assisted Living Federation of America.
(Stephanie Green is a writer and photographer for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. Any opinions expressed are her own.)
Muse highlights include Elin McCoy on wine and Scott Reyburn on auctions.
To contact the writer on this story: Stephanie Green in Washington at sgreen57@bloomberg.net or on Twitter @stephlgreen.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
Dracula Soiree
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Hedgeharbor Senior Managing Director Bill Marcus and Asset Alliance Corp. Chairman Bruce Lipnick.
Hedgeharbor Senior Managing Director Bill Marcus and Asset Alliance Corp. Chairman Bruce Lipnick. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Bon appetit! Steering committee member Ashley Taylor Bronczek gets a nibble from Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre.
Bon appetit! Steering committee member Ashley Taylor Bronczek gets a nibble from Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Winston Lord, co-founder of Venga, is out for blood from Jones Lang LaSalle engineer Marybeth Coleman.
Winston Lord, co-founder of Venga, is out for blood from Jones Lang LaSalle engineer Marybeth Coleman. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Barbara and Bob Johnson.
Barbara and Bob Johnson. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Lawyer Peter Kaplan and former AOL executive Jack Davies.
Lawyer Peter Kaplan and former AOL executive Jack Davies. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Recruiter Michael Reamy and Adair Hendrickson, a student with love bites.
Recruiter Michael Reamy and Adair Hendrickson, a student with love bites. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Real estate agent Greg Lubar, right, and his wife, Stacey.
Real estate agent Greg Lubar, right, and his wife, Stacey. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Artists Jane Cafritz and Dana Westring.
Artists Jane Cafritz and Dana Westring. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Artist and graphic designer Andres Tremols balances his frightful friend on his shoulders on the dance floor.
Artist and graphic designer Andres Tremols balances his frightful friend on his shoulders on the dance floor. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Miss District of Columbia Allyn Rose.
Miss District of Columbia Allyn Rose. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Stephanie Walz, a Washington Ballet faculty member, came in the requested "macabre chic."
Stephanie Walz, a Washington Ballet faculty member, came in the requested "macabre chic." Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
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Dancer Daniel Savetta performed for guests.
Dancer Daniel Savetta performed for guests. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
Dracula Soiree
Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
A mini-casket with chocolates to die for.
A mini-casket with chocolates to die for. Photographer: Stephanie Green/Bloomberg
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