Grant Thornton Velvet Gala | Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada

Grant Thornton Velvet Gala [logo]

In support of Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada.

Celebrating success

Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada launched its 2009–2010 Season with the Sixth Grant Thornton Velvet Gala on October 7 in Moncton, New Brunswick. The Gala is the major fundraising event for the Company and one of this region’s most eagerly anticipated events. This year’s Gala Keynote Speaker was Dr. James Fleck, OC, Chairman, Business for the Arts.

A night to remember!

The evening featured pre-show cocktails, a gala performance and a post-show reception at the Delta Beauséjour with culinary highlights created especially for the occasion.

The dessert showcase which followed the light meal featured a meet-and-greet with the dancers of the Company.

The Gala was a dazzling showcase for the acclaimed artists of Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada who performed new and original works by Company Artistic Director and Choreographer Igor Dobrovolskiy. As in past years, the Gala shorts were showstoppers and this year they crossed a number of musical genres and composers including, Bach, Mozart, Dave Brubeck and Johann Strauss II.

Many thanks to the Gala Committee and our volunteers and sponsors who helped to make the night such a spectacular success.

I'm a great believer that the arts are an investment rather than a giveaway.

—Dr. James Fleck

The attributes, talents and hard work required to start a new enterprise, and be successful, are in fact the same values and traits that we champion in our entrepreneurial clients every day. It was this dedication, that marriage between the wonder of the imagination and the reality of hard work that attracted the attention of Grant Thornton and made us proud and honored to sponsor this truly amazing dance company.

—Alex MacBeath, Global Leader,
Privately Held Business Services,
Grant Thornton International

It’s extraordinary to see all levels of government, parts of the region, neighbouring towns, important businesses and Anglophones and francophones working shoulder-t-shoulder to make the community culturally richer and economically more distinctive. Collectively, you aren’t just building a ballet. You’re building a community.

—Greg Reed, President and CEO, Dundee Wealth Bank,
Director, National Arts Centre Foundation,
Special Advisor on Enterprise and Culture, Toronto

Creating opportunities for children and youth is one of our United Way’s primary areas of focus within our community. On March 16th, 2006, a group of 10 children and chaperones attended the Atlantic Ballet Theatre’s performance of Figaro. For many of the children it was their first exposure to the ballet, to the theatre and to the arts. The evening provided an opportunity to connect with other children and to have conversations with parents/care providers regarding all aspects of the outing: the story, the venue as well as the social aspect of attending the theatre in our community. Most importantly, it provided the opportunity to fan the flame of a child’s imagination. One of the children who attended that evening had recently lost her mother to cancer. For her, the experience provided a well deserved escape to another place in time, a stepping stone on the path to healing. It is a wonderful way to reach out to at risk children and youth and truly have the potential to positively impact the course of a child’s life

—Micha Fardy, Director of Community Development,
United Way of Greater Moncton and Southeastern
New Brunswick Region