Members of Evidence, A Dance Company performing at the Gala.
The
5th Annual Grace in Winter Gala Dinner Dance & Awards held on
February 3, 2009 at The Plaza Hotel brought out a a glittering array
of the area's movers and shakers to support the work of acclaimed
African-American dance troupe Evidence, A Dance Company, founded
and directed by world renowned dancer and choreographer Ronald
K. Brown.
Devotees came not only to celebrate the internationally famed company's
24th year and watch Brown's amazingly talented troupe but to
honor legendary Essence Magazine editor emerita Susan Taylor, her
husband author/producer Khephra Burns who received the troupe's
Visionary Award and Noel Hankin of Moet Hennessy, a longtime supporter
of Brown's work who was honored with the Corporate Leader Award.
Chaired this year by real estate and hotel magnate Don Peebles and
his wife Katrina
Peebles and vice chairs Joyce Mullins-Jackson and The Honorable Bernard
Jackson, Grace in Winter once again retained its status as the premiere
African American cultural event of the season.
Bestselling author and former CBS Morning anchor Rene Syler and
Reginald Van Lee,
Evidence chairman of the Board presented the awards before a glittering
crowd of arts enthusiasts in the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel
in New York. In addition to their awards, the honorees received beautiful
luxury watches from Locman, Baume & Mercier and Cuervo y Sabrinos.
The gala sponsors this year included Booz Allen Hamilton, CSP Events
at The Plaza, Curacao Tourism Corporation, HSBC Premier and MTV Networks.
Media Sponsors were Uptown Magazine and Hamptons.com. Major
support also came from Furs by PK, Judith Ripka and Emily & Ashley.
Enjoying the festivities were such guests as Emmy award winner Lynn
Whitfield, Dr. Ancy Verdier, Reginald Canal, Nigerian Prince Kunle
Omilana and his American born wife Keisha, Harriett Cole, Audrey
Smaltz, Fern Mallis, Constance White, Neil R. Lowe, Joanne Hill,
LuAnn Moore, Alicia, Brie and Daniel Bythwood, Peg Alston, Reginald
Canal, Peggy Cafritz Cooper, Law & Order star Anthony Anderson,
Michelle Miller Morial and Marc Morial, Andrea Hoffman, Leslie A.
Mays, Lisa B. Walker, Monica F. Azare, Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Zaid
Abdul-Aleem, Debra Martin Chase, Baraka Sele, Lisa Walker, Charisma
Dezonie, Dwayne Ashley, b michael and James Sullivan.
