Graceful Dancers and Houston’s Top Chefs Team Up For a $100,000-Plus Dinner — Raising the Barre
Why the Menu Ended Up Being So Meaningful
By Shelby Hodge //
Photography Annie Mulligan
While Houston Ballet performances are a feast for the eyes, it was a feast for the tastebuds when the company’s dancers joined forces with some of the city’s top chefs for the annual “Raising the Barre” dinner held in the West University hotspot Navy Blue. Consider four dancers, four chefs and a four-course dinner that celebrated the dancers’ culinary roots.
(Photo by Annie Mulligan)
The Sunday night feast was chaired by Lenni and Bill Burke and Marianne and Joe Geagea, who led the charge in honoring Chef Chris Shepherd. The renowned chef was applauded for his longstanding partnership with Houston Ballet and his important contributions to this popular event.
The partnership between demi soloist Rench Soriano and Chef Chris Williams paid homage to the dancer’s Filipino heritage. The first course — lumpia (fried spring rolls) filled with flash-fried pork and paired with a talong-style black-eyed pea relish and house-made sweet and sour sauce — was inspired by Soriano’s father.
Soloist Sayako Toku saluted her Japanese roots by working with Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner on preparing takoyaki (food ball) arancini with roasted bone marrow and the traditional preparation of takoyaki filled with diced octopus.
Chef Aaron Bludorn partnered with soloist Alyssa Springer for a knock-out surf and turf featuring filet mignon with chimichurri alongside shrimp finished with wild ramp butter. Talk about a fresh and vibrant take on the classic pairing. This special dish was the result of a conversation at Bludorn, where the two bonded over their shared love of the West Coast. Springer hails from Southern California and Bludorn from Seattle.
A “Hokey, Pokey Sundae,” a beloved New Zealand treat popular among Kiwis, was the selection of New Zealand native Saul Newport of Houston Ballet’s Corps de Ballet. Working with pastry chef Jared Adams of Fluff Bar, representing Chef Rebecca Masson, Newport aided in crafting the decadent dessert which featured vanilla bean ice cream topped with house-made honeycomb and honey caramel.
Spring at Bering's
The evening surpassed its fundraising goal, bringing in more than $100,000. Not bad for dinner.
PC Seen: Houston Ballet executive director Sonja Kostich, Houston Ballet creative director Julie Kent, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Leigh and Reggie Smith, Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan, Allison and Troy Thacker, Kristen Cannon, Christine and David M. Underwood, Jr., and Susan Binney.
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