2012
04/30/2012 - THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION’S HOT PINK PARTYNEW
04/26/2012 - Grand St. Settlement's Taste of the Lower East Side
04/02/2012 - 2012 Skating with the Stars Gala
04/02/2012 - Strokes of Genius to benefit Autism Spectrum Disorders
03/29/2012 - The American Classical Orchestra 2012 Spring Gala Concert & Benefit
03/24/2012 - United States launch of the Seol Won Foundation
03/21/2012 - Kick-off event for The Perlman Music Program’s May 3rd Spring Benefit
03/16/2012 - Asia WeekNY kick-off reception at the Morgan Museum & Library
03/10/2012 - Toby and Itzhak Perlman and The Perlman Music Program hosted by Jim and Kristy Clark in Palm Beach
03/08/2012 - National Committee on American Foreign Policy Hosts the 2012 Gala Awards Dinner
03/06/2012 - 2nd Annual Fountain House Associates Spring Breakfast
03/05/2012 - School of American Ballet's Winter Ball 2012
03/03/2012 - AMIT NewGen Wine Tasting
03/01/2012 - American Cancer Society Honors Grace Hightower De Niro, Diane Reidy-Lagunes MD, Emily Sonnenblick MD
03/01/2012 - New York School of Interior Design Kick-off Reception
02/25/2012 - GiGi’s PLAYHOUSE NYC, Down Syndrome Awareness Centers, opened its doors for the first time
02/25/2012 - CARON LIGHTS UP MAR-A-LAGO WITH “AFTER DARK” GALA
02/19/2012 - Blitz Build 2012
02/07/2012 - 2012 Annual High School Counselor’s Breakfast
02/06/2012 - The Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s ® (BCRF) annual Hot Pink Luncheon and Symposium
02/04/2012 - The 2012 Hope Gala
02/03/2012 - North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee Presents Checks to Local Food Banks
02/03/2012 - American Cancer Society’s 54th Annual Black and White Gala
02/02/2012 - Cut 25 Flagship opening - an event to benefit Project Paz
01/29/2012 - KiDS of NYU Langone Foundation hosted its 6th annual KiDS Play to Win!
01/28/2012 - Girls Bite Out for the North Texas Food Bank
01/26/2012 - French Heritage Society’s New York ChapterKicked Off its 2012 Cultural Season
01/26/2012 - Annual Event to benefit The Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School
01/26/2012 - 2012 Plates for Pediatrics Benefit
01/24/2012 - New York Philharmonic Chinese New Year Gala
01/20/2012 - 2012 Wishmaker's Ball
01/20/2012 - Silence! Silent Art Forms
01/19/2012 - UJA-Federation of New York Generosity Signature Event
01/19/2012 - JDRF Central Jersey Chapter Events
01/17/2012 - TIFFANY & CO. HOSTS CARON SUPPORTERS TO SPECIAL PREVIEW OF 2012 TIFFANY LEATHER COLLECTION
01/16/2012 - 2nd Annual San Diego Breast Cancer Fundraiser
01/13/2012 - "Cycle Without Limits" Specialized Bike Program
01/12/2012 - Salvatore Ferragamo Hosts and Evening of Shopping to Benefit the Paradise Fund in Support of St. Jud
01/12/2012 - JDRF Central Jersey Chapter Walk to Cure Diabetes Awards Party
01/09/2012 - Museum of American Finance 2012 Gala
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Evidence, A Dance Company’s 8th Annual On Our Toes in the Hamptons Benefit
09/02/2011

Evidence, A Dance Company’s 8th Annual On Our Toes in the Hamptons Benefit
Photos by Kurt Leggard

Honorees Jon Snow, Lola C. West with Ronald K. Brown

Ronald K. Brown's acclaimed Evidence, A Dance Company returned to the East End for the troupe's 8th Annual On Our Toes in the Hamptons benefit at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton.

The premiere African-American cultural event of the Hamptons social season, the late afternoon fete featured exquisite cuisine from Harlem's acclaimed 5 and Diamond, Restaurant, a luxury auction, an electrifying performance by Evidence and, as is tradition, dancing with the dancers. The event chaired by Dr. Ancy Verdier also honored Hayground co-founder Jon Snow and financial advisor Lola C. West.

Ronald K. Brown and his acclaimed Evidence, A Dance Company held its 8th Annual On Our Toes in the Hamptons on the sprawling grounds of the Hayground School in Bridgehampton. Always one of summer’s most eagerly anticipated events, the party draws supporters from all across the country for a festive afternoon benefitting Brown’s much loved dance troupe.

Despite predictions of thunderstorms, it was a picture perfect summer day as guests flowed into the renowned schools culinary, education and community center, Jeff’s Kitchen, for late afternoon cocktails. Chef David Martinez and his team at Harlem’s critically acclaimed 5 and Diamond Restaurant offered up platter after platter of delectable hors d’oeuvres. To complement the tasty treats there were specialty cocktails from Belvedere and guests immediately got into their party mode.

Event Chair Dr. Ancy Verdier, Board Chairman Emeritus Reginald Van Lee, Vice-Chair Joanne Hill and Board Secretary Gail Monroe-Perry warmly welcomed guests to what has become the premiere African-American cultural and social event of the Hamptons season and an annual reunion of dance patrons. Among the first to arrive were Alicia & Dan Bythewood, Peg Alston & Burton Willis, Board members Dwayne Ashley, Monica F. Azare; Reginald Canal, Andrea Hoffman. Leslie Mays, Larry Satterfield and Jocelyn Taylor; Young Professionals Committee Chair Jenna Bond-Louden; Law & Order SVU star Tamara Tunie glamorous in a quintessentially Hamptons oversize straw hat with her husband jazz vocalist Gregory Generet and Essence Magazine Editrix Emerita Susan L. Taylor and her husband filmmaker and producer Khephra Burns.

After cocktails, throbbing drums signaled a call to the Main Tent for dinner and the start of the evening’s program. Numerous food stations decorated by Chef Martinez with tropical fish, exotic birds and fairy tale horses and carriages carved from fruit lent a fanciful Midsummer Night’s Dream effect.

Following the bountiful dinner, Gail Monroe Perry welcomed guests and thanked them profusely for their longtime commitment to Evidence, A Dance Company. She then introduced Dr. Ancy Verdier, this year’s Event Chair, to present awards to two dynamic individuals who have effected great change in their respective professions: artist, educator and activist Jon Snow, co-founder of the Hayground School and renowned financial advisor Lola C. West, Managing Director, WestFuller Advisors LLC. Both made especially gracious speeches and cited the enormous gift of Evidence in chronicling the African Diaspora through storytelling and dance.

Within moments the audience witnessed first-hand, the amazing talents of Brown and his dance troupe as they performed the electrifying “Ife My Heart”, a signature piece for the company, which was built as the journey of three families to one destination: a place where the heart was open. Ife/My Heart was originally commissioned and performed by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2005.


The conclusion of the 15 minute piece was met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. A smiling but breathless Brown, humbly thanked the assembled guests and introduced the company including Waldean Nelson, Lilli Anne Tai, Clarice Young, Annique Roberts, Tislarm Bouie and Associate Artistic Director Arcell Cabuag.
Fabrice Armand took to the stage to begin the spirited live auction. Bidding was feverish for two extraordinary lifestyle experiences. Sonya Pankey snared the week at the exclusive Palmas del Mar in Puerto donated by Lawrence S. Campbell, San Juan, P.R. & Ethan Shapiro & Associates LLC. Annette Mitchell scored the extraordinary Lifestyle experience which included his & hers Baume Mercier watches and his & hers Rebecca Minkoff travel bags as well as four days in Barbados at the exquisite Crane Residential Resort, airfare & tickets to the international Food Rum & Wine Festival courtesy of Barbados Tourism Authority. An online auction of luxury goods and one-of-a-kind experiences organized by Tybie Etoy Dotson continues at

Corporate sponsors for On Our Toes…were Belvedere Vodka, Booz Allen Hamilton, FedEx and Prudential. Sponsors included Zaid Abdul-Aleem, Monica Azare, Khephra Burns and Susan L. Taylor, Dr. Jeanine Downie and Michael Heningburg, Joanne E. Hill, Loida N. Lewis, Gail Monroe-Perry, Larry Satterfield, Jennifer Streaks, Reginald Van Lee, Dr. Ancy Verdier and Verizon.

Event sponsors included: Peg Alston & Burton Willis, Chandra Anderson, Twenty-First Century Foundation, Monica Azare, Darria L. Ball, Tinika M. Brown, Esq., Valerie S. Brown, Alicia Bythewood, Judy Chambers, Doreen Chambers-Monrougie, Glenn E. Davis, Allen Harvey, Luisa Herrera & Manny Garcia, Shaun Massiah & Deirdre Stanley, Leila Schultz & Jack Walsh of BRIC Arts Media Bklyn, Paula Taylor and Joseph Welsh.
Business Development Committee: Fabrice Armand, Christy Bareijsza, Tina Bernard, Keenan Davis, Dr. Erika Faust, Latoya Henry, Demetria Lucas, Ron Myers, James Nixon

Live Auction Committee included Reginald Canal, Andrea Hoffman and Gail Monroe-Perry. Online Luxury Auction is headed up by Tybie Etoy Dotson.

For more information about Evidence, A Dance Company visit www.evidencedance.com


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