Dancers in the kitchen

Michel Coret, Tatiana Sorkin, Duyen Nguyen, and Marc Nguyen (pictured, from left) chaired Houston Ballet’s Raising the Barre event at Caracol. More than 160 ballet enthusiasts gathered for the annual event benefiting Houston Ballet and raised nearly $110,000 for performance and educational programming. The garden party-themed evening featured hydrangeas and dahlias in vibrant coral, pink, and peach hues that were repurposed by BloomAgain, a nonprofit that relocates floral arrangements from events to nursing homes and hospitals (read more in Repurposed Roses: BloomAgainHouston puts down roots by Jennifer Oakley, May 2025). This year’s Raising the Barre four-course menu was curated by four of Houston’s top chefs in collaboration with Houston Ballet dancers who served as muse and sous chef for each dish. Chef Aaron Bludorn and soloist Danbi Kim began the meal with a Korean-inspired appetizer of sesame-crusted Hamachi. The next dish was a decadent lobster stew compliments of Chef Chris Williams and demi soloist Estheysis Menendez. Chef Hugo Ortega and principal Chase O’Connell prepared the Picanha a las Brazos main course, followed by a sweet Pastelillos de Guayaba from pastry chef Rebecca Masson and first soloist Gian Carlo Perez. 

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