Alexis Bryan, Alberta Ferretti and Sally Albemarle.

Lauren Davis, Whitney Fairchild, Sloan Barnett, Tim Landi, Nathalie Gerschel Kaplan and Cristina Cuomo.

New York Nights

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrated the opening of its annual season at New York's City Center with a gala that brought together dancers and celebrity guests (first four photos). The gala performance featured the world premiere of Love Stories, a ballet choreographed by Judith Jamison in collaboration with Rennie Harris and Robert Battle set to the music of Stevie Wonder. The program, which also included Alvin Ailey's Revelations, was followed by dinner and dancing in the Imperial Ballroom of the Sheraton New York. Katherine Farley and Jerry I. Speyer, Addie and Tom Jones, Patricia and Philip Laskawy, Lizabeth and Frank Newman and Joan and Sandy Weill were co-chairs of the event. New York Yankees star Derek Jeter was honorary chairman. Proceeds from the gala went toward all of the Alvin Ailey programs.

A wonderful send-off to 2004, the New York Botanical Garden Winter Wonderland Ball held in December raised more than $200,000 for children's education programs at the Garden. Guests enjoyed cocktails while viewing the Holiday Train Show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Sloan Barnett, Katherine Betts, Cristina Cuomo, Whitney Fairchild, Julie Frist, Nathalie Kaplan and Rena Sindi chaired the event. Rolex Watch USA was the grand sponsor; Alberta Ferretti and Chie Imai were the sponsors.