"The AZ Insider" with Kathy Shayna Shocket: Get the inside scoop on Arizona's social scene and celebrity news.
This week: A group from AZ was seen wearing slippers in public in D.C., with a celeb among them.
Amidst the ugly national headlines regarding Arizona’s new and controversial SB 1070 immigration bill, there’s great news about a group of young Arizonans who traveled to Washington, D.C. who were seen wearing their slippers in public! And here’s an exclusive scoop: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano joined them! Although Janet wasn’t donning slippers, the group of talented Arizona artists was. That’s because the group was Ballet Arizona!
Yes, the dancers laced up their ballet slippers and performed at the prestigious Kennedy Center. The company performed Artistic Director Ib Andersen's new choreography, "Diversions," as part of the Ballet Across America series. Anderson’s behind the scenes forces and the performance received rave reviews.
“From Ballet Arizona’s all-Balanchine program this weekend, two strong impressions emerged: Mr. Andersen is a Balanchine regisseur-stager of rare acuity, and he has made his company one of the most musically intelligent in the world,” according to The New York Times.
A group of about 30 Ballet Arizona supporters traveled to D.C. for this milestone, including the Chair of its Board of Directors Harold Dorenbecher and his wife Mary. (Harold, senior vice president of Northern Trust Bank is pictured above chatting with David Thompson (past board chair) at a former Ballet event in Phoenix.)
At the recent Ballet board meeting, I asked some of the board members who went to the D.C. performance to pose for me. Pictured below are Dean Rennell, Harold Dorenbecher, Pat Dieken, David Thompson, Mary Carey, Nancy Crowley, Teri Hasten, Carol Schilling, and Ib Andersen.
Ballet board member Carol Schilling and husband Randy, director of development of Audubon Arizona, were also there to experience the D.C. performance. “This was a chance for the ballet to stand up with the big boys,” notes Randy, “and how wonderful that Janet Napolitano was there.” Carol and Randy are pictured below at a former Phoenix event hosted by the Five Arts Circle. It’s the membership organization comprised of arts enthusiasts who provide patron-level support for five Phoenix organizations including Ballet Arizona.
Happy 50th Anniversary AFP
Carol Schilling, a respected community leader, was also one of the featured speakers at the recent 50th anniversary luncheon for the Greater Arizona Chapter of the (AFP) Association of Fundraising Professionals. She chaired the podium with the distinguished Michael Bassoff, head of the TGen Foundation and two other well-known community leaders who discussed key issues in philanthropy and fundraising. Carol applauds the turnout for the luncheon: “I was so impressed with the wonderful fundraisers gathered in that room. They are the ones who nurture the donors in this community and help those donors connect with-- and stay connected to-- the organizations they want to support.”
Senior Professional-in-Residence at the Center on Nonprofit Leadership and Management at ASU Pat Lewis was also on the panel. Pat’s is pictured above at the luncheon with Jacque Ahrenberg, president of AFP’s Phoenix chapter.
Paul Luna was also a featured guest for the 50th anniversary luncheon. (Paul, president and CEO of Helios Education Foundation, is pictured below during the launch of “Expect More Arizona Vote 4 Education” campaign.)
Paul said it was exciting to be a part of the AFP luncheon program. “The thought provoking panel discussions helped all of us panelists and attendees gain a better understanding of the challenges we face as fundraising professionals, especially given the unstable economy and the very complex not-for-profit sector.”
Kathy Shayna Shocket is a Phoenix based writer. If you have a good item for The AZ Insider, you can email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
