On the evening of Wednesday, September 28, a quiet commotion occurred on the upper level of Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater, where Solange Knowles, Julia Fox, Queen Latifah, A$AP Ferg and more had gathered gathered for the New York City. Ballet’s Fall Fashion Gala. This year marked the tenth anniversary of the glamorous event which was originally conceived by NYCB Vice President Sarah Jessica Parker and has always drawn a big-name crowd. Gwendoline Christie, Andy Cohen, Laverne Cox and Claire Danes were among the 2022 co-chairs. asked by NYCB to create an original score to accompany the piece “Play Time” by choreographer Gianna Reisen. There, to witness the artist’s historic debut as the prestigious dance organization’s second black songwriter, there were both friends and family, including Knowles’ mother, Tina Lawson, and, for the delight of those who managed to spot her, Solange’s sister, Beyoncé Knowles-Charretier.
In fact, the “Alien Superstar” singer was the source of the commotion in the loft. Just before the world premiere of Solange’s ballet took the stage, Beyoncé and Ms. Tina made their way to their seats, sneaking into the front row where Solange was already seated with Standing on the Corner artist Gio Escobar. Whispers that the ultimate VIP was in the building spread as Tyler, the creator, made his way to his seat behind Solange (he took a quick photo of her for his Instagram Story before slip away once the play is over.)
Once the curtains were up, Beyoncé was completely encased in the performance, nodding along to the tunes her sister had composed — an amalgamation of Solange’s signature, dissonant, jazzy sound. And the dancers, dressed in dazzling Swarovski-studded costumes created by designer Palomo Spain, drew audible gasps from the crowd. At the end of the show, Solange joined the cast on stage with choreographer Gianna Reisen and designer Alejandro Gómez Palomo. Taking her bow, she received a huge bouquet of red roses and from her upper level seat, Beyoncé could be seen taking videos of her sister waving to the crowd.
Shortly after, Bey’s security guard ushered her and her mother out of the theater, taking them through the halls of Lincoln Center and driving them back in their black car.
And the show, as they say, went on. Pieces choreographed by Justin Peck with costumes designed by Raf Simons and a particularly moving dance series by Kyle Abraham with music by James Black and costumes by Giles Deacon kept the crowd moving. The gala, which this year honored its founder Sarah Jessica Parker (who left the event shortly after arriving due to a family emergency), included an intimate dinner, where Solange sat at a table with her friend Melina Matsoukas—who wore a Loewe dress—Clemens and Lopez. Nearby, Kristin Davis made her way between the tables in a shimmering Empire dress and matching mask, and Fox got cozy in a silver Space-Age dress by Zac Posen. Solange’s big night at the ballet was clearly a success in the eyes of the famous entertainer, as she happily chatted with friends including Latifah and Cox and sipped wine late into the evening.