From left: Kerry Troup, gala co-chair Annual Taste of the Stars Gala; Joseph E. Robert III, gala chair Fight Night; Don Peebles, gala co-chair 2009 Dare to Dream; Simone-Marie L. Meeks, gala co-chair Ambassadors Ball; Joe Solmonese, President Human Rights Campaign; Barbara Merola, gala co-chair Corcoran 1869 Society Fall Fête; Tiffany Gates, gala chair The Choral Arts Society Holiday Concert and Gala; Jimmy Smits, gala co-chair Noche de Gala; Nina Pillsbury, gala chair Sibley Hospital Gala; Ann Walker Marchant, gala chair The Washington Ballet Spring Gala.

Photographs by Clay Blackmore
Styling: James Cornwell, PR @ Partners
Makeup: Myken Garcia & Francesca Mastri, PR @ Partners
Hair: Alicia Renee Jones & Dyan Zurich Smith, PR @ Partners
Photographed at the Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C.

For full listings of all upcoming galas and events, please see our Social Calendar widget.

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The 2009 Choral Arts Gala, Photo by Kyle Samperton

The 2009 Washington Life Guide to Balls and Galas.

SEPTEMBER

WNO’S OPENING NIGHT GALA
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What to Expect: Join fellow opera enthusiasts for the Washington National Opera’s highly-anticipated Season Opening Night Gala dinner dance following the premiere performance of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, where the funds raised benefit the WNO’s performance programs and educational outreach projects.
Date: Saturday, September 12; 7 p.m.
Location: Performance at the Opera House, The Kennedy Center; gala dinner at the Hall of the Americas, Organization of American States Building
Attire: Black-tie
Price: Starting at $500; sponsorship packages starting at $5,000; performance tickets sold separately
Contact: WNO Special Events Hotline, 202-295-2449, specialevents@dc-opera.org; performance tickets, 202-295-2420

2009 WOLF TRAP BALL
What to Expect: The vast Filene Center stage transforms into a magical setting as Germany marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and celebrates “Freedom without Walls” at the performance venue’s annual ball. As the foundation’s largest fundraiser, proceeds benefit Wolf Trap’s arts and education programs.
Date: Saturday, September 12; 7 p.m.
Location: Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Attire: Black-tie
Event Chairmen: Mary E. Arnold and James C. Nesbitt III
Price: $500 to $1,000; tables from $5,500 to $25,000
Contact: Melanie Allan McCarty, 703-255-1944, events@wolftrap.org

 NATIONAL HISPANIC FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS’ NOCHE DE GALA
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What to Expect: Always high on the caliente chart, the evening brings A-List Hispanic entertainers together for dinner, dancing, and fundraising. Founded by actors Jimmy Smits, Sonia Braga, Esai Morales, and Washington attorney Felix Sanchez, the foundation offers graduate scholarships and programs to young Latinos pursuing careers in entertainment and media.
Date: Tuesday, September 15; 6:30 p.m.
Location: Corcoran Gallery of Art
Attire: Black-tie
Event Chairmen: Joaquin Bacardi III, Sonia Braga, Ginny Grenham, Merel Julia, Esai Morales, Felix Sanchez, and Jimmy Smits
Price: $1,000; corporate sponsorships available
Contact: Jennifer Castillo, 202-293-8330

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Meet some of the go to personalities behind this season’s top events, galas, and charity events.

Pictured, from left: Cathy Jones (Choral Art Society Holiday Gala), Jeffrey Zell (Starlight Taste of the Stars), Kristen Olson (The Meridian Ball), Shelia Johnson (Sibley Hospital Celebration of Hope & Progress Gala), Beth Dozoretz (Harman Center for the Arts Gala), Winston Bao Lord (Washington Ballet’s Jete? Society), Samia Farouki (Harman Center for the Arts Gala), Abigail Blunt (Multiple Sclerosis Society Ambassadors Ball), Curtin Winsor (Starlight Taste of the Stars), and Ashley Taylor (Washington Ballet’s Jete? Society). (Photo by Clay Blackmore)

Photography Clay Blackmore
Makeup Carolya Myers
Hair Franko and Mara Fontanez for Carola Myers Makeup & Hair Artists
Photographed at the St. Regis Hotel

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