OAKLAND -- The Oakland Ballet celebrates its 2016 season in old world elegance with a Spring Gala at the Bellevue Club on Lake Merritt.

The annual fundraiser takes place from 6:30 to 10 p.m. April 2. Mayor Libby Schaaf is the honorary chair with ABC7 news anchor Cheryl Jennings as the evening's host.

The five-story 1929-era French château, located at 525 Bellevue Ave. in Oakland, affords beautiful views of Lake Merritt as well as a glimpse into the stylish grace of an earlier period in Oakland's history.

"The Bellevue Club also provides a wonderfully intimate way for guests to preview our new season," says event co-chair Roz Perazzo. "People attending will be seated right next to the dancers as they perform giving them a very special experience."

Oakland Ballet dancers will perform scenes from Graham Lustigâ s â Stone of Hopeâ at the ballet's Spring Gala on April 2. Accompanying the dancers will be the a cappella gospel choir Nona Brown and the Inspirational Music Collection. The dancers are: Gregory DeSantis, Alysia Chang, Vincent Chavez and Evelyn Turner. ( Courtesy of John Hefti )

This year's program entitled "A Cappella -- Our Bodies Sing" features the Oakland Ballet in collaboration with three local a cappella vocal groups.

"It's been an amazing process putting this together," said Graham Lustig, Oakland Ballet artistic director. "It's so creative watching the dancers and choreographers try different dance combinations to this very powerful music."

Lustig utilized his own considerable choreographic skills by pairing with Nona Brown and the Inspirational Music Collective to create "Stone of Hope." According to Lustig, Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Had a Dream" speech was the catalyst for his work.

"I was so taken by his passion and how the united country he dreamed of hadn't come to fruition yet," Lustig said. "Combining the dancers with Nona's wonderful gospel vocals is very powerful."


The evening's entertainment also includes world-renowned choreographer Val Caniparoli's collaboration with the Berkeley Community Chamber Singers, who will be singing the music of American composer Stephen Foster, and the husband and wife team of Janice Garrett and Charles Moulton, who are partnering with Vajra Voices. The eight-woman medieval singing group will focus on songs by 11th century composer Hillegard von Bingen.

"We will also have students from the Oakland Ballet Academy perform two pieces," Lustig said.

Guests will begin the evening with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the ballroom where they will also enjoy the dance and vocal performances. A silent auction follows featuring vacation packages, tickets to local sporting and cultural events, luxury good and more. Guests can even bid on a cameo role in the company's annual "The Nutcracker" production. A dinner catered by the Bellevue Club concludes the festivities. All proceeds benefit the Oakland Ballet's educational outreach program.

"Our goal is to raise $25,000 to support the education and community program," said Perazzo, who co-chairs the event with America Foy. "We hope to purchase a new set of costumes for traveling. Typically, we take the 'Nutcracker' costumes, but we only have one set and taking them from place to place gets them a bit worn. We'd really like another set just for traveling and community events."

Last year, the Oakland Ballet's outreach program brought "The Nutcracker" to more than 5,000 schoolchildren.

"It's so important to expose young people to the arts, especially those who don't have access to live performances," Lustig said.

"Just think about all the business and technology these days," Perazzo said. "It takes creativity and innovation to work in those industries and what better way to pick up on those skills than by experiencing the performing arts."