Silver Celebration in The Nob Hill Gazette

Monday, January 4th, 2010 | All Posts by Laurie Sharp | No Comments

Recently, I took part in a cover shoot for the January issue of The Nob Hill Gazette and it was a blast! I dutifully showed up for my hair and make-up two hours before the photo shoot was to begin.

Here I am in one of the Ballet studios getting prepped.

That morning, I had to ask myself if I really required all this help for one photo; I then  remembered that the Gazette has a very large circulation and that I was representing the Ballet, so I donned my sweats, grabbed a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and silently thanked those responsible for my transformation.

A big thank you to Publicity Co-Chair Kate Coffino and to Dana Stoloff at St. John for the beautiful gown I wore in the shoot. I was proud to be on the cover with Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson and his wife, Marlene; take a look!

Here it is, the photo from the cover! (photo by Claudia Goetzelmann for The Nob Hill Gazette)

Tags: Auxiliary, Helgi Tomasson, Opening Night Gala

It Takes a Village

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 | All Posts by Laurie Sharp, SFB Scene | No Comments

Undertaking the role of chair for SF Ballet’s Opening Night Gala is no small task.  I’m charged with the responsibility of leading a team of 15 steering committee chairs, as well as dozens of committee members and volunteers. In addition, I’ve worked closely with the staff of the Ballet Association for almost 12 months with the dual goals of raising funds to support the Ballet through this event, while heightening awareness of the Ballet in our community.  I’m averaging 15-20 hours a week on this project – wow, who knew!

Special thanks goes out to Décor Chair Karen Murphy, and Blueprint Studios, our décor/designer, for their hard work. Below is an image of Helgi Tomasson that we used for the gala invitation; I think it’s very fitting for the occasion, given that the event is in honor of his 25^th anniversary with the Company!

An image from this year's gala invitation

Tags: Auxiliary, Helgi Tomasson, Opening Night Gala

Introducing Laurie Sharp

Thursday, December 10th, 2009 | All Posts by Laurie Sharp, SFB Scene | No Comments

This year’s Opening Night theme is Silver Celebration and highlights Helgi Tomasson’s 25 years as artistic director of San Francisco Ballet.  This anniversary is hugely significant for the Ballet in many ways and I’m thrilled and honored to lead the Auxiliary team that is designing, creating, and executing this incredibly special event. As we get closer to the event on January 20, I’ll be posting more of my thoughts and experiences on the “behind-the-scenes” process—stay tuned!

Taylor and I at our favorite spot in the city, Crissy Field. Taylor is 6 years old and attends pre-ballet at the San Francisco Ballet School. Our most special tradition is attending SFB’s Nutcracker every Christmas Eve.

Alison Bambery Reginold, best friend, Auxiliary mentor, and Ballet subscription seat mate. Alison is a founding member of ENCORE! and served on the Auxiliary for 10 years before becoming a Sustainer in 2008.

Tags: Auxiliary, Helgi Tomasson, Opening Night Gala