The American Museum of Natural history held its 14th annual Corporate Dinner on May 9th, honoring Charles Prince, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup. The museum’s president, Ellen Futter, presented Mr. Prince with the Distinguished Service to Science and Education Award, in recognition of his commitment and contributions to science education and cultural programs.

The black-tie evening began with a cocktail reception outside on the Arthur Ross Terrace. The dinner and award presentation took place in the stunning Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.

It was called the Black Slipper Ball and it benefited the Ballet Hispanico. Mayor Bloomberg was there. And Liza Minnelli. And Kitty Carlisle Hart. They honored Lois Betts whose husband Roland has been the President’s chum since their days at Yale. Mr. Betts developed something called the Chelsea Piers here in New York. He’s a textbook case of the entrepreneurial: vision, imagination, risk-taker.

Mayor Bloomberg presented the award to Mrs. Betts. There was a silent auction of one-of-a-kind black ballet slippers designed by Holly Dunlap for Swarovski, Elizabeth Taylor, Carolina Herrera, and Alan Cumming. The proceeds from that auction go to provide scholarships for young dancers. Miss Taylor’s shoe was dyed Pantone #2725 and it was immediately known as Elizabeth Taylor Lavendar.

Ballet Hispanico was founded by Tina Ramirez to reflect the rich heritage and cultural achievements of Hispanic-Americans through professional dance performance, training, and education. Ms. Ramirez envisioned a ballet company in which classical ballet and modern dance techniques were infused with Hispanic themes, music and movement. Ballet Hispanico also has a prestigious dance academy that has been attended by Leelee Sobieski, Jennifer Lopez, and Rachel Ticontin. The school is dedicated to enrolling children who wish to study dance, regardless of their ability to pay. Ballet Hispanico subsidizes tuition and provides more than $100,000 a year in scholarships.

What began as a small dance troupe performing at local community events has evolved into an ensemble at home in the world’s major concert halls. The Ballet Hispanico Company has performed for more than two million people in 46 states, Europe, and South America. They have been seen at the John F. Kennedy Cente, the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, UCLA’s Royce Hall, Houston’s Wortham Center, the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, Boston’s Celebrity Series, Wolf Trap and Jacob’s Pillow.

Last Tuesday night Ann Tisch hosted a special reception for the Benefit Committee of the 10th Anniversary Celebration for the Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem. The actual Anniversary Celebration will occur with an “Inaugural (Em)Power Breakfast” on September 27th honoring Nancy Peretsman, Managing Director of Allen & Company, Thelma Golden, Director of the Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Starr Foundation.

The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem was New York City’s first all-girls’ public school. In its first ten years, the Young Women’s Leadership School has graduated every one of its seniors, sent 100% to college and forever changed the landscape of public education. The school, known as TYWLS, has been a catalyst for single-sex public school programs across the nation.

Two weeks ago Wednesday, New York’s premier Latin American museum, El Museo del Barrio, celebrated its 13th annual gala with 450 guests for dinner and dancing at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

The gala was a celebration of many things including artistic contributions from Ruben and Isabel Toledo, the honorary chairs who designed the invitation, as well as a guest appearance from French singer-actress Arielle Dombasle. The décor evoked an Old World Latin theme of bamboo, elephant leaves, warm candlelight, leopard orchids and colors of orange and yellow. Guests included Reinaldo and Carolina Herrera, Narciso Rodriguez, Francisco Costa, Angel Sanchez, Edmundo Castillo, Carlos Miele, Candy Pratts Price, Simon Doonan, Kate D. Levin, Sarah Wolfe, Iris Cantor, Tony and Olga Duke, Julian Zugazagoitia.

For Just Cavalli’s first-ever New York event, celebrities and New York’s young social crowd were out in full force to celebrate with Designer Roberto Cavalli and Teen Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Amy Astley, including Zoe Saldana, Jason Lewis, Kellie Pickler and Constantine of American Idol, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Lydia Hearst-Shaw, Victoria and Vanessa Traina, and Genevieve Jones. Young designers Zac Posen, Thakoon Panichgul and Esteban Cortezar also came out to support Just Cavalli.

The just-opened downtown hot spot, The Manor, was transformed into a Just Cavalli paradise inspired by the Spring/Summer 2006 collection. Guests admired the décor so much that many people took the custom-made Just Cavalli pillows in the signature “Bora Bora” print with them! Guests enjoyed Roberto Cavalli Vodka and lots of dancing to DJ Sky Nellor’s soundtrack. The goody bags included a Just Cavalli beach towel, scarf, Just Cavalli fragrance, and the latest issue of Teen Vogue.

Alison Minton hosted a very unusual birthday party on Sunday, May 21, to benefit The Humane Society of New York. Alison hosted a birthday party for her Umbrella Cockatoo, Chris, and her White Capped Pionus, Holly, at Giovanni Ristorante on West 55th Street. In lieu of gifts for the pampered parrots, Minton requested that donations be made to The Humane Society of New York, which raised more than $2,000 with the help of guests and supporters including Manhattan’s Sutton Aviary.

When entering the quaint Italian restaurant, Chris and Holly flew overhead and greeted everyone with a “hello” including Alison’s mother Barbara, Frederick Afif, Ed Brown, Jennifer Bowden, Anne D’Inncenzio, Lisa Forman, Michele Gerber Klein, Kathleen Giordano, and Linda Gras, the former Deputy Commissioner for Mayor Bloomberg’s Office.

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