On the 15th of November, London’s Grosvenor House hosted the annual Russian Debutante Ball. An evening of music, dance, and wonder, the anticipated event played host to the toast of Russian society. Sixty debutantes and their partners swept down the grand staircase of the Great Ballroom, and performed the opening ceremony. Choreographed by Russian dance master and Honorary President of the International Dance Union Leonid Pletnev, the opening dance was but a foretaste of the pageantry to come.
The 650 guests were treated by a dazzling performance by the Prime Ballerina of The Bolshoi Theatre, Evgenia Obraztsova. Greeted by HRH Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Olga Romanoff, Evgenia was captured in an historic photo, with the royals standing next to her. The night was full of other distinguished guests, as Lord Frederick Windsor, Admiral Lord West, the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the British Home Office, and Lady West joined the debutantes and guests on the dance floor.
For refreshments, fine Bordeaux wines, imported from the vineyards of the Honorary Consul of Russia in Biarritz graced the tables. Accompanying the gourmet dinner were also generous shots of Ivan The Terrible vodka. Diamonds and tiaras added to the dazzling glamour of the evening. The crown jewel, Prince Olga’s dazzling array of Piaget diamonds, worth a quarter of a million pounds.
But beyond all the pomp and circumstance of the affair was an important message. According to Elisabeth Smagin-Melloni, the CEO of ESM, the event managers responsible for the Ball, the evening is held in a spirit of togetherness. As with other events, the evening is designed to bring together people from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, united in their shared appreciation of music and the performing arts.
This goodwill was exemplified by an air of philanthropy. HRH Princess Michael of Kent donated signed copies of her latest book Crowned in a Far Country: Portrait of Eight Royal Brides, now available in Russian, for the benefit of Chance for Life. The official partner charity for the Russian Debutante Ball, Chance For Life is dedicated to providing care for disadvantaged children in Russian orphanages. Evgenia Obraztsova donated a pair of her signed ballet shoes in aid of the charity, marking the continued support of the ballet community to those less fortunate.
