Atlanta's fashion and philanthropic crowds are set to gather on October 5 for the 28th Annual Corps de Ballet Fashion Show & Luncheon, a Neiman Marcus-presented event celebrating Atlanta Ballet's 2026-27 season with a runway show and a performance from the company's dancers. The event, co-chaired by Mary Kathryn Winsett, is expected to draw around 500 guests from across the region.
The luncheon's real purpose runs deeper than the runway, according to Atlanta News First, which reports that proceeds benefit the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, an institution that serves more than 23,000 individuals across the region annually through training, accredited instruction, and community outreach. Winsett, one of this year's co-chairs, joined Centre Dean Sharon Story to discuss the mission behind the annual gathering, per the outlet's report. Story oversees a Centre with more than 1,200 students at three Metro Atlanta studio locations.
A School With National Accreditation
The Centre for Dance Education was established in 1996 by former Artistic Director John McFall and is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, making it one of only six accredited ballet school centers in the country, according to Atlanta Ballet. That accreditation underscores the scale of what luncheon dollars support: the 26th annual edition of the event raised over $450,000 to fund community engagement programs and scholarships for the Centre, SocialAtlanta reported.
Among the programs that benefit is Decade 2 Dance, which provides training, mentorship, and resources for aspiring dancers from underrepresented communities, according to the Atlanta News First report. The initiative is designed to help those dancers enter professional careers, mirroring the roughly 10-year training timeline typically required to reach the classical dance profession, per Atlanta Ballet. The company has said Decade 2 Dance identifies students through Community Engagement.
Part of a Broader Push for Representation
Atlanta Ballet's diversity efforts extend beyond its own campus. The Equity Project, a national initiative aimed at increasing Black representation in professional ballet, is a partnership involving 21 large-budget U.S. professional ballet organizations, according to the International Association of Blacks in Dance. That project was organized by Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dance/USA, and IABD.
The luncheon will feature a performance by Atlanta Ballet 2. The program offers tuition-free instruction, weekly stipends, and performance shoes to its dancers, per Atlanta Ballet. Neiman Marcus will present the runway fashion show that accompanies the AB2 performance at the luncheon.
The Company Behind the Cause
Atlanta Ballet itself carries significant institutional weight. Founded in 1929 by Dorothy Alexander, it is the oldest continuously operating ballet company in the United States and holds the designation of official State Ballet of Georgia, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia. The company was originally established as the Dorothy Alexander Dance Art Group before changing to Atlanta Civic Ballet in 1941.
Gennadi Nedvigin became the company's fourth artistic director in 2016, following the roughly 22-year tenure of John McFall, according to ArtsATL.
The luncheon arrives amid a separate dispute over music at Atlanta Ballet. Musicians opposed the use of recorded music for a performance of “Passion and Pride” at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Hoodline previously reported.
