Out & About
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The singles bar scene took a charitable turn Tuesday night at a holiday toy drive party hosted by longtime volunteers of the Children’s Aid Society, among them Lane Katz, Rick Wisely, and Teresa Signorelli.
To get past the cheerful “bouncers” in Santa hats at Gstaad Bar & Lounge, about 300 young professionals offered toys or $20 cash donations.
The giving spirit seemed to make fast friends of strangers – or 1098 811 1246 822could it be that the pressure is on to find a date for New Year’s Eve?
Andrew Stravitz proudly reported that he and his new acquaintance Kara Kattan had “SMSed each other’s phone numbers.”
By the end of the evening, six giant sacks had been filled with Play-Doh, toy trucks, and telescopes. The toys will be included in the Children’s Aid Society Holiday Snow Angel toy drive, which distributes presents to more than 120,000 children (instructions for donating toys can be found at www.childrensaidsociety.org).
The cash collected at the event from the $20 door-entry and a raffle will go to the Yorkville Common Pantry soup kitchen.
***
The Merce Cunningham Dance Company hosted a festive party after its opening performance at the Joyce Theater Tuesday night. The crowd was eclectic and artsy, as one might expect from a company associated with the likes of John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Frank Stella. Guests were as approachable as they were interesting. “There’s a nice vibe here. The people who are involved with Merce are very genuine. You don’t feel you have to put on airs,” said the lighting designer for the show that night, Josh Johnson. Mr. Cunningham said he enjoys all of the company’s galas, which take place around the world. He particularly recalled one in London, at a schoolhouse that had been converted into a home. “I remember the room was big, with very large windows, like a school might have,” he said. Mr. Cunningham also liked the location for this year’s party, the Drive In Studios on West 18th Street, near the West Side Highway. “The way they’ve fixed it is pleasant,” he said. The decor included a large screen projecting images of the dancers and red and blue lighting. Dinner featured smoked salmon on one side of the room, made-to-order quesadillas on the other, and a selection of cheeses in the middle.
The most stylish guests were the dancers and others affiliated with the company. Dancer Derry Swan kindly disclosed one of the company’s fashion secrets: Whenever they perform in Paris, the dancers head over to a place called Pacha on the rue de Rivoli, where a tailor custom-makes sexy leather pants for them.
While Ms. Swan showed off her pair, the general manager of the company offered more specific instructions to locate the tailor.
“He’s next to a pest control store with taxidermy rats hanging in the window. It’s fantasic!” said Mr. Carlson.
The gala’s chairmen were Alvin Chereskin and Jill Bonovitz. Also attending were the director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Anne d’Harnoncourt; one of the company’s artistic collaborators, Jackie Matisse, whose stepfather was Marcel Duchamp; and the chief executive of Independence Community Bank, Alan Fishman.
Lucky for the dancers who’ve not yet ordered their leather pants, the next tour stop for the company is Paris, at the beginning of January. Also upcoming is the premiere of the film dance “Views for Video,” at Stanford University in March. Two other films in the works will feature the repertory pieces “Split Sides” and “Ocean.”
The gala raised $195,000, which will fund the creation of new work and educational visits in New York City elementary schools.