Ballet Icons is one of the world's most celebrated one-night-only ballet galas, bringing together international stars from the most prestigious companies in the world, including The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, Berlin State Ballet, Vienna Ballet Theatre and Dutch National Ballet, among many others. Each year, they take to the stage at the London Coliseum, accompanied by the English National Ballet Philharmonic Orchestra.
For their 20th anniversary, they marked the occasion in style with a gala dinner at the Savoy Hotel, following the evening's performances.
That's where SJARK came in.
For us, this was a one-day project: a full setup during the day, a live show in the evening, and a complete de-rig once the last guests had left. Our role was to deliver the full technical production for the dinner, covering audio for speeches and live performances, and lighting for both the dinner and the entertainment, all within the Savoy's magnificent main ballroom.
Click here to find out more about our approach,
A gala dinner at the Savoy is never just a dinner. Alongside the seated dinner, the evening featured live performances from dancers and musicians, as well as roaming speeches throughout the room. Every element had to feel as considered and as memorable as the show happening across the road at the Coliseum.
The Ballet Icons team had one focus on the day: the performance. That meant they needed a production partner who could take full ownership of the dinner setup, work directly with the Savoy's in-house team, and deliver everything to a high standard without a member of their team needing to be present.
Their vision required:
From our first conversation, it was clear this wasn't just a technical brief. It was about earning trust, understanding the vision, and becoming a genuine part of their team for the day.
With the Ballet Icons team focused on the Coliseum, there was limited client time available on the day itself. That made pre-production critical. We invested time upfront in understanding the full picture: the room, the running order, the variety of performance formats, and what the client wanted guests to experience from the moment they arrived.
Working with a venue like the Savoy, which has its own established processes and in-house events team, means preparation is everything. A dedicated site visit is standard practice for us on projects like this. It gave us the opportunity to walk the ballroom, align with the venue team and resolve any open questions well before load-in day.
With several different performance formats across the evening, and not all technical details confirmed in advance, we prepared multiple equipment options to ensure every act was well-lit and sounding exactly as the client intended. This kind of flexibility starts in pre-production, not on the day.
The Savoy ballroom is a stunning space in its own right. Our lighting approach was built around that: working with the atmosphere the room already creates, and enhancing it, rather than imposing something new onto it.
We also made sure our team was well briefed and well looked after ahead of the day. High-pressure environments with tight turnarounds call for people who are prepared, calm and ready to adapt.
The day began with load-in, followed by a full technical build and a thorough end-to-end test before guests arrived. Working alongside the Savoy's in-house team, we set up audio and lighting across the ballroom, tested every element, and ran through the evening's changeovers between performers and speakers to ensure smooth transitions throughout.
As guests arrived and the dinner got underway, our team managed everything behind the scenes: live audio for speeches as they moved through the room, technical support for each performance, and lighting that kept the atmosphere exactly where it needed to be throughout the night.
Between acts, we supported the changeovers, keeping transitions seamless and the energy of the room intact. When the final performance wrapped and the last guests departed, we packed down and de-rigged, leaving the Savoy exactly as we found it.
The evening ran smoothly from start to finish. Speeches carried clearly. Performances were well-supported. The room felt every bit as special as the occasion deserved.
We were completely self-contained throughout, which meant the Ballet Icons team could focus entirely on what mattered most to them, and the Savoy's team never had to think about the production. That is exactly how it should be.
Events like this are a reminder of why we love what we do. A world-class gala, an iconic venue, a team with a clear vision, and a night that needed to feel just as memorable as the performance that preceded it. We are always excited to work with clients who care as much about the details as we do.
If you are planning a gala dinner and need a production partner that slots right into your team, let's talk. Fill out the form and we will be happy to support you in making your next event a success.
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