Natalie Portman Attends The Baryshnikov Center Gala

[All photos by Ben Gabbe for PMc] Natalie Portman spent last night at the Baryshnikov Arts Center for the Gala and Grand Opening of the Jerome Robbins Theater. Whether she was there because she plays a ballerina in an upcoming movie, or because she's dating a famous ballet dancer in real life is unclear.-

The center's namesake, Mikhail Baryshnikov (or Aleksander Petrovsky, if there is anyone reading this unfortunate enough to get their cultural cues from Sex And The City), has long been a figure head for the New York Arts and Culture scene. Last night, he invited some of his equally erudite friends to celebrate the opening of the new Jerome Robbins Theater, including Lauren Bacall, Annie Leibovitz, Jessica Lange, Wallace Shawn, Annette de la Renta, and the beautiful opera singer Anna Netrebko, who is just as scandalous as some of the young girls covered in the tabloids today except that she's also talented.

The evening started wtih a performance, including a dance by Baryshnikov himself, accompanied by cellist Wendy Sutter, and Jerome Robbins's "Grand Waltz", performed by the New York City Ballet. Garrison Keillor also read some works, and, to wake the audience up again, more dancing. The performance was followed by a dinner.

Jessica Lange, Lauren Bacall        Annie Leibovitz, Mica Ertegun

Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anna Netrebkov

Garrison Keillor                               Christina DePaul

Wallace Shawn                                 Annette de la Renta