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For the Art Students League's 150th Anniversary, step into a world of opulence and enchantment at the Dream Ball where art, fantasy, and grandeur collide! The Art Students League of New York’s beloved century-old tradition returns for a night of lavish revelry, featuring renowned artists, live music, and mesmerizing entertainment.
This year’s theme, Le Rêve Rococo, invites you to indulge in the splendor of the 18th century—ornate elegance, gilded glamour, and a dreamlike decadence that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Adorn yourself in your most resplendent rococo-inspired attire for a chance to win a fabulous prize in our Best Costume Contest!
And for an extra touch of wit and charm, the evening will be hosted by the legendary comedian, drag king, actor, television host, and entertainer Murray Hill!
Don't miss this unforgettable night of artistic splendor and baroque delight!
This is a 21+ event. IDs will be checked at the door.
Theme:
Le Rêve Rococo
What to Expect:
Tickets (Early Bird Pricing – Save 5% Before April 30!):
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Adorn yourself in your most devious rococo-inspired attire for a chance to win a fabulous prize in our Best Costume Contest!
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Our Dream Ball Raffle is packed with incredible prizes—and you can purchase tickets at the event. Winners will be drawn just before we crown our Dream Ball Costume Contest champions!
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Murray Hill is a NYC legend, comedian, TV host, MC, and international entertainer. He plays Fred Rococo in HBO’s acclaimed series Somebody Somewhere. He hosted the competition show Drag Me To Dinner (HULU), is featured in Life & Beth (HULU) and Welcome to Flatch (FOX), and is in Paul Feig’s new movie JACKPOT (Amazon MGM Studios) starring John Cena and Awkwafina. His forthcoming memoir, Showbiz! My Life As a Middle-Aged Man will be released by Simon & Schuster Gallery Books in 2025.
DJ Reborn has been pleasing crowds across the country and abroad for over a decade with her mellifluous blend of Soul, Hip-hop, Reggae, House, Latin, Afro-beat, Nu-jazz, Classics, Rock and more. Reborn is an international DJ, hip-hop theater musical director, and arts educator. This Chicago native now resides in New York and can be heard spinning at clubs, parties, live shows, and private events for artists as diverse as Metallica, Maxwell and Lauryn Hill. She has worked alongside the Roots, Common, Talib Kweli, John Legend, and India Arie; appeared on BET’s Rap City; and served as the 2004—2005 international tour DJ for Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam. Reborn is also a mentor/workshop facilitator working with teenage girls who want to explore djing, creative writing and women’s images in music/media culture.
Led by acclaimed drummer and composer Pete Davenport, this dynamic quartet delivers an electrifying blend of jazz, R&B, and original compositions. Featuring saxophonist Danny Walsh, pianist Emiko Ohara-Walsh, and bassist Yoshi Waki, the group brings together world-class talent and deep musical chemistry for an unforgettable live experience.
Cassandra Rosebeetle has been performing her entire life, starting as a competitive ice skater. She specializes in dance theater, burlesque, belly dancing, and the sideshow act of glasswalking. Currently she has a show at Shag in Williamsburg on view until June 14th - a collaborative self-portrait photography show with artist Sean Blue, entitled Blue/Rose.
Jack Barrow (He/They) is a dynamic performer blending the rockstar charisma of Freddie Mercury with the theatrical flair of Liza Minnelli. Known as The Charming Bastard of Burlesque, he delivers electrifying, seductive performances that have earned him two NYC GLAM Awards for Best Burlesque Performer (2021 & 2023). Offstage, Jack is just as magnetic—an actor, dancer, educator, and nightlife connoisseur who’s equally at home teaching a workshop, shaking up the perfect cocktail or creating unforgettable nights of burlesque and drag for your private event. Jack is always bold, charismatic, and unapologetically the life of the party!
Perfidia is a beloved celebrity of the downtown drag scene. Considered a legend, she started at Boy Bar in 1986 and went on to work with Susanne Bartsch and had a fabulous wig salon at the Patricia Field for over 13 years. She can be seen in Wigstock movie. Currently she works on Broadway and designs wigs for Drag celebrities and burlesque stars.
Creep Suzette has been involved in nightlife—hosting parties and working events—for the past ten years. They enjoy creating their own costumes and wigs, and collaborate with friends on looks. They draw style inspiration mainly from historical fashion, especially the 18th century, as well as the deconstructed and draped designs of Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano.
If Taylor Poore's life isn’t surrounded by beauty and bling, then they don’t want it! They love surrounding themselves with bold prints & colors, adding their special touch to their costumes, there’s not a rhinestone they've met that they didn't like. Taylor Poore loves being creative and working with their fiancé, Creep Suzette. Together they shine bright!
Working in NYC nightlife 13 years Ava Jean is an endlessly creative creature. As a Designer, Wig Stylist, Model, Cellist, and an Opera Singer she really does it all! From making looks for herself and her friends to designing for celebrities this multifaceted queen is definitely one to watch!
Gereve presents an immersive tarot experience, transcending the present, past & calling out to the future. Her practice is cultivated from the ancestral bohemian magick of the legacy Varlow Academy in New Orleans where she is a coven resident. Readings will call upon your ancestral spirit guides to lend you insight for the year ahead.
Emma Olson is a rising star in the world of magic, recently featured on the renowned show Penn & Teller: Fool Us! Combining her extraordinary sleight-of-hand skills, engaging personality, and unique expertise in intricate cube magic, Emma brings a wide range of magical experiences to audiences.
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History of the Dream Ball:
Started in the 1920s the Dream Ball was a fundraiser for the League’s scholarship funds. Beloved for its eccentric, handmade costumes, at the Dream Ball, high-society met the radical artists of the Art Students League in a bacchanal inspired by an annual theme.
In 2023, for the first time in almost 70 years, we relaunched the infamous Dream Ball. Students, members, nightlife enthusiasts, and revelers flocked to this historic institution to take part in a night of celebration. Guests came dressed in dazzling hand-made costumes and spent time enjoying the scenery of four unique immersive rooms.
The Dream Ball is made possible by the support of generous partners and sponsors:
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