‘Desperate Housewives’ star lauded at Black and White Ball

The town's poshest gala, Nevada Ballet Theatre's Black and White Ball, annually honors a woman entertainer for her professional and philanthropic accomplishments. The 2012 Woman of the Year, actress Eva Longoria, was honored Jan. 28 at Aria.

Longoria attended a VIP reception hosted by Cartier in its Crystals store for the ball's Diamond table guests. Among the partygoers were singer Domenick Allen, singer/actress Leigh Zimmerman, Kari and Jonathan Halkyard, Charlene and Craig Cavileer, Sharon Jenkins, Michael Shulman, Kamila and Jean Marc Eljwaidi, Michael Brown and Virginia Valentine, Catherine Lacy, Madeleine and Don Andress, Stephanie and Steve Stallworth, Jennifer and Frank Mir, Jennifer Rubin, Colleen LeDoux, Melinda and Bob Brown, Sandra and Ed Boyadjian, Marcia and Edgar Tarazona, Marla and Tom Letizia, and Farid Matraki. They were greeted by Nancy Houssels, Nevada Ballet Theatre co-founder and co-chairwoman of its board of trustees; Wendy Plaster, board co-chairwoman; and Mariam Afshai, regional director of Cartier North America.

This group later joined the reception in Aria's Ironwood Ballroom where 600 black-tie guests were enjoying cocktails, canapes and entertainment by ballet company dancers.

Houssels introduced the honorary chairs, Shannon and Bill McBeath, president and chief operating officer of Aria, and dinner chairs, Audra Hendley and Bobby Baldwin, president and CEO of CityCenter.

Beth Barbre, the dance company's executive director, and Chet Buchanan of KLUC-FM, 98.5 spoke about Nevada Ballet Theatre's weekly dance classes at 11 Las Vegas elementary schools that serve more than 4,000 students annually.

The room erupted as 120 students from Dondero Elementary School came dancing into the ballroom and onto the stage to perform.

Robin Leach and Zimmerman followed with a fundraiser called "Shine a Light" to benefit the troupe's Future Dance program.

During dinner, Christian Kolberg, assisted by actress Susan Anton, conducted a live auction for 11 packages. James Canfield, Nevada Ballet Theatre artistic director, and Cynthia Gregory, former prima ballerina and the company's artistic coach, introduced the dinner's performance of "Black Swan" pas de deux.

In recognizing Longoria as Woman of the Year, Baldwin described her volunteer work with Latino children suffering from cancer as well as her many awards including Philanthropist of the Year by the Hollywood Reporter. A video tribute showed her work as an actress and her philanthropic ventures.

Houssels and Plaster presented Longoria with the dance company's bronze dancer sculpture and Afshai gave her a Cartier clock.

Seen among the crowd were former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan and Bonnie Bryan, Congressman Joe Heck and Lisa Heck, state Sen. John Lee, Vicki Fertitta, Vanessa and Tom Breitling, Kell Houssels, Sue Sullivan, Rokh Afshai, Sandee Tiberti, Richard Plaster, Marie Claire Armeni, Doris and Ted Lee, Paula and Robert Mendenhall, Jeri and Rick Crawford, Carolyn Sparks and Keith Boman .