A hint of spring was evident in the gowns worn to the School of American Ballet's glittery Winter Ball on Monday.

Amid a few classic black dresses and exposed shoulders, there were swirls of pink georgette, filmy white chiffon ruffles and even a colorful halter dress that suggested peacocks. Several women wore borrowed Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, such as actress Kelly Rutherford, who sported 1960s-era diamond drop earrings and a necklace valued at about $600,000.

Van Cleef & Arpels sponsored the evening, following a long relationship to the school dating back to a friendship between George Balanchine and Claude Arpels.

The event raised $1 million, with funds targeted toward scholarships, youth programs and a residence hall.

"This is the Silicon Valley of ballet, the epicenter for innovation of this art form," said Pamela Joyner, the San Francisco-based founding partner at Avid Partners LLC and a onetime ballerina. "The young patrons here really are the future of the art form. It chokes me up a little bit to see it."