Anka Palitz has created the Anka Fund. On Friday January 31st, 2020, Ballet Palm Beach introduced the Anka Fund for Dancers at its annual fundraising event, Swept Away Soiree. The fund will directly support salaries for the professional dancers of Ballet Palm Beach.

Palm Beach cultural patron Anka K. Palitz has been a generous and tireless supporter of dancers for decades, both during and after their dance careers. After a successful life in the fashion and cosmetics industry, where she held executive positions at Revlon and was later CEO and owner of Decart Designs, Mrs. Palitz has dedicated her life to helping dance companies and professional dancers.

A Board member of American Ballet Theatre for more than 25 years, she also helped to formulate and served as a Board Member of Career Transition For Dancers (CTFD). As a program of The Fund, CTFD continues to enable dancers to define career possibilities and hone the skills necessary to excel in a variety of disciplines, thus supporting them in developing rewarding post-performance careers. Mrs. Palitz serves as National Ambassador Vice-Chair of The Actors Fund.

As public arts financing has dwindled, Mrs. Palitz began sponsoring individual dancers in honor of her late husband Clarence Y. Palitz. Her first named dancer was Ethan Stiefel, who went on to become Dean of the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and is currently serving as Principal Guest Instructor at ABT. She was also instrumental in developing ABT’s Healthy Dancer Curriculum, a program for the development and training of young students that embraces sound ballet principles in collaboration with artistic advisors and a medical advisory board

A Benefactor at The Society for the Four Arts in Palm Beach, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Norton Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Opera, and a past supporter of The Frick Collection and the Whitney Museum of American Art, Mrs. Palitz also has served as Board Director of 184 Bradley Place, and has been an avid supporter of Palm Beach Opera, Ballet Palm Beach, Palm Beach Symphony and many other organizations. Ten years ago, she started the Heart and Soul Gala to benefit CTFD. In Florida alone, more than 90 dancer/clients have received help and scholarships. Mrs. Palitz remains dedicated to bringing awareness of this important organization to Palm Beach and the world. She also continues to support the education of all dancers – from their beginning instruction through transition to their next career after dance.

Ballet Palm Beach applauds Anka and her support of our organization.