Best of Boston

It’s impossible to make a Zoom gala as exciting as the real deal, but Boston Ballet’s virtual ball, dubbed “The Next Step,” came pretty darn close. The breezy evening’s highlights, as always, were two world premieres: a live performance from Boston Ballet’s South End studio and a recorded performance at the Liberty Hotel. And lest they go hungry (and thirsty) while watching, guests received gift boxes containing splits of champagne, crackers, cheese and charcuterie, and a mezze selection — not to mention auction paddles that helped the organization raise more than $1.5 million that night.