$20 Million Donation to Dance at the Music Center

More recently, the program has included American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, the José Limon Dance Company, Miami City Ballet and the Kirov Ballet's "Nutcracker." In June, the New York-based Ballet Hispanico will make its Music Center debut.

Kaufman said she chose to support the program instead of donating money to a single dance company partly because of the economic fragility of many dance institutions -- one exception being the well-established Ailey company, whose 50th anniversary tour is bringing it to the Music Center for five days beginning Wednesday. (See accompanying story.) But the main reason for her donation, she said, was that she wanted to do "something for this city."