What happens when you combine Grammy Award-winning hip-hop legend Future, Emmy Award-winning choreographer Ebony Williams, award-winning fashion designer LaQuan Smith, and the cognac and orange-flavored liqueur Grand Marnier? You get a special one-night-only event called “DS2 Remixed: The Ballet” at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) Howard Gilman Opera House that combines ballet, hip-hop, creative cocktails, and a musical performance.
Guests sipped on Grand Marnier drinks during a cocktail hour before the unique event that celebrated the 10th anniversary of Future’s third album with five Black and Latina ballerinas wearing costumes designed by Smith and with choreography by Williams.
Choreographer Ebony Williams holds a Grand Marnier cocktail as she poses with five Black and Latina ballerinas on stage at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) Howard Gilman Opera House after “DS2 Remixed: The Ballet.” 
Five Black and Latina ballerinas perform to the music of Future on stage at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) Howard Gilman Opera House at “DS2 Remixed: The Ballet.”
When the music of Future combined with ballerinas mixing relevés, pliés, and twerking, the crowd showed appreciation with applause and cheers, something we discussed with Williams after the performance. “I honestly was hovering, I felt accomplished, I felt like all of us came together, Grand Marnier, Future, and his music,” she said. “We celebrated it in such a way that it is unforgettable. It’s a part of legacy, and it’s something I can tell my children one day. Just really, really proud of us as a unit, to be honest.”
Future took the stage for about 15 minutes and performed his hits “F*ck Up Commas,” “Like That,” “Type Sh*t,” “Mask Off,” “March Madness,” “Love Me,” “Wait For U,” and “Love You Better.”
“This is crazy, Grand Marnier, y’all put on the best show,” he said to the crowd during his set.
“First, I felt honored to be a part of it,” Williams said about being part of the creative team that executed the event. “This beautiful evening, celebrating 10 years of DS2. I felt honored to be a part of a company that’s willing to bridge the gap between hip-hop music, ballet, and all these art forms, and try to make something that’s elegant and sophisticated for a community that doesn’t always get to see it or to be elevated in that way. And the fact that Grand Marnier sees them and sees us and understands us in a way that most companies don’t is quite, quite invigorating, and it says so much about them and how they’re willing to break boundaries, and show up for the whole aspect of all of what things can be and become.”
Finally, the Boston native, now residing in New Jersey, shared the experience of working with the ballerinas prior to the event.
“First, the dancers don’t get to be free in that way, so one of the dancers literally said to me that she’s been working on finding herself, and this was a part of that process, and that said so much about why this was necessary and why we need more companies like Grand Marnier to be this bold.”
Williams also pointed out the beauty in the dancers knowing that they can utilize the curves of their hips without compromising elegance or beauty.
“They can use music in a different way; they don’t have to move through the music, they can let the music move them, and that’s what I feel like Future’s music does.”
And it certainly did for one night in Brooklyn.