Havana Nights Annual School Fundraiser

Education & Nonprofit Fundraising

Client Type

Creative Partnerships

Service Provided

Gilley’s Dallas, Dallas, Texas

Location

For an annual school fundraiser at Gilley’s Dallas on February 21, 2026, Pelonkey designed six continuous hours of Havana-inspired programming. Latin jazz shaped dinner, two Cuban salsa routines created performance peaks, dancers led guests onto the floor, live percussion raised the energy, and DJ Enferno closed the night. Pelonkey handled creative direction, talent curation and contracting, travel, costuming, technical coordination, stage management, and on-site execution.
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Duration

Six hours of continuous live programming

Talent

Latin jazz, Cuban salsa dancers, live percussion, and DJ Enferno

Scope

Creative direction, talent contracting, travel, costuming, technical coordination, stage management, and on-site execution

The Challenge

The school sought to reimagine its flagship annual fundraiser into a vibrant, culturally rich Havana Nights experience. The primary objective was to move away from static stage shows and instead engineer a dynamic musical narrative that elevated donor engagement from early-evening dinner service to a high-energy dance floor.

  • Phase 01

Atmospheric Welcome & Dinner

An authentic Cuban lounge atmosphere established from the moment guests arrived — live acoustic Latin jazz and percussion filling the room during dinner service, setting the cultural tone without overpowering conversation.

  • Acoustic Latin jazz ensembles anchoring the dinner atmosphere
  • Live percussion adding authentic cultural energy to service
  • Atmosphere calibrated to support conversation, not compete with it
  • Phase 02

Cultural Highlights, Transition & Mainstage Finale

Staged salsa and Havana dance performances bridged the shift from dining to dancing — then DJ Enferno closed the evening with a live electronic set that maximized floor retention through the fundraiser’s final moments.

  • Staged salsa & Havana dance performances in custom costuming
  • Structured guest-interaction moments during the transition
  • World-touring DJ Enferno — live electronic + authentic Latin beats
  • Performance arc designed to maximize floor retention through close
  • Phase 03

Unified Production Scope

Six hours of unbroken live programming required precise coordination across talent, wardrobe, travel logistics, and run-of-show — all managed end-to-end without a single gap in the guest experience.

  • Talent curation and complete musical programming
  • Custom wardrobe creation for all performers
  • Performer travel logistics and rider compliance
  • Complete run-of-show execution from arrival to close

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