STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTOS BY STEVE DONDERO PHOTOGRAPHY

It may not have eclipsed the Total Solar Eclipse earlier in the week. But Thursday night’s world premiere of a ballet performance inspired by the eclipse was every bit as monumental in the ballet world.

After all, Thursday’s show featured an original work choreographed by rising star Gemma Bond, original music, video projection, custom-designed costumes and some of the world’s best dancers from American Ballet Theatre.

“And that doesn’t happen often in the world of ballet,” said Jennifer McGrath, American Ballet Theatre’s stage manager and festival general manager. “This is a big deal. So many moving parts.”

The 25-minute performance was an explosion of dazzling twirls and lifts.

A full house at the Sun Valley Pavilion plus hundreds more on the Pavilion lawn watched as Sun Valley native Isabella Boylston—a star in the ballet world—came out leaping and twirling surrounded by four sun rays clothed in bright golden costumes.

As the sun rays frolicked, five dancers clothed in black and white led by Brazil native Marcelo Gomes waxed and waned in a sleepy, dreamlike state. Finally, they got their moment in the sun—make that spotlight—pantomiming macho moves befitting of a Maori warrior punctuated by moments of elegance.

As the 25-piece orchestra played on with dramatic fashion, the moons danced around the sun. Things went dark. Boylston and Gomes embraced, the moon kissing the sun just as it did Monday morning. Then the two broke into a dance for the ages as the moon took the sun for a spin.

There was no thunder or lightning—this was, after all, the eclipse. But dancers moved in unison to a frenetic conclusion as Boylston was carried over the moon. And the backdrop of a sun outlined with a sliver of moon exploded into yellows, oranges and reds as light returned.

It was telling that no one left the Pavilion for at least five minutes as the crowd, which included Edward Villella—perhaps America's most famous male ballet dancer, rose to its feet in applause.

"I thought it important to present a brand new work," Boylston said. "It's a huge challenge to raise money so it feels like a huge gift to be able to do this. I was blown away by how gorgeous it was."

The finale was preceded by five additional pieces, including a traditional ballet featuring Isabella Boylston and Alban Lendorf, a principal with Royal Danish Ballet.

James Whiteside with American Ballet Theatre performed a comic jazz number to Louis Armstrong's "You Rascal You," and San Francisco Ballet artist Maria Kochetkova and Sebastian Kloborg brought the house down with their long  piece featuring Philip Glass's "Mad Rush" played by pianist Brenda Tom.

The entire three-day Ballet Sun Valley Festival, which included two performances and one day of free dance classes taught by the ballet dancers, has sent Dan Drackett over the moon.

“Tuesday night alone was an astonishing evening of dance with an unheard of undertone of modesty and joy set by Isabella herself,” said Drackett, who along with Robert Smelick helped Boylston bring the event to her hometown. “I think everyone sensed they had been a part of something unprecedented. Indeed, Bella has often told me that never—even at the Lincoln Center—do you get to see so much greatness on one stage!”

Drackett was not alone in his enthusiasm.

“Wow! It blew me away. I’m still pinching myself that we got to see that level of world-class talent right in our own backyard,” said Ketchum resident Judy Cahill. “The eclipse was still the highlight of my life, but the ballet performance was the highlight of my summer.”

“How did we get so blessed to have the best ballet dancers in the world come here?” added Hailey resident Ginna Lagergren.

The dancers themselves seem to have enjoyed their time in Sun Valley just as much as audiences enjoyed having them here.

Tyler Angle stayed home the evening of Tuesday’s performance cooking a dinner for his colleagues worthy of a four-star restaurant what with its baked mushrooms, Lebanese carrots flavored with cumin and coriander seed and steak flavored with lime, ginger and garlic.

He took the stage on Thursday, performing a plethora of lifts with Tiler Peck, his colleague from New York City Ballet.

“The Pavilion is just amazing,” he said. And it’s been so nice to see friends I haven’t seen in a long time. I work right across the plaza in New York from Marcelo Gomes, for instance. But we never have the opportunity to see one another there.”

Sun Valley artist Lisa Holley attended both Tuesday and Thursday nights, along with her granddaughter Marina Shepard, who took part in one of Wednesday’s classes.

“I liked how there was such a big variety among the dances and how different dancers seemed to do things differently depending on which companies they were in,” she said. “I was stunned by the hip hop—that was great. And I was amazed how well choreographed and seamless everything went together. You always expect the first night of a performance to have a few glitches but that wasn’t the case at all.”

Will there be an encore?

There will if Bob Smelick has his way.

"It could be as early as next year. It might be in a different format. But that's our plan."

WHO WON The 15-DAY SCANDINAVIAN CRUISES FROM VIKING CRUISES in Ballet Sun Valley's raffle?

That would be Ann Leonardo, Jeff Burley and Stephen Cole.