BY KAREN BOSSICK

BalletX, Philadelphia’s contemporary ballet company, will join some of the most prestigious ballet companies in the United States for two Ballet Sun Valley festivals this summer in Sun Valley.

• The July 12 and 13 festival will include two curated gala performances featuring leading figures from the Houston Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and the Washington Ballet.

  Dance artists include Karina Gonzalez and Connor Walsh of Houston Ballet, Indiana Woodward and Harrison Coll of New York City Ballet and Sasha De Sola and Aaron Robison of San Francisco Ballet.

• The August 22 and 23 festival features BalletX, whose dancers were named “among America’s best” by The New York Times. The company was founded in 2005 by Matthew Neenan and Christine Cox, whose tenure as artistic and executive director has produced more than a hundred world premiere ballets by nearly 60 choreographers.

That’s a record few companies can match, according to The New York Times, and BalletX has been hailed as an “epicenter of creation” by Dance Magazine as a result.

BalletX’s debut performance at the Sun Valley Pavilion will feature a full-length ballet on the first night. The second evening will feature a mixed repertory program.

Ticket sales information for both festivals will be announced in mid-June.

“We are very excited to present two festivals,” said Kelli Quinlan, executive director of Ballet Sun Valley. “BSV’s summer season furthers the organization’s mission of bringing new talent to the Pavilion. This year’s performances will be a memorable experience as we come back together as a community to enjoy the best of ballet.”

In addition to presenting four evenings of entertainment Ballet Sun Valley is formulating a 2021 Education program with Pacific Northwest Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Ballet Sun Valley will partner with Boston Ballet on its Adaptive Dance Education Program next fall.

The organization also plans fall performances in the Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum.

Ballet Sun Valley is a 501©(3) non-profit organization founded by a longtime member of the Board of San Francisco Ballet and parttime Sun Valley resident to bring international ballet to Sun Valley. Past festivals have included works from George Balanchine, Helgi Tomasson, Christopher Wheeldon and Justin Peck.

Dancers have included hometown favorite Isabella Boylston, as well as dancers from The Royal Danish Ballet, The Royal Ballet in London, The Paris Opera Ballet and the Mariinsky Ballet.

For more information, visit https://balletsunvalley.org/

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