STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A specially curated gala brimming with music, dance and breathtaking performances by the professional dancers of Staten Island Ballet and the Director’s Conservatory, came to life Saturday evening amid the grandeur that is the Richmond County Country Club.

The evening of artistic expression enhanced by sophisticated style, timeless elegance and opulent offerings, took flight inside the Dongan Hills mansion, where patrons of the arts stepped into the magical world of “Le Cirque De La Danse.”

The vibrant performances, etched with elaborate sets and backdrops, brought together lively circus antics: a crowd of clowns, strongman feats and lion tamers all created to incite ballet artists into their own creative moves under the “Big Top.”

Artistic Director Ellen Tharp called the gala a “stunning theatrical event that helps the ballet’s mission of enriching the educations of all youths on Staten Island.”

“Thank you to all for being here tonight,” Tharp said in addressing the crowd. “And thank you to my volunteers, who came here yesterday to build the sets. Nothing happens without good people and families. And you are our honorees tonight. When people ask why do people come to the ballet?, I say the ballet is necessary for any cultural community. We are the size of Pittsburgh. We should have our own theater and arts.”

She added that the Staten Island Ballet hosts other events as well to benefit the community.

“We go into schools and to nursing homes and we award scholarships. And this all happens because of you. On behalf of the dancers, the Board and the community, we are in your debt. Thank you.”

The highly anticipated event is also dotted with lavish prizes, opulent offerings and a unique vintage shop of designer treasures — plus plenty of casino fun.

Proceeds from the gala raises essential funds for students' scholarships which helps to further the Staten Island Ballet’s non-profit mission of supporting arts education, training for colleges and careers, scholarships, free shows, community outreach programs and a professional dance company, Tharp continued.

Guests could be seen sashaying on the dance floor to the sophisticated strains of a live orchestra who showcased diverse selections that spanned generations.

What’s more, entertainment featured two outstanding song stylists, Ryan Kelly, a former Miss Staten Island, and Suzanne Abrahms, and musicians with names like Steve Michaels, Mike Coon, Tony Montalbano and Jerrold Kavanaugh.

Board of Director, Michelle DeSantis, who also served as chairperson for the Gala, dubbed the evening nothing short of spectacular.

She noted that although the Staten Island Ballet Gala is held each year as a fundraiser, the event, replete with professional dancers, also reminds us, as a community, of the importance of art and culture and how rewarding it is to celebrate dance together.

“We as a Gala Committee, look to our Artistic Director, Ellen Tharp, to set the tone and theme, this year, ‘Le Cirque De La Danse,’ and creatively interpret the dance for our spectators to appreciate. I believe this year’s choreography was very well received by all.”

Kudos to Donald DeRosa created the eye-catching original set design, the backdrop and scenery for the production, along with Gene Sorensen for the high society hit that ranks at the top of the borough’s social calendar.

Creative images and the theme were inspired by Ellen and Paul Tharp.

And floral arrangements were created by Sean Psomas of Wildflowers.