Saratoga Performing Arts Center has announced its 2026 New York City Ballet residency with performances scheduled Tuesday, July 8 through Saturday, July 11 as part of SPAC’s 60th anniversary season. The residency will feature A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the first performance presented on the SPAC stage at the venue’s grand opening in July 1966.
The four-day residency includes George Balanchine’s full-length A Midsummer Night’s Dream, romantic masterpiece Serenade, Jerome Robbins’ Opus 19/The Dreamer set to Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, and a new work by NYCB Principal Dancer Tiler Peck. Peck’s piece will have its world premiere at NYCB’s Spring Gala in May before its SPAC debut.
Elizabeth Sobol, Chief Executive Officer of Saratoga Performing Arts Center, said the return of A Midsummer Night’s Dream brings the venue full circle, honoring the legacy that has shaped SPAC for six decades. The residency reflects the extraordinary range of artistry that makes NYCB’s annual summer home at SPAC unique, from the beloved story ballet and enduring masterpieces by Balanchine and Robbins to an exciting new work by Peck.
New York City Ballet will bring its roster of more than 90 dancers under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, accompanied by the New York City Ballet Orchestra led by Music Director Andrew Litton.
Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, inspired by Mendelssohn’s music, captures Shakespeare’s comedy through the bumbling Rude Mechanicals, feuding between Titania and Oberon, romantic confusion of young lovers and mischief-making Puck.
Featuring a large cast of children from the Capital Region, the ballet was the first wholly original full-length ballet Balanchine created in America and remains one of the most popular works in NYCB’s repertoire.
Serenade, the first original ballet Balanchine created in America, opens the Innovators & Icons program on Friday, July 10 at 2 p.m. and Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. Robbins’ Opus 19/The Dreamer returns to SPAC for the first time since 2008. Originally choreographed in 1979 for Mikhail Baryshnikov and Patricia McBride, the ballet for 14 dancers is set to Prokofiev’s concerto.
Peck’s new work will be set to Édouard Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole in D Minor, with costumes designed by Robert Perdziola and lighting designed by Brandon Stirling Baker.
SPAC will offer special promotional ticket programs exclusive to the New York City Ballet residency, including a “$40 under 40” ticket offer for individuals up to 40 years old for amphitheater seats. A $99 Family Four Pack includes four amphitheater seats. The “Kids in Free” program, co-presented by CDPHP and Fenimore Asset Management, extends to kids ages 16 and under for New York City Ballet performances, allowing free lawn access with an accompanying adult and 50 percent off amphitheater tickets.
Tickets will be available beginning Monday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. for members (tiered by level) and Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. for the general public at here.
New York City Ballet 60th Anniversary at SPAC Schedule
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Wednesday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 11 at 2 p.m.
Innovators & Icons
Friday, July 10 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Program: Serenade (George Balanchine), Opus 19/The Dreamer (Jerome Robbins), New T. Peck (Tiler Peck – SPAC premiere)
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