SPAC MUST MAKE THE BALLET SEASON POP.(Perspective)

Byline: Paul Bray

Ballet is dead, long live ballet, or so I thought after reading about Bard College in Monocle magazine.

Bard, located about 50 miles south of Albany, is a "cultural powerhouse" and "ready to pop." Bard President Leon Botstein "believes that classical music is an endangered species," but he still "wants it presented in a way that audiences can relate to."

This summer I despaired at the number of empty seats at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (a 10 percent decrease in attendance from the previous year) for the dazzling performances of the New York City Ballet. Presenters of ballet and other classical arts face challenging times with declining …