Book excerpt: Known to aspiring dancers and ballet enthusiasts worldwide, Saratoga Springs is much more than the home of the National Museum of Dance. The arts have always been nurtured in the Spa City, and in 1964, the world-famous founder of the New York City Ballet, George Balanchine, decided to make the new Saratoga Performing Arts Center his company's summer home. The company has brought some of the world's most famous dancers and choreographers to Saratoga ever since. Skidmore College offered one of the best dance programs in the nation, and several prestigious academies and summer programs have made Saratoga their home, helping young people from Lake Avenue and around the world achieve that illustrious dream of dancing professionally. Skidmore dance professor Denise Warner Limoli narrates this beautiful history, from turn-of-the-century "floral fetes" to today's vibrant dance community.