by Yuqi Wang
Museum founders Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and Lewis A. Swyer at the May 12, 1986 press conference.
For two centuries, Saratoga Springs has been known as a famous summer resort. The racetrack brought tourists and commerce to Saratoga, a city with rich cultures. The opening of SPAC in 1966 added a new home for the performing arts for the Capital District. Since then, the annual summer residency of the New York City Ballet has helped the city become a center for dance. The opening of National Museum of Dance in 1987 and the Lewis Swyer School for Performing Arts in 1992 enhanced the reputation of Saratoga Springs as a national dance center. Not everyone knows SPAC’s role in the museum’s founding.
In the mid-1980s, philanthropist Marylou Whitney and contractor Lewis A. Swyer developed an ambitious plan to create the first hall of fame and museum of dance in the United States. Steadfast patrons of the arts, their shared vision for a unique cultural institution dedicated exclusively to this vital art form was fully realized in 1987 in the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame. [1]
“He felt that dance was the most creative, the most noble of the performing arts, if you couldn’t dance, you could do the next best thing, that is, appreciate it.” [2]
Edward Swyer
The Lewis Swyer School for the Performing Arts opened in 1992, located just behind the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame.
Lewis A. Swyer 
A Star dedicated to Lewis Swyer in SPAC’s Walk of Fame
Unfortunately, Mr. Swyer himself did not live to witness the grand opening of the school. To build an open studio space that allows the public to observe and experience dance firsthand, as well as to provide opportunities for young dancers, had always been the dream of Mr. Swyer. [3] Until this day, those same studios serve as the home of the New York State Summer School of the Arts school of dance, where hundreds of dancers each year get to learn from dance masters and practice the performing art that they love. [4] Mr. Swyer was a true lover of dance, and a visionary way ahead of his time. As one of the founders of both SPAC and the National Museum of Dance, he made invaluable contributions to the performing arts during his lifetime. And now, his memory and legacy live on through the incredible facilities he built.
“The Museum is a reflection of his knowlege, dedication and interest in the arts and in particular the dance. Without his ever present advice, supervision, and ideas this institution would not be what it is today.” [5]
– Alison Moore, former director of National Museum of Dance
For young dancers, few things are more exciting than the idea of dancing alongside the superstars of a prestigious ballet company. Every summer, the New York City Ballet holds auditions for the children’s roles at the School of Arts of the National Museum of Dance, and a handful of young dancers will have the opportunity to dance alongside some of the best in the world. [6] Mr. Swyer believed that dance should be easily accessible and available to the public, and those very studios he built best represent his belief and passion for dance. More than thirty years after his passing, SPAC and the National Museum of Dance continue to fulfill Mr. Swyer’s dream, and promote this noble form of performing arts.
- National Museum of Dance History http://www.dancemuseum.org/about/our-history/
- SPAC Archive, National Museum of Dance, “SPAC to build $1M dance school”, The Saratogian, Anne Harding, November 21, 1991.
- SPAC Archive, National Museum of Dance, 1987, Daily Correspondence
- Dance in Saratoga, Denise Limoli, May 14, 2013, 73
- SPAC Archive, National Museum of Dance, 1989, Daily Correspondence, Alison Moore
- Saratoga.com, “New York City Ballet Holding Children’s Auditions For Summer Performances”, Jessica Morrissey, March 4, 2016.
Image 1: SPAC Archive, Newspaper Clippings, “Dance, Dance, Dance!” The Saratogian, Brien Bouyea, August 2, 1999.
Image 2: SPAC Archive, National Museum of Dance, 1992, “SPAC to build $1M dance school”, The Saratogian, Anne Harding, November 21, 1991.
Image 3: Times Union, “Book chronicles history of National Museum of Dance”, Sara Tracey, October 19, 2017.
Image 4: SPAC Archive, National Museum of Dance, 1992.
Image 5: Times Union, “SPAC to honor Lewis Swyer”, Michael Janairo, July 20, 2012.
Image 6: Times Union, “SPAC to honor Lewis Swyer”, Michael Janairo, July 20, 2012.
Image 7: National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, “Washington Bathhouse”.
Image 8: National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, home page.
Image 9: Saratoga.com, “New York City Ballet Holding Children’s Auditions For Summer Performances”, Jessica Morrissey, March 4, 2016.
