New York City Ballet at
Saratoga Springs

New York City Ballet is performing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center until Saturday. The company has been performing there since 1966 and will return to a two-week season in 2015, up from the current one-week season. Here is a review of the opening night performance from Jay Rogoff. After New York City Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet will perform from July 29-August 1.

I’ve never been to Saratoga Springs but have always wanted to visit. The site is home to one of the great battles in world history in which the Americans decisively defeated the British in the Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led forces from Canada and was trapped by American troops. He surrendered his entire army in October 1777, marking a turning point in the war as it helped America gain much needed foreign assistance.

Ironically, one of the great heros of the battle was Benedict Arnold, who later became a traitor by joining the British in 1780. From HistoryNet.com:

“Only in recent years have historians fully acknowledged Arnold’s contributions to the American cause. The virtual burial of his outstanding military reputation began as soon as news of his treason came to light. In the years since, the name Benedict Arnold has become virtually synonymous with ‘traitor.’

Ironically, it was Arnold–the American general and the hero of Saratoga–who sealed the French alliance that helped guarantee independence for the country he had betrayed.”