May 4, 2010 - North Colonie fifth grade students are being given a wonderful gift.

Throughout the year, they have been participating in SPAC Classical Kids: the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s in-school performing arts education program. Last week, fifth graders were treated to a lively performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by professional ballet dancers at Shaker High School and a lecture program that showed the students what ballet is as a dance form, but the fun did not stop there.

All fifth graders received free tickets to see a performance by the world-renowned New York City Ballet at SPAC this summer. The ballet of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be the performance the students see this summer. In addition, those students who attend the free performance this summer will receive free lawn passes to all classical performances at SPAC until they turn 18.

“The music teachers in each elementary school are teaching the students about the program,” district music director Deborah Keough said. “It is really a thrill for them (fifth graders) to see these performers up close.”