National Museum of Dance

The National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame was established in 1986 and is the only museum in the nation dedicated entirely to dance. Located in the former Washington Bath House—a spacious, airy 1918 Arts and Crafts-style building—in the Saratoga Spa State Park, the museum houses a growing collection of photographs, videos, artifacts, costumes, biographies and archives comprising a contemporary and retrospective examination of influential contributions to dance available to the general public.

One of the museum's permanent exhibitions is the Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame. In 1987, the Museum recognized Fred Astaire, George Balanchine, Katherine Dunham, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Lincoln Kirstein and Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, among others, as founders and innovators of American professional dance. To date more than forty dancers, choreographers, teachers, designers, critics and patrons have been recognized for their influence on our dance heritage. Read about our Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame Nominating Committee members

Studio space on the property enables advanced students in the ballet and dance programs of the School of the Arts in the Lewis A. Swyer Studios to enroll in master classes with renowned dancers, rehearse in sessions open to the public and participate in pre-performance conversation with visiting professionals. Education, residencies, and performance on the Museum campus enriches the atmosphere by representing the future of dance, as well as its past.