SARATOGA SPRINGS — For the fourth consecutive summer, New York City Ballet’s attendance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center declined.

During the company’s three-week residency in July, attendance dropped 5.9 percent from 45,004 in 2007 to 42,354 in 2008. An average of 2,017 attended each of the 21 performances, compared with last year’s 2,143 per show.

Revenue from ticket sales also dwindled by 1 percent from $1,189,466 in 2007 to $1,176,442 this summer. Tickets cost an average of $1 to $3 more this season. However, SPAC initiated a new 10 percent discount for students. And children, as usual, were admitted free on the lawn.

Marcia White, president and executive director at SPAC, blamed the weak economy for the slide in box office sales.

“Impacting our bottom line was the fact that high gas and food prices have left many people struggling financially. That is a reality that is affecting virtually every segment of our economy and the arts are no exception,” she said in a prepared statement.

This year’s residency, running from July 8 to 26, centered on choreographer Jerome Robbins, one of the few choreographers the New York City Ballet’s founder George Balanchine invited to create works with the company. Many of his ballets are wildly popular, including “West Side Story Suite,” which alone lured nearly 10,000 people through SPAC’s turnstile for its three performances, including the company’s annual gala. Attendance for the gala was up more than 33 percent, netting more than $100,000 for SPAC.

Other successful evenings included the theme nights — “American Girl Night,” “Sports Night” and “Family Night.” White said she is still encouraged because there was also a 64 percent increase in the number of children admitted to the lawn. White said she plans on continuing to promote the ballet, which runs on a yearly contract at SPAC, with special programs for families.

“It indicates that many more families chose to enjoy an evening together at the ballet this year. This is a crucial first step towards instilling a love of the arts in our children, who will not only benefit from such exposure but who will literally shape the future of the classical performing arts,” White said.

She also will believes the Saratoga Night at Lincoln Center and the stream of ballet videos running throughout downtown Saratoga Springs also help draw ticket buyers.

“We took our marketing to the next level this summer,” said White. “We will continue to move forward, to look ahead.”