Columbia Classical Ballet Loses Its Studio in Storm

October 7, 2015

Outside the studio during the flood, photo via Instagram

When a storm deluged the Carolinas with extreme flooding last weekend, one of the many buildings destroyed was Columbia Classical Ballet’s studio at the Pavlovich Ballet School. NPR and CNN reported that the water level rose almost to the ceiling, and just about everything inside was destroyed, from the sprung floors to the company’s costumes. Artistic director Radenko Pavlovich had just spent $260,000 renovating the space this summer, but now will have to completely rebuild. Some of the dancers tried to salvage what they could earlier this week, but Pavlovich told NPR he estimates there to be about half a million in repairs required, only a percentage of which will be covered by flood insurance.

The studio this week, as seen on CNN

Brooklyn Mack, a former Pavlovich Ballet School student who’s now a star at Washington Ballet, has stepped in to lead a fundraising campaign. Donations are trickling in from all over the country, but the company is still far from its goal. To help, visit the campaign’s GoFundMe page.