Columbia Classical Ballet’s Studios Destroyed in Floods

The Columbia Classical Ballet’s studios were submerged almost to the roof. Photo via Facebook.

The catastrophic flooding that occurred in Columbia, South Carolina last week has destroyed one of the city’s top dance institutions, The Columbia Classical Ballet and its affiliated Pavlovich Dance School. According to reports by NPR and CNN, the massive deluge submerged the studios almost to the ceiling, destroying costumes, music scores, floors and everything in between. The building, which was newly renovated over the summer, is now contaminated, leaving its 32 company dancers without a home to rehearse in. Director Radenko Pavlovich, whose former students include The Washington Ballet’s Brooklyn Mack, told NPR that flood insurance will only cover 50 percent of the rebuilding costs, which he estimates to be around half a million dollars. With the dance industry already being a financially fragile one, this news is especially heartbreaking. But the ballet community is quickly pulling together to help. The company has started a campaign to help raise money for the renovation, which has quickly spread across social media and has been garnering donations from studios and teachers across the nation. For more information on how to help, click here.