Columbia City Ballet rebrands as South Carolina Ballet

Reinforces Commitment to Columbia and Statewide Artistic Identity

Columbia City Ballet is now South Carolina Ballet. This new name not only honors the company’s home in Columbia but also underlines its ongoing dedication to making ballet accessible to all while showcasing the state’s cultural vibrancy throughout South Carolina and the national stage through its extensive touring calendar.

For the past 62 years, South Carolina Ballet has captured audiences with its high-quality productions and artistic merit. The name change more closely aligns with the company’s organizational mission, augments capacity building, and reflects its dedication to its historical home while acknowledging its far-reaching impact through tours nationwide. The transformation comes with the promise to maintain Columbia as the heart of the ballet company and promoting Columbia’s role as a thriving center for the arts.

“As South Carolina Ballet, our commitment to accessibility remains unwavering,” stated William Starrett, CEO and Artistic Director of the company. “Many of you know my penchant for things that are bigger, brighter, and better”, states Starrett. “After 62 years and tremendous popularity throughout South Carolina and the nation, our name has to evolve with the increasing demand for our services. Our expansion has been in no small part due to the enthusiasm of our Columbia audiences, who have actively participated in our growth. Although our name has changed, our core values endure, and we will continue our mission of enriching lives through the art of dance. Our non-profit status underscores our dedication to providing diverse audiences with opportunities to experience the beauty and joy of dance through our performances and educational outreach programs”.

Rebranding as South Carolina Ballet underscores the company’s commitment both to its origin, and its continuing journey showcasing the depth and diversity of artistic talent that defines Columbia and the state. Audiences can anticipate an exciting lineup of performances and events that exemplify the fusion of creativity, accessibility, and excellence that South Carolina Ballet embodies. By keeping ticket prices affordable and embarking on a multi-state tour during the 2022-2023 season, the company successfully brought the joy of ballet to widely diverse audiences and its exceptional performances, enriched lives, and nurtured love and passion for the arts.

Columbia City Ballet’s website and social media profiles will be updated to reflect the new name, while its commitment to delivering the same caliber of superb programming and community engagement remains unchanged. Audiences can anticipate a lineup of exciting events and performances that uphold the exceptionally high artistic and production standards of excellence South Carolina Ballet is known for.