The Company

OUR MISSION

Columbia Classical Ballet Company is dedicated to providing South Carolina audiences with the experience of classical ballet performed by the recognized ballet stars of the day. The Ballet recruits the most talented performers from around the world and brings them to our community.

Additionally, Columbia Classical Ballet actively supports our community through an extensive outreach program. The hallmark of this outreach program is the annual production of LifeChance Gala of the Starts—Dancing for a Brighter Tomorrow, benefiting children and families in need. LifeChance is an alliance of internationally renowned artists joining with local artists to perform one night of spectacular entertainment and to raise funds for a different charitable organization each year. Produced and directed by Artistic Director and Principal Dancer Emeritus, Brooklyn Mack is bringing the highest quality dancing the world has to offer right to the Columbia, South Carolina stage, and to thousands of underserved and financially limited individuals and children.

LifeChance has received national attention from former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton as well as state attention from former Governor David Beasley.

The Ballet's outreach program also works with community groups and stages special productions for members of our community who would otherwise be unable to attend a performance in a traditional theater setting.

MEET OUR COMPANY

Artistic Team

BROOKLYN MACK

Artistic Director

Brooklyn Mack of Elgin, South Carolina is an International Principal Guest Artist, currently dancing with English National Ballet. He began his dance training at age 12 with the Pavlovich Dance School under Radenko Pavlovich and Milena Leben before receiving a scholarship to study at the Kirov Academy of Ballet. While at the Kirov he trained primarily under the auspices of Anatoli Kucheruk and Vladimir Djouloukhadze. After graduating from Kirov, Mr. Mack then apprenticed with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and later joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company. Mr. Mack spent three seasons as a principal dancer with Orlando Ballet before becoming principal dancer of The Washington Ballet where he danced for 9 seasons. Mr. Mack has danced a wide array of choreography, spanning many different styles between classical, neoclassical, contemporary, abstract, and modern works throughout his career.

Some of his notable awards include the Senior Silver Medal at the 2006 Jackson International Ballet Competition in Mississippi; the 2007 Princess Grace Fellowship Award; The Senior Silver Medal at the 2009 Helsinki IBC; the Marius Liepa Prize at the 2011 Boston IBC; the Silver Medal at the 2011 Korean International Dance Competition; the Gold Medal at the 2012 Boston International Ballet Competition; winner of the 2012 Istanbul Grand Prix; and the gold medal at the 2012 International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria.

Mr. Mack has also been featured on ABC, NBC, NPR, Ebony Magazine, listed in theGrio’s Top 100 (2014), and was named as a top “25 [dancers] to watch” by Dance Magazine (2012).

Mr. Mack is highly in demand as a guest Principal dancer the world over. In 2016, Mr. Mack made his debut on three of the world's greatest stages; at Covent Garden's largest theatre; the London Coliseum, The historic Bolshoi in Moscow, as well as the illustrious and historic Paris Opera ballet's Palais Garnier stage. In 2017, Mr. Mack debuted in the Republic of Georgia at the Tbilisi Opera House. In 2018, Mr. Mack made his debut in the role of Solor during his debut on the Ukrainian National Opera's stage with the Ukrainian National Ballet in La Bayadere. In June of 2019 Mr. Mack made his debut on the Metropolitan Opera House Stage at Lincoln Center, NYC as a Principal Guest Artist with American Ballet Theatre. Most recently, Mr Mack was Principal Guest Artist with English National Ballet for half of their 2019-2020 season, dancing various works in their repertoire including Ben in Wheeldon's Cinderella, Prince in Wayne Eagling's Nutcracker, William Forsythe's Playlist, exceprts of Coppelia and Etudes, as well as reprising his leading roles in Le Corsaire.

Mr. Mack became the Interim Artistic Director of Columbia Classical Ballet November 11, 2021.