Columbia Classical Ballet Opens a School as Ballet’s Golden Boy Comes Home

COLUMBIA, S.C. Columbia Classical Ballet, the professional ballet company that proudly bears the capital’s name, is opening a school for young dancers: the School of Columbia Classical Ballet. Children across the Midlands, ages 3 through 18, will learn in the same studios as the professional company, taught by the dancers and coaches who perform with it. The school opens September 8, 2026, at 610 Harden Street in Five Points.

Artistic Director Joseph Phillips, a Columbia native hailed by the international press as “Ballet’s Golden Boy,” left home as a boy and spent more than two decades dancing around the world. Now he’s home, building the school he wished he’d had growing up here.

“As a boy, I had to leave Columbia to get this training. The next kid won’t. I came home to help build the school I wish I’d had, right here.”Joseph Phillips

Come look through the glass

The studio at 610 Harden Street sits behind a wall of glass on the street, so you can be walking by, look right in, and watch professional dancers at work. Starting August 31, the company takes class every weekday morning at 10, in full view from the sidewalk. It’s free, and you don’t need to call ahead.

Start here

Every dancer starts somewhere, and the easiest way to begin is to come take a class. All through August, the School’s Open Classes (August 10 to 28) are yours to try. Come as often as you like and see if the studio fits. Many classes are free, and the rest start at just $15. Sign up at columbiaclassicalballet.com or call (803) 990-2345. Programs include Pre-Ballet (ages 3 to 6), Young Dancers (6 to 10), Pre-Professional (10 and up), and an Adult Program, with placement by age and level.

Your child on stage: The Nutcracker

Every December, Columbia Classical Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Koger Center, and the School’s students share the stage with the professional company.

“I was a young boy when I was cast in The Nutcracker. I was standing in the stairwell when my mother told me I’d been cast as Nicholas. I remember that moment so clearly, even to this day.”Joseph Phillips

This year, any child in Columbia can stand where he stood. Columbia Classical Ballet is opening The Nutcracker auditions to everyone, beginners welcome, on Saturday, August 22 and Saturday, September 19, at 610 Harden Street, by age group. The youngest dancers need no experience. Performances are December 4 to 6.

Who your child will learn from

Every beginner is welcome. From their first class, students are taught by the company’s own dancers and coaches. Leading the School is Joseph Phillips, a former principal dancer at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Irene Liu joins the School as Resident Choreographer. She has trained young dancers in California for more than a decade, and her students have gone on to professional companies and to universities including Columbia and Stanford. Two of her students moved from California to train here: Siena Appelboum and Aria Du, both 2026 Youth America Grand Prix medalists.

Sergei Zolotarev, the School’s Principal Teacher, is a former soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre, where he and Phillips danced together. He moved to Columbia with his wife, Karina Zolotareva, who also danced at the Mariinsky Theatre. Joy Alexander, who grew up dancing alongside Phillips here in Columbia, leads the Musical Theater program. Dr. Jennifer Amrol leads the Adult Program. The faculty also includes Kiyomi Mercadante Ramirez, a master teacher and Fellow of the Cecchetti Council of America.

Key dates

• Registration opens: July 1, 2026
• Open Classes: August 10 to 28
• Nutcracker auditions: August 22 and September 19
• Company class you can watch from the street: begins August 31
• School opens: September 8
• Nutcracker performances: December 4 to 6

Register during Open Classes and the registration fee is waived.

About

The School of Columbia Classical Ballet is part of Columbia Classical Ballet, founded in 1991, which presents classical and contemporary ballet across the state and produces LifeChance, its international benefit gala.