‘Emanuel 9’ tribute ballet moving forward despite monetary setbacks

For a while, it was looking as if Columbia City Ballet might not be able to produce its “Emanuel 9” show, a performance tribute to the Emanuel AME Church shooting victims in Charleston.

But an extra $5,000 allocated Tuesday by Columbia City Council will restore the ballet to $155,000 in meal-tax income it received last year, allowing it to move forward with the ballet while it also seeks additional funding elsewhere.

Some of that funding could go toward creating a touring production.

“We’re still going full steam ahead. The company is very committed to making it happen,” said William Starrett, executive and artistic director.

However, Starrett added it will be difficult to put on the high caliber ballet he originally envisioned without extra capital.

Columbia City Ballet initially asked for $280,000 from City Council.

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The full-length, multimedia “Emanuel 9” will combine digital projections, music and professional dancing. It will explore bigotry and prejudice, but ultimately will project themes of love, harmony and forgiveness, which Starrett said he hopes will make it “a tool for healing.”

The biggest task is to make the ballet in such a way that it is able to tour, Starrett said. That means creating props and set pieces that are lightweight and can easily fit into a truck, and designing a show that can be scaled up for a large venue, or down for medium to small venues.

“To make a ballet of this magnitude, it takes resources,” Starrett said.

The ballet is looking into working with other cities in the state that might want to bring the ballet there.

“Emanuel 9” is currently scheduled to be performed March 31 at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center and April 7-8 at the Koger Center for the Arts.

Another way the ballet hopes to rustle up funds is by putting on two additional fundraisers this year. One will be a Halloween-themed ball that ties in with its October production of “Dracula: Ballet With A Bite,” and a second will be a gala for the opening night of Swan Lake. That ballet will be performed with live music accompaniment by the South Carolina Philharmonic.