Someone stole a traveling dance floor in St. Paul
Someone literally stole the dance floor in St. Paul.
In a Facebook post, the St. Paul Ballet says its traveling dance floor was stolen sometime over the weekend of June 24. It was in a locked trailer that had been chained to a post outside of the ballet's studios. Staff discovered the trailer missing on Sunday morning, the post says – someone had cut it free.
The custom-built stage is made with a "modular sprung floor and dance vinyl" that provides a safe surface for dancers, so it can be set up over pretty much any surface, from concrete to gravel.
Along with the custom-built trailer, the equipment is worth nearly $11,000 – "not including thousands of dollars of skilled labor donated to the construction," the post says.
It's a huge loss for the ballet company, which uses the equipment to put on free outreach performances at many locations around the metro.
“What is sad is that we utilize the trailer and equipment to reach thousands of small children at our free Ballet Tuesdays at Landmark Center and Mall of America," Lori Gleason, Executive Director of the St. Paul Ballet, said in the post.
St. Paul Ballet has called Hamline-Midway its home for three years, and the organization has never experienced any theft or vandalism. But now the organization is thinking about adding external cameras to the building, the post says.
The St. Paul Ballet had used a matching grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council to purchase the trailer and traveling dance floor. It's unlikely insurance will cover the full cost of replacement, Zoe Henrot, the ballet's artistic director told MPR.
If you'd like to help replace the equipment, click here.
St. Paul Police are now searching for the 6 by 12 foot white, United brand trailer and carts of flooring with blue foam, hardboard, and black plastic tiles.
Anyone with information should contact the St. Paul Police at 651-291-1111.
