Waldorf Ballet Studio Damaged In Crash Just Weeks After Opening

WALDORF, Md. — Just weeks after opening the doors to a new studio, the Oscar Hawkins Ballet Arts Academy is facing an unexpected setback after a vehicle crashed through the building late Monday night, forcing the nonprofit to pause in-person classes and search for a temporary home.

The crash occurred late Monday, Jan. 5, at the academy’s studio at 2228 Crain Highway in Waldorf, after the final class of the evening had ended. Artistic Director Oscar Hawkins said classes wrapped up between 8:30 and 9 p.m., and no students or staff were inside when the incident happened.

“Thank goodness everyone was out before the accident,” Hawkins told The BayNet.

Hawkins said he learned about the crash through a flood messages from friends and family. At first, he believed the damage might be limited to broken windows. Then the photos and videos started coming in.

“When I saw the pictures, it looked like a bomb went off,” he said.

The vehicle had already been removed by the time Hawkins saw the scene in person, but the damage was clear. Glass was shattered, mirrors were ripped from the walls, and parts of the studio were left unstable. The building has since been closed and boarded up, with structural supports installed while engineers and inspectors assess the damage.

Hawkins said the cause of the crash remains unclear and that he is waiting on two police reports — one from the Maryland State Police and one from Charles County authorities — before learning more about what happened.

Hawkins credited the property team for moving quickly to stabilize the site and begin coordinating next steps.

“We couldn’t have a better landlord or property managers,” Hawkins said. “They’ve been fantastic.”

Hawkins said the property manager, whom he identified as Johnny, had an engineer on site quickly, and Charles County inspectors responded and coordinated with the engineer to assess the damage and support the repair process.

The academy moved into the Waldorf space about a month ago after closing its prior location on Old Washington Road, Hawkins said. The academy had operated at the earlier site for about 11 years but ultimately relocated after a neighboring business raised repeated noise complaints.

Hawkins said the move required a two-month closure as the academy transitioned, with classes held on Zoom during that period. The school had only been operating in the new space for about a month before the crash.

“It was like COVID all over again,” Hawkins said, adding that students were excited to finally return to in-person classes in the new space.

He felt the new space was a strong fit — the concrete walls helped minimize noise, the visibility was great, and the landlord is a good match for the academy’s needs.

“We liked being close to the main road,” he said. “It felt like a great location.”

While the location along a busy highway offered high visibility, Hawkins said he didn’t anticipate an incident like this, and the crash brought attention to risks that hadn’t been fully considered.

Despite the setback, he said the focus remains on the students and moving forward together.

“This is a difficult moment,” Hawkins said. “But it’s not impossible. We’ll rebuild — and we’ll come back even stronger.”

Building A Ballet Family In Southern Maryland Since 2005

Founded in 2005, the Oscar Hawkins Ballet Arts Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that currently serves about 50 students, ranging from young children to pre-professional dancers. Hawkins said many former students are now adults — some with children of their own — who once trained at the academy.

“There’s truly a place for everyone at BAA,” Hawkins said. “We welcome students from ages 3 to 103 — whether it’s a child taking their first steps in ballet or an adult returning to the arts later in life.”

That sense of connection, Hawkins said, is what makes the sudden closure especially hard. He said students have been emotional about the disruption and eager to return to class, not just to train, but to be together.

“They don’t want to miss being in class with each other,” he said.

A Southern Maryland native, Hawkins left the area at age 15 to train in Russia before building a professional career that took him around the world. He lived and danced in Paris, Berlin and Tokyo, and later performed for five years with Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. He said those experiences shaped his approach to training and his commitment to bringing high-level classical instruction back to Southern Maryland.

In November 2017, Hawkins became one of the first Black dancers to perform and close the highly coveted, televised Grand Concert Hall Oktober’s Russian All Stars Gala honoring legendary choreographer Oleg Vinogradov. In a Russian news interview, Vinogradov named Hawkins as one of his best students. The moment was historic — Hawkins was embraced by an audience of ballet legends and received two curtain call encores. He said those experiences shaped his approach to training and his commitment to bringing high-level classical instruction back to Southern Maryland.

As repairs move forward and plans for a temporary location take shape, Hawkins said the focus remains on the students and the community the academy has served for more than two decades.

“I was lucky enough to have someone send me in the right direction,” Hawkins said. “So I pass it on.”

Hawkins said he has meetings scheduled with multiple local organizations and facilities as he works to secure a temporary space. He said he is hopeful a location can be finalized within the next two weeks so students can return to in-person classes while repairs continue.

For more information about the academy and its programs, follow Oscar Hawkins Ballet Arts Academy on Facebook @BaaBallet and Instagram @oh.baa.

Visit the official website at balletartsacademy.org.

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