Remembering a ballerina killed in Philadelphia hit-and-run

When Polina Kadiyska danced, other dancers felt inspired. Off stage, it was no different.

Kadiyska, a Bulgarian ballerina, 22, who had been studying at Philadelphia's Rock School for Dance Education until she was fatally injured in a hit-and-run accident, was remembered Tuesday for her poise, her kindness, and her ever-present smile.

"She was loved by everybody," said Stephanie Wolf Spassoff, director of the school. "She was the sweetest person, the friendliest, the warmest. There was nobody who didn't like her. And for somebody who looked like a model, she was an even more beautiful dancer."

Brian McCole, Rock School's general manager, said that, in addition to practicing, Kadiyska often volunteered to help out with less-glamorous backstage duties.

"She was a beautiful person, inside and out," he said. "She was one of the hardest workers here."

Kadiyska was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in critical condition early Sunday morning after the accident on South Broad Street, near the school. She was in a coma, and her parents arrived early Tuesday morning in Philadelphia after a 15-hour journey from Bulgaria. Soon afterward, Kadiyska was taken off life support.

Facebook quickly filled with outpourings of grief.

"The Lord danced on the day she was born," one friend said.

"Her whole life was ahead of her," Rock School instructor Laura Berry wrote. "This was just senseless and tragic. . . . So many are hurting right now. So many loved her."

Police said Kadiyska was struck moments after she left a Chinese restaurant near Broad and Ellsworth streets. She was crossing Broad Street shortly before 4 a.m. when Deandre Barnes, 19, who was driving a green Audi, ran a red light and struck her as she was in the crosswalk, police said.

Barnes, of the 700 block of McKean Street in South Philadelphia, kept driving and hit three parked cars, police said, then got out of the car and fled.

Barnes was arrested later, police said, after he returned to the scene to retrieve his belongings from the car. He was charged with driving under the influence, aggravated assault, and related offenses. Authorities said those charges might be upgraded.

Kadiyska, called "Poli" by some friends, grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital. Friends said she came to Philadelphia three years ago on a scholarship to study classical and contemporary ballet, and hoped to join a dance company. She was one of Rock's most promising students and one of several dancers whose photographs have been displayed on the building.

Kadiyska was considered tall for a dancer, and in videos of her performances, she appears long-limbed and graceful as she spins across the floor. She last performed in the school's production of The Nutcracker, in which she played the Dew Drop Fairy. She had recently been working on several pieces and was making audition videos for dance companies.

Teachers admired her, Spassoff said, for an impressive work ethic and maturity.

"She was never cranky or nasty, even when she had injuries or was uncomfortable," she said. "She was such a good role model for others as to how to act, how to respond."

Kadiyska was almost ready to join a company, but she wanted to perfect her technique, Spassoff said. One aspect of her performances needed no work, however.

"She had fire," Spassoff said. "She loved to dance. When she performed, even in a studio, you could see the joy on her face.

"We won't see her anymore, but we are all confident that wherever she is, she's dancing."

The school is collecting flowers and notes for Kadiyska's family. A memorial has not yet been scheduled. Friends said her parents hoped to fly her back to Bulgaria to be buried.