Director

Elizabeth Drucker has been teaching dance in Maine and New York for 31 years. She received her early training from Laura Dickerson before moving to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet and with Nancy Bielski.  She went on to dance professionally with the New York City Ballet.  She owned and directed The Ballet School and Coastal Maine Youth Ballet from 1999-2008 until moving to Oneonta, New York where she taught dance at Hartwick College. She was thrilled in 2012 to return to Maine and to have the opportunity to restart The Ballet School. Elizabeth’s classes emphasize technique and musicality in an environment that promotes confidence and healthy personal growth.  Many of Elizabeth’s students have gone on to study at professional training programs such as the School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and the Portland (OR) Ballet.  

History

Elizabeth Drucker’s Ballet School was founded in 1988 by Terre Burke under the name The Ballet School. Elizabeth bought the school in 1999 and founded its performance company, the Coastal Maine Youth Ballet in 2000. Additionally in 2000, Elizabeth moved the school to its current home on Middlesex Road, converting an existing barn into a spacious studio built specifically for dance with high ceilings, sprung flooring, and ample windows to let the light in. The Coastal Maine Youth Ballet, along with younger students from The Ballet School, performed numerous original ballets choreographed and staged by Elizabeth, among them: Blackberry Winter – A Fawn’s First Year; Something Lost, Something Found; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2008, Elizabeth moved to Oneonta, NY to care for her aging mother. During this time, the school was owned by Jessica Holloway who introduced Modern Dance, Yoga, and Contemporary Ballet to the class schedule. Elizabeth is delighted to be back in Maine, and creating a supportive, engaging environment for students of all ages to explore and learn the art of classical ballet.

Mission

Elizabeth Drucker’s Ballet School provides quality dance training in a healthy and nurturing environment. Through classes that emphasize technique, style, and energy, students will explore the beauty and thrill of movement, music, and their own creativity. Students are encouraged to use their minds as well as their bodies to become whole dancers and to gain the self-confidence necessary to meet the challenges of the dance studio and beyond.