Chelsea (Libitzki) Vietti grew up with a love for dancing that was passed down from her mother, Cheryl. Chelsea began dancing at age 5 and continued to dance through college. Whether she was filling in as a teacher, preparing last minute recital routines or performing, dancing at the studio was always a priority.
Chelsea attended MDI High School where she took dance classes and performed under the direction of Don Greico. Chelsea attended the University of Southern Maine, where she continued to dance. Each summer, she returned home to dance in recitals or just help out at the LIbitzki School of Dance. At the age of 22, Chelsea's life changed forever. She was in a life altering car accident which left her a quadriplegic. While in recovery at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta Georgia, Chelsea met a very kind woman who told her she could do whatever it was that she could put her mind to. At the time, she didn't quite understand what that meant or how dance could possibly be a part of her life.
Shortly after returning home, Chelsea was determined to get back into the dance world somehow. She wasn’t sure how it would work, but she knew she needed to teach again. The type of ballet taught at Libitzki's is not meant to be demonstrated, so under the watchful eye of Mom (founder of the studio), she was able to feel again that passion for something she has always loved...dance. Chelsea has taken dance teaching courses with her mother and has been back at the studio for almost 10 years now. She teaches ballet, tap, and jazz to students, ages 2 1/2 through adult.
Cheryl Libitzki, founder of the LibitzkI School Of Dance, began dancing at the age of 8 at Matchie’s Studio of Dance and Drama in Middletown, Connecticut. She danced until age 15 when she moved to Maine with her family. She married at 18, and returned to the Matchie's for more dance education as well as to be trained as a teacher. Cheryl performed with the Central Connecticut Ballet Company and then returned back to Maine to open the Libitzki School of Dance above St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Northeast Harbor. All while teaching, Cheryl also performed with the Maine State Ballet under the artistic direction of Polly Thomas for a number of years.
Cheryl continued her teacher training by traveling to New York to study under John Barker, who is considered the foremost authority of the Vaganova syllabus. She even traveled with Mr. Barker to the former Soviet Union to observe the international ballet competition.
The Libitzki School of Dance Studio has been located in various locations in the Ellsworth / MDI area where Cheryl has taught and shared her love of dance with children for over 40 years! The Libitzki School of Dance has performed recitals and lecture demonstrations to involve the community and show the studio's love for dance education.
Grace Clayton began dancing ballet, tap, and jazz when she was 7 years old. After seeing her older sisters dance, she was enthralled and wanted to learn for herself. She was a student at Libitzki School of Dance for over 13 years and spent countless hours at the studio which in turn became a second home to her. Under Cheryl’s instruction (founder of dance school), she fell in love with ballet and all things dance. The studio created a sense of family and care that was both unique and special.
Grace graduated Ellsworth High School and attended college at the University of Maine in Orono while continuing to commute to ballet lessons in Ellsworth. She began teaching in 2010 and after taking several years off to travel, returned to the school to teach in 2019. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, traveling, and going on as many adventures as possible.
The staff at Libitzki's continues to provide high quality dance instruction and opportunities for students to study and learn classical ballet using the Vaganova Syllabus, jazz, and tap. All instructors at our studio are qualified in what they do and have exceptional experience in these various forms of dance.
