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Tim Draper - Founder (1954 - 2003)
Mr. Draper performed all over the world with the Israel Ballet, the Puerto Rican Dance Theatre In New York City; Fusion Dance Company in South Florida, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and the Garden State Ballet. He then turned his attention to teaching with credits including Co-Director of the Fort Lauderdale Ballet, Ballet Master of Dance Miami and Ballet Etudes, as well as guest teacher in New York City for Nancy Bielski at Harkness House, Hebrew Arts and Steps. Mr. Draper served as Ballet Master for Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo for five years. Performance tours have included Russia China, Japan, Italy, Scotland and Canada as well as throughout the United States. With all of his travel, his heart was always in Rochester. The Mercury Ballet that gave him his start was no longer together. His passionate desire was for Rochester and western New York to have a permanent ballet company. In 1987, Mr. Draper established the Timothy Draper Dance Theatre. Under his guidance, world-class ballet instruction and performances were brought to Rochester. Timothy Draper’s dream in 1987 evolved into the Rochester City Ballet of today. With his guidance and expertise, the Rochester City Ballet grew from modest beginnings to now delighting thousands of viewers at their annual collaboration with the RPO of The Nutcracker and has presented performances throughout central and western New York. Because of his careful eye for technique and ability to bring out the best in dancers at the Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance Education and his professional performance training at the Rochester City Ballet, Rochester is now considered among the best ballet training centers in the country and RCB’s former dancers now grace stages all over the world.
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Mr. Draper began his training under the tutelage of Olive McCue and
Kathleen Crofton, and appeared with the Mercury Ballet and the Festival
Ballet of New York under the direction of Miss McCue and Miss Crofton
respectively. He left Rochester to continue his training in New York
City with the Joffrey School of Ballet, Harkness House of Ballet Arts
and Steps. Principal Teachers have been David Gayle (Royal Ballet of
London), Nancy Bielski (Harkness House and The David Howard School of
Ballet) and Nanette Charisse (Steps).