Elizabeth Flores' ballet journey began when she was 8 in her hometown, Binghamton, NY. At age 11 she was accepted to train with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and from there was accepted to both the London Royal Ballet school and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy (on full scholarship), the latter of which she performed with as a soloist. But Elizabeth’s true passion always lay in teaching. 

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In 1993 she returned home to founded

the Carousel Cities Youth Ballet with

her mother Bonnie Fernandez.

The school began offering ballet class

and performance opportunities to all

children by donation. In 1997,

Elizabeth brought the company to

NYC to perform her original ballet,

Anna Pavlova Inspiration of The Dance, at the International Dance Center in Carnegie Hall. With a new home in Manhattan the school was renamed New American Youth Ballet (NAYB) and began offering classes in Battery Park City. 

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The mission of NAYB continued to evolve as they sought innovative ways to share music and dance to children of all economic backgrounds. After 9/11, the school offered free ballet lessons and performance opportunities in downtown NYC to any local child affected by the tragedy. In 2015, they aired the first episode of their TV show: New American Youth Ballet Presents!. The show broadcasts weekly on Manhattan Neighborhood Network every Friday at 6pm. 

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Over the years, Elizabeth has been

recognized repeatedly for her work in

the arts and the community. Those

honors include, Dance Teacher of the

Year by Dance Teacher Magazine, the

Neighbor of the Year award in Battery

Park by the New York City Council, the

1999 Eckerd Salute for Women, the

Seventeen/Cover Girl Volunteer Award and The Governor’s Certificate of Recognition for volunteerism and community service as well as recognition from the New York Senate. New American Youth Ballet itself was honored with a 10-year business award for community service in Downtown New York City. 

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As a result of the pandemic, NAYB was forced to give up their studio space in the city. But never one to give up, Elizabeth adapted and embraced the zoom classroom, offering her same schedule online. The work with zoom inspired Elizabeth to expand her reach, and she began offering zoom classes all over the world in places like Peru, Brazil, Nigeria, Mexico, Indonesia, Russia, Canada, and Belgium. 

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She has staged numerous full-length ballets with professional symphony orchestras including: The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Coppelia. Her original ballet, Life of a Dancer, which she composed with Dr. Alan Turry, was recently arranged by Hollywood Music arranger Tim Simonec (UP!, Ratatouille, Star Trek, Mission Impossible 3, Whiplash) and recorded in Nashville with a 40 piece professional orchestra. Her original ballet learning musical album, My Ballerina and Me, also written in collaboration with Dr. Alan Turry, was recorded at the Juilliard School of Music. 

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Elizabeth continues to strive to find new ways to merge her two passions, the arts and the community.