Elizabeth Michele Cantine

Elizabeth (Liz) Michele Cantine, a graduate from UCLA, has spent her career of over 50 years as a classroom and dance educator. She has written and presented many units integrating the fine arts into the K-12 curriculum. She was an LA Music Center Arts Education Bravo Award Finalist and has served as President of California Dance Educators Association. As Dance Drill Team Coach at Dana Middle School in San Pedro, California, she discovered and taught the awe-inspiring Misty Copeland, first African-American Principal Ballet Dancer at American Ballet Theatre. After retiring from Los Angeles Unified School District, Liz was the Outreach Coordinator for the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Musical Theatre West, and the Norris Theatre. Later, Liz became the Dance and PE mentor in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. She also had the opportunity to teach dance in Adaptive PE at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. The students and parents motivated her to begin an afterschool dance program at Palos Verdes Performing Arts (PVPA) Conservatory for students with special needs. Recognizing the incredible talent of these enthusiastic students, she called the program Ready, Willing and Able (RWA) – life changing for all! She continues to teach privately to some RWA students and group classes to fellow adult dancers. As a former professional dancer and choreographer, she performs with her adult Tap Happy troupe at local and senior venues. She also dances with Anne Destabelle’s Pennyroyal Players who donate all proceeds to charities including RWA. With thankful heart, her first published book Graceful Gratitude – A Book of Holiday Graces consists of her original poems for major holidays plus a week of daily graces. Now, she is very excited about her second book and the opportunity to share her poetry and to showcase Heidi’s artistic abilities in Brush of Giftedness.

Liz can be reached via email at dancinliz@aol.com.