My Eyes Get Misty for Ballet Dancer Misty Copeland

By Elizabeth Michele Cantine

Misty Copeland‘s first teacher, now Godmother
4 ARTS EDUCATION OwnerDance Educator and Author

When my eyes first spotted Misty, I didn’t even know her name, but I knew she was destined for greatness! She was a petite seventh grader trying out for Dance Drill Team Captain in the Dana Middle School gym. I was in awe by just the way she stood in ready position - perfect poise, posture, and presence, just as a dancer would. Though I learned later she had never taken a dance class! Even more, there was a magic, aura and passion emanating from her tiny body. I whispered to the other judges, “I’m going to take that one!” My ESP, years of dance training, and professional performance helped me to recognize that Misty would be the one in a million. My eyes did not deceive me...

Then I had the opportunity to assess her short tryout dance routine she had been taught by the former Dance Drill Team Captain. She performed it flawlessly and energetically. When I informed her that she would be the new captain, she was thrilled! This meant that we would work together over the summer to prepare routines for our new Dana Drill Team. I would ask if she could do certain ballet moves using the French terms; she would reply, “I don’t know what those words mean, but if you show me, I can do it.” And do it she did! She is physically strong and graceful with a natural turnout and flexibility, perfect musicality, and tenacious work ethic. My eyes get Misty...

When the fall semester began, I taught English and History in the mornings (I was a history and dance major at UCLA), and taught Drill Team after lunch followed by after-school practices. As a classically trained dancer, I had never participated in competitive dance. The first piece I choreographed for the team was a contemporary one featuring Misty, to Hall the Mountain King. Much to my surprise and delight, we won first place in our first competition! We also worked on routines for the annual holiday show at Dana. Misty choreographed some and I choreographed a solo for Misty to the Arabian piece in The Nutcracker Suite. Throughout the entire performance, I continually said to myself, “I can’t believe Misty has never performed danced on stage before! She is so natural and engaging and the audience can’t get their eyes off of her.” My eyes get Misty...

Misty's current children's book, Bunheads — Misty's current children's book, *Bunheads*

Shortly after that holiday show, I called Cindy Bradley since I was studying with the Bradleys and performing with the San Pedro City Ballet. The Bradleys had given some scholarships to a few of my deserving students at Leland Elementary School when I taught full-time there. So Cindy visited our dance class in the gym and was so impressed with Misty that she insisted that we find a way for Misty to study ballet. Since she was teaching a weekly class across the street at the Boys and Girls Club, I just had to convince Misty to go there after school. This meant that Misty would no longer be able to perform full-time with the Drill Team, but I wanted more for her than Miss Drill Team USA. Misty finally agreed to try out the ballet class. It was all very new to her, and she didn’t love it at first, but then it became her life and the rest is history! When I recall that Cindy and I predicted she could become our first black prima ballerina, my eyes get Misty...

***Dick Cantine, Misty, and I backstage at the Metropolitan Opera House***

At a subsequent San Pedro Ballet fundraiser, my husband had the opportunity to finally meet Misty. When she smiled and spoke, it melted his heart. We promised Misty that if her goal was to be dance with American Ballet Theatre, ABT, we would help her. So Dick and I always gave her, her family, and the Bradleys support in any way possible. I also had the privilege of teaching English and History to Misty’s younger sister, Lindsey who was an excellent student and an exceptional runner. Misty’s siblings each possess their unique giftedness also, but Misty truly dedicated herself to dance despite any obstacles. Ballet was her escape and her world! When she is in class or on the stage, she truly dances every position, every move, every step. Every part of her body tells the story. My eyes get Misty...

Shortly after Misty attended ballet classes at the Boys and Girls Club, Cindy invited her to live with them to receive daily training in ballet, modern and contemporary. Misty lived with the Bradleys for almost 3 years, becoming part of their family and developing her dance technique and repertoire. However, her mom and siblings felt that they were not spending enough time with her on the weekends. After an unsuccessful emancipation attempt, Misty was reunited with her mom at the police station. I was there also and had to promise the detective in the juvenile department that I would find her another dance studio immediately. The next morning we took her to Lauridsen Ballet Centre where she studied for three productive years with masterful Diane Lauridsen before moving to New York with ABT. I also had to promise Misty that she would have still her have her sweet 16th slumber party. We hosted the event at our house and invited dancers from both dance studios. That seemed appropriate since she had good friends at both studios and the Artistic Directors Cindy and Patrick Bradley, Diane Lauridsen and Charles Maple and teachers Nancy Hebson and Alicia Head all contributed to her classical training and growth. Misty appeared in many performances with San Pedro City Ballet and South Bay Ballet, some in which I also performed. Yes, there were many days when Misty‘s eyes were misty as she tried to understand the changes, but so many wonderful outcomes were in her future...

***Misty's dressing room at the Segerstrom Theatre after her performance as ABT's Sugar Plum, December 2019***

Dick and I also had the privilege of taking her to her ABT audition, another milestone in her career. This led to her acceptance to the summer intensive and later the invitation to join the ABT Studio Company. And how exciting it was for us to take her mother to New York to see Misty perform in the ABT Summer Intensive Concert. During one of the dance variations, she suspended her leg up in second position for several beautiful seconds with her spirit soaring to the sky! I knew then she would be asked to join the Studio Company and tour with the main company that summer. After that, she was welcomed into the main company’s Corps de Ballet. Even in the Corps, she was asked to perform soloist roles. I also had the opportunity to go New York and to see her debut performance with the Corps in Swan Lake. Years later, I had the gratification to see her perform as the principal dancer in Swan Lake, the first black dancer to accomplish that in ABT! Definitely, my eyes get Misty...

***Backstage at the Segerstrom Theatre with Misty's mentee, my sister-in-law, and a few friends, December 2019***

On our frequent visits to New York to enjoy her performances, we stayed with her in her tiny studio apartments to her more spacious apartments. Her living accommodations expanded with her dance roles and promotions. I also flew out to Toronto to be with her when she was competing in a prestigious ballet competition. I have been with her backstage, lessons at the Metropolitan Opera House, and private rehearsals. Sometimes just Dick and I watched her rehearse in a small studio or on the immense Metropolitan stage where no one else was in attendance. Misty always dances from her heart and dances in my heart. She is truly regarded as the one of the most famous, greatly admired dancers in the world now and is an outspoken advocate for dancers of color. She has broken the mold and boundaries and will continue to do so. Of course, I am so proud of her and we will always be family. We text often and as her proud godmother, I know she will accomplish even more as my eyes get misty every time I see her dance, model, or hear her speak. My eyes will certainly be on her as she continues to be a game changer, continues to make a difference in the world of dance and continues to inspire us to make us all mystyeyed...

In Misty's biography Life in Motion, she includes this photo with the caption - my family. top row: Miranda and Tom (the Cantines' daughter-in-law and son); middle row: Lindsey, Jeff (Erica's husband), me, Aiden Cantine (the Cantines' grandson), Sop… — In Misty's biography *Life in Motion*, she includes this photo with the caption - my family. *top row*: Miranda and Tom (the Cantines' daughter-in-law and son); *middle row*: Lindsey, Jeff (Erica's husband), me, Aiden Cantine (the Cantines' grandson), Sophie Cantine (the Cantines' granddaughter), Erica, Mariah, Mom; *bottom row*: Liz, Chris

Misty is featured on the last page of my current book, Brush of Giftedness. I include a few introductory lines of the poem I have written for her plus Heidi Dong’s interpretative painting of her in a Degas costume. Misty will also be a main character in my next children’s book and a subsequent book on famous dancers and musicians. If you would like to purchase either of my already published books, they are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Graceful Gratitude - a Book of Holiday Graces is a compilation of my holiday and everyday poetic graces. Brush of Giftedness is a collection of my original poetry about famous visual artists and interpretations of their famous paintings by Heidi Dong, a young woman with autism.

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 in Anne Destabelle’s Pennyroyal Players who donate all profits to charities including RWA. Recently, PVPA recognized Liz with their first In-House Celebrity Award for her community service. 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.