Elizabeth Rancourt-Smith (Miss Liz to her students) began her training in at Terri's School of Dance (now TNT Dance Studio) in Waterville, Maine under the instruction of Terri Glidden at the age of 8. She began her training studying Ballet and Acro, but soon found she was hungry for all styles of dance, and her deep love for music led her to be drawn to tap dance.

As a competition soloist performing musical theater dance, lyrical, and tap, Liz has won numerous awards and special accolades, including DanceOlympus VIP in 1999 and DanceAmerica Dancer of the Year nominee in 2001, 2003, and 2004. She had the opportunity to dance with the other DOTY nominees at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL at the Magic Kingdom in a showcase tribute to 9/11 in 2002, and in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in 2004. She attended Emerson College in 2002 and was a member of the ECDance Team, and danced at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Liz taught for programs in the greater Boston area (On The Barre Dance Studio, Joanne Langione Dance Studio, and the Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center) before returning to Maine to teach at TNT Dance Studio, Bradley's School of Dance in Skowhegan, and Bridget's School of Dance in Bethel, Studio 48 in Brunswick, Breakwater School in Portland, and for Maine Dance Teachers Club workshops. She served as co-director, Principal Dancer, and founding member of the contemporary dance focused Resurgence Dance Company before welcoming her son in 2014. In 2019, she formed the tap collaborative CollaboTap to share tap history, improvisation, and choreography with other tap dancers and teachers in Maine, and in 2020 taught as part of the Mile High Tap Festival’s celebration of National Tap Dance Day. She is a member of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) and has completed dance teacher training programs with MusicWorks.

A performer first, Liz has a deep love for the stage and musical theater - her highlights as a performer are performing in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Potiphar’s Wife, GoGo Dancer, Egyptian Dancer), Fame Forever: Reunion and Rebirth - US Premiere Workshop (Chantelle), and 42nd Street (Phyllis Dale). She has choreographed “Man of La Mancha” for New England Regional Theater Company and “Narnia: The Musical” and “Free to Be… You and Me” for Royal River Community Players.

In her training, Liz has attended frequent workshops, intensives, and weekly classes with various industry professionals and masters in their respective genres throughout the US as both a child and adult. She believes in being a lifelong student and has a strong respect for the other qualified working professionals in the Maine dance community.

By focusing her teaching on building technical proficiency of her students, as well as building an understanding and love for the art with a child centered approach, Liz aims to always respect the history and fundamentals dance training.