Liz Gallego is the recipient of the Disney 2004 Fine Arts Teacher of the Year Award. Ms. Gallego was selected from more than 150,000 nominees.  Disney recognizes outstanding teachers who use innovative teaching methods that actively engage students. Ms. Gallego was among 39 teacher honorees. She was selected for her “creative, hands-on approach … combined with her general enthusiasm to teach,” according to program officials. The Disney award is the equivalent of an Oscar or Emmy for teachers.

"We make a living by what we get;
we make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill

Fall 2007 Choreographed Mitote for the Texas Woman's University International Dance Company. The choreography was selected to open the DANCEMAKER'S Fall Concert Series Nov 14-16, 2007.

Spring 2007 hosted the Texas Salsa Championship at Molina High School for public schools.

2006-08 Worked Gladys Keeton and a Committee from the TWU College of the Arts to host a Latino Dance & Music Festival at TWU July 15-19, 2008. 

Emily Sears, Winning
 Cover-girl, SMU, Nov 2006
Emily Performed the lead in Paquita

2005-06 Selected as Chair of the Dance Advisory Board for the Dallas Public Schools.

2003-05, served on all four stages of the TExES development process (test for teacher certification in Texas).

2003-04, served on the National Dance Association committee to revise the National Standards for Dance and as a consultant to Human Kinetics, publishers of the dance  textbooks adopted in Texas schools.  Received a Presidential Award from National Dance Association for her work on the standards committee.

Gladys Keeton, Karla Canamar Mercado TWU/Molina Student following Silvia Lozano Concert, 2006

1999, named to the first Fine Arts Cadre for the state of Texas to be a teacher trainer for the implementation of the TEKS

1999-2003,served as a presenter at four state Fine Arts Summits and in numerous regional summits. 

2002, first dance teacher featured on the Center for Educator Development in the Fine Arts (CEDFA) website.

With mentor Rosemary
Wright and Don Wright,
Dec. 2000

In 2000, Ms. Gallego has received  a Resolution of Recognition by the Dallas Independent School Board for her work on the Folklorico Festival of Texas.

 In July 1999, published, Winning! The Dance Competition Handbook for Teachers, Students, Parents, and Judges. 

In 1997, Liz transferred to the newly built Moisés E. Molina High School in Dallas, Texas, where she now  teaches and directs Ballet Folklórico Jaguara, a curricular and extracurricular dance company that serves as a leader in interdisciplinary and multicultural education across the United States. The company performs extensively in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

1995, presented the Stand and Deliver Award in recognition of her work with Hispanic Youth in Dallas by Bank One and the Anita Ñ. Martinez Ballet Folklorico.  

In 1990, Liz accepted the ballet folklórico teaching position at W. E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy in Dallas, Texas.  Under her leadership the existing middle school program expanded -- from a handful of dancers in two classes to 90 dancers in five classes, from two boys to 34, from five community performances per year to 40.

During the time Liz worked at Greiner, she continued to assist students to win top awards.  Liz instructed ballet technique at Gotta Dance, Infinite Bounds, Plano Dance Expressions, and Dance Elite in Denton.  At Dance Elite, Liz continued to coach many of her former students .The most successful competitors wereRuby Olbado, Piper Lewis, and Milara Oonk.

When her daughter, Bethany ,entered kindergarten in 1989, Liz made the difficult decision to close the studio and to pursue a teaching career in the public schools. 
 

While working on a Master of Arts degree at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas, Liz's part-time job evolved into the Liz Gallego School of Dance.  Upon graduation in 1977, Liz directed a staff of six teachers.  She instructed ballet and children's classes, as well as  tap, modern, liturgical, and Spanish dance.

Beginning in 1986 with their first national competition students from the Liz Gallego School of Dance earned over 150 high point awards and placed in the top awards at fourteen consecutive national finals.  Top awards were won at Dance-America 1986 & '87, Showstopper West Coast '88, World Dance National Finals '89, Tremaine '89, Showstopper Mid-America '92, Star Systems '93, LADF '94, Star Power '95, and Starlight '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, & '94. In 1993, seven of the top ten senior soloists at Starlight National Finals had all been students of Ms. Gallego.