Courtney Allison Mills
Courtney Allyson Mills (she/her/hers) has over 25 years of dance education, choreography, and consulting experience within several facets of the performing arts. A graduate of Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida, Ms. Mills holds a Master of Arts in Performance Psychology from National University, a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Texas Woman’s University, and an Associates of Arts from St. Petersburg College. She also holds a specialization in Teaching Social-Emotional Learning from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Courtney was selected as the inaugural Modern/Contemporary dance teacher at the Center for Visual & Performing Arts in Arlington, Texas, where she created a modern/contemporary dance program servicing all six high schools in the district. Mills was named “Teacher of the Year” in 2023. Previously, Ms. Mills taught dance, yoga, and AVID at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado and was the Director of Dance at James Bowie High School in Austin, Texas where she was named “Teacher of Promise” in 2015. Currently, Courtney is contracted through Superior Performances as an instructional coach and professional development facilitator for dance educators in Texas.
A Carolina Crown alumni, Mills has worked with many notable drum corps, marching bands, and winter guard/percussion/winds programs. She continues to hold multiple roles within the pageantry space including visual designer, choreographer, performance and production specialist, and consultant. Her focus is always creating a safe space for performers, new and seasoned, to understand and embody expressive movement, connecting music, body, and performance.
Courtney provides lectures, clinics, webinars, masterclasses, and professional development to a diverse array of organizations/audiences including; Bands of America Summer Symposium, USA Gymnastics, Vivace Education, USBands, Nightbeat, CrownLIVE, SFWGA, CWEA, NTCA, TCGC and Texas Dance Educators Association. She was on a team that created a ‘Professionalism for Novice Coaches’, a pilot training program for USA Gymnastics that launched in the Spring of 2023. Mills is the Director of Education for Michael Rosales’ The Breakdown, working with band directors, visual technicians, and collegiate music education majors in understanding how to teach, clean, and create marching band movement. Ms. Mills also has the distinct honor as a lead broadcaster for Box5 Media, the media partner for Bands of America.
Courtney’s favorite things include her cat Ugly Betty, playing golf, too many plants, macaroni and cheese, her brilliant close circle of friends, and her supportive family. When she is not traveling for work, Courtney loves gardening, potato-ing, or watching the latest true crime series or golf.