“I hope that if you were to teach tennis you would have a racket,” said the legendary figure skating coach Carlo Fassi to Phillip over 20 years ago. This was a pivotal moment in the life of Phillip Mills as he once again reinvented himself to become a successful ice skating choreographer to World and Olympic competitors and elite figure skaters. It was then that Phillip, who had most recently been a professional ballet dancer, knew he was about to learn how to ice skate.
Phillip Mills has an uncanny ability to learn new ways to move and to help choreograph others’ movements. While in high school, Phillip was a champion gymnast. In order to move his gymnastics career forward, Phillip decided to take ballet lessons – a most unusual action for a young man during that time. This propelled his gymnastics accomplishments and led to a full scholarship at the illustrious American Ballet Theatre. Little did he know he would soon join a European ballet company and become an international star performer. And he morphed once again into excellence with amazingly smooth moves on the ice as he entered the world of choreographing for competitive figure skating.
He has had more than 18 U.S. National Champions in singles, pairs,and dance. He has also been faculty for Team USA Camps, U.S. Figure Skating Coaches College and numerous U.S.Figure Skating Judges Schools. This involvement keeps Phillip tuned into the continued and growing changes in figure skating.
Phillip joined Carlo Fassi as the choreographer for the world-class training center at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs in 1988. He later joined Carlo again at the famous Ice Castle International Figure Skating Training Center in Lake Arrowhead, California as Choreographer and Artistic Director of Ice Castle's International Ice Theatre.
Phillip choreographed Ashley Wagner’s short and long programs for the 2011-2012 season and her short program in 2009. He created Courtney Hicks Junior Ladies US National Champion programs in 2011. In addiiton he created Becky Bereswill's long program for the 2009 - 2010 season. Becky is the 2008 Junior Grand Prix Final Gold medallist
Phillip has created acclaimed programs for the likes of Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Ashley Wagner, Courtney HIcks, Tara Lipinski, Rena Inoue & John Baldwin, Calla Urbanski & Rocky Marval, Nicole Bobek, Suzie Wynne & Joseph Druar, Elaine Zayak, and Jill Trenary just to name a few.
The list goes on. [See Skaters & Testimonials]
World & Olympic Figure Skating Choreographer
Choreographing the perfect edge.
Phillip's Story
The Creative Edge Seminars
Site created by Merry Neitlich at merry@extrememarketing.org
Deanna Stelato
Andrew Gonzales
Amber Corwin
Sean Calvillo
Roca & Adair
"Every time Phillip comes there's a jolt of energy that runs through our club!"
Diane Rawlinson, Olympic Coach, Skating Club of Oregon
The Creative Edge Seminars for figure skaters were developed with flow and choreography in mind through the recommendations of U.S. national judges after presentations at many USFS Judges' Schools.
