Getting the Edge Blog

The 2019 Professional Skater Association Conference was in Palm Springs this year. Coaches from across the nations gathered for professional development, networking and seeing many friends. This year, I was honored with the opportunity to facilitate a presentation for...

Inspiration comes in all sizes, shapes, colors and configurations.  I never know when I will see or feel something that inspires me to create choreography.   

In late February, I traveled to Colorado Springs to choreograph a new long program for my student of...

When Kumiko Hamada, editor of the Japanese publication World Figure Skating, asked me to share my thoughts and experiences about working with Tatsuki Machida for their special tribute edition, I was honored.  Over the three seasons that Tatsuki and I collaborated we de...

After the ISU Congress we all find ourselves in a frenzy about the newest updates and changes to take affect for the new competitive season.  Sometimes these changes are minor and other times, like now, they are substantial. The Europeans have a bit of an edge over the...

Shirley Hughes has tapped Phillip Mills to lead her summer seminars many times. This year he focused on skating and choreography skills with an eye on the new IJS rule changes.

Those of us who have been in and around figure skating for many years remember the legendary Don Jackson. He was the 1962 World Figure Skating Champion and devoted his life to figure skating as a world class skater, show skater, highly regarded coach as well a global a...

In thinking back over time about some of the great alliances I have been fortunate to be involved in during my career, the one that I think of first is the ten years I spent working with Carlos Fassi at both the Broadmoor rink in Colorado Springs and at Ice Castle in L...

As I was sitting at the gate at San Jose International Airport waiting to board my flight home to Southern California, I found myself overcome with emotion.  I assumed this was triggered by the wonderful four days I just spent working in the Bay Area with two of my for...

With the Olympics only a few weeks away I wanted to share, “The Secret Sauce for Competition Readiness”, which is a compilation of  interviews with elite coaches and sports mind professionals on how they get their skaters mentally in the game for competition. I was hon...

Writing blogs requires inspiration and a gem of an idea. It is just like when I am choreographing. When I am inspired the choreography comes rushing out like Niagara Falls.  I don’t know how or where it comes from, and have little control of how it leaves my body. The...