We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erin Miller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Erin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I grew up in Texas dancing in a local studio and performing at a community theater from the ages of 3 to 18. My mom was the director of my dance studio and I loved being there–so the arts have always been a big part of my life. I started creating my own dances when I was about 9 or 10, and eventually got the opportunity to teach my choreography to students younger than me. From that point on, I had a passion for creating dances and sharing my love of dance with others.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started teaching dance professionally during my last year of college, and knew I wanted to learn as much as I could about teaching. In January of 2022, I started teaching for Reach Out And Dance, which is the dance educational outreach program of Ballet Excel Ohio–a nonprofit youth ballet based in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. The program offers a free 10 week session of dance/movement classes with live musicians to 2nd graders that ends with a performance for family and friends. After being a Teaching Artist for a year and a half, I was given the opportunity to be the Artistic Director of the program. Now, I am in charge of scheduling the schools we work with and planning the music and choreography that will be used for the year. This past year, we celebrated our milestone 25th year, and had the opportunity to teach over 700 kids in Northeast Ohio.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of this job is seeing the end result–which is the performances! It is amazing to see how far all the kids have come in the short 10 weeks we have them, and for to see them to be proud of something they have worked hard for.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I was in 9th grade, I tried out for my high school dance team and did not make it. It was my goal and plan for as long as I could remember, but not making the team sent me on a different path. By not making the team–I was able to rise through the ranks on my Girl Scout drill team, and gain the leadership and dance experience I needed to serve as the General of the team my senior year. These high school years are where I realized I wanted to teach and choreograph dance professionally.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://balletexcelohio.org/road/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bxosroad/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BXOsROAD
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BXOsROAD

Image Credits

Erin Miller