Hello
I'm Carrie Millikin Euker, a former professional ballet dancer with years of experience in teaching and directing. I most recently served as full-time Faculty for Boston Ballet School and am the owner/director of Etoile Dance Competition, a ballet and concert dance-focused competition with an emphasis on artistry over "the win". I have a passion for education in all things dance-related ranging from detailed classroom instruction to non-profit consulting.
My Bio
Carrie began studying dance in Rockford, IL under former Radio City Rockette, Kathy Nelson. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dance from Mercyhurst University and achieved her MBA degree at the University of Colorado, Denver. While attending Mercyhurst she danced various roles in Carmen, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, La Sylphide, and Raymonda, under the direction of Tauna Hunter. She danced with Milwaukee Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet II, performing in Michael Pink’s Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and Romeo and Juliet. Carrie performed in Denver with the David Taylor Dance Theater enjoying soloist and principal roles in works by James Wallace as well as Gregory Dawson’s “Eclipsing Venus.” She has also performed with 7 Dancers, notably in “ART” by Mandy Moore, of the hit television series “So You Think You Can Dance.” Carrie also danced the lead role in 101 Things to do in a Lifetime, featuring choreography by Chantal Robson. During her four year stay at Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Carrie performed numerous works by director Karen Mareck Grundy as well as works by Shannon Lee West, Thang Dao, Autumn Eckman, and Joshua Blake Carter. Carrie originated the role of Alice in Grundy’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
In 2011 Carrie became the founding director and lead instructor of the School of Missouri Contemporary Ballet. During this time she coordinated DanceReach, offering dance to at-risk youth in the community. In 2013 she co-founded DanceAbility, a program offering dance classes to students with special needs. In 2016 Carrie was appointed Executive & Artistic Director of the Susquehanna Youth Ballet and in her first year mounted a brand-new full-length Nutcracker as well as choreographing new contemporary works for the company. In addition to directing the non-profit SYB, Carrie also assumed the role of Ballet Director at EMC Performing Arts Studio.
Carrie spent four years as full-time Faculty at the Boston Ballet School where she took the lead on programs such as the Junior Summer Intensive at Walnut Hill and the Adult Ballet Program. She also taught in the Classical Ballet Program and was the faculty point of contact at the Boston branch.
Carrie has served on the board of the Maryland Council for Dance, as an adjudicator for Energy National Dance Competitions, and a roster member of Impact Dance Adjudicators. She is a certified YPAD member (Youth Protection Advocates in Dance). Carrie’s original choreography has been performed by students as well as professionals and she has extensive experience instructing and coaching dancers of all ages in ballet, jazz, tap, and modern/contemporary styles. Carrie recently relocated back to the Midwest and enjoys traveling as a guest teacher/speaker as well as directing Etoile Dance Competition, a nationally touring ballet and concert dance focused event.