Biography
Missy Miller started dance classes at age four and by age seven was studying ballet with Vladimir Marek and Nancy Smith at The San Antonio Ballet Company, and tap and jazz with Jackie Sparks at The San Antonio Little Theatre.
When she was twelve years old, she branched off into musical theatre training through the inspiration of off-Broadway director, Phil George at S.A.L.T. (San Antonio Little Theatre/San Pedro Playhouse) with the original “Saltines.” At the age of fourteen, she was hired for her first professional choreography job for “Company” at the Road Runner Civic Center for The Harlequin Dinner Theatre at Fort Sam Houston, with Director Wayne Elkins.
Towards the end of her senior year, Missy was awarded scholastic honors and a dance scholarship to The University of Texas at Austin from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts.
In 1984 following her graduation, she established The Showstoppers Academy of Musical Theatre, Inc. and accepted the position of Staff Choreographer with Jerry Pollock at Alamo City Theatre at The Josephine. She performed with companies such as Susan Connolly’s Dance Workshop, Danz America, and Aaron Callies and taught for The San Antonio Ballet Company and Mayra Worthen.
At the age of nineteen, she won first place in the city, state, and regional rounds of the National Gregory Hines Tap competition which qualified her as one of 22 finalists to study and perform in New York City with Gregory Hines and Mercedes Ellington.
Throughout the late 80’s and early 90’s, Missy began producing original musical revues and directing and choreographing for large national events including SeaWorld, Disneyland, National Republican Conventions, Honda Conventions, Coldwell Banker Conventions, the grand opening of Rivercenter in San Antonio, the NRA Convention with Charleton Heston, in Las Vegas with The Young American Stars, and additional work with stars such as Cheryl Ladd, Gerald McRaney, Judy Tenuta, Susan Anton, and Glen Campbell. Her original productions established her reputation as a multi-talented producer, director, and choreographer and in 1994 Fred Turner of TETCO, Inc. hired her to continue the legacy of the Josephine Theatre as the full-time Artistic Director.
To date, Missy has produced, directed, and choreographed more than two hundred productions, at least forty-five of which are her critically acclaimed, award-winning original productions. She has personally received twenty-one Alamo Theatre Arts Council (ATAC) Globe Awards in the categories of Production, Direction, Choreography, and Musical Direction.
In January of 2016, she returned to her roots serving as the Artistic Director of The Josephine Theatre and the Executive Director of Missy Miller Presents and The Showstoppers Academy and she is very happy to join the talented team of instructors at the Trilogy Dance Center.