Artistic Director

Robert Mills has served as Artistic Director of the Oklahoma City Ballet since 2008. Since then, he as lead the organization to become a vibrant, successful dance company that serves over 35,000 residents of Central Oklahoma annually. In those three years, the company has produced 2 world premiere full length ballets to original scores, commissioned 4 world premieres from world re-known choreographers and restaged several pieces from classical repertory in addition to restaging the works of 20th century masters George Balanchine and Gerald Arpino. His own choreography has been called "dynamic, bold and sometimes hypnotic" by The Oklahoman in 2011. He is happy to be leading the company into its 40th anniversary season.

Originally from Northwest Indiana, Robert has considered Oklahoma home since 1993. He began formal training in gymnastics at the age of seven and soon after shifted his focus to dance. He studied in Chicago, concentrating on ballet with renowned pedagogue and author Anna Paskevska, with former soloists of London's Royal Ballet Richard Ellis and Christine DuBoulay, and at the Ruth Page Foundation with Larry Long. While in Chicago he also studied modern dance with Shirley Mordine, Jan Erkert and Paula Frasz. He received further training on full scholarships from the Milwaukee Ballet School, Richmond Ballet, The Rock School in Philadelphia and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City.

Robert enjoyed a vast performing career touring internationally as a guest artist and with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Eugene Ballet and Ballet Idaho. Critics across the country took note of his crisp technique and inherent acting ability. He has worked with some of ballet's foremost artists including Basil Thompson, Christopher d'Amboise, Gloria Govrin, John Taras and Donald Mahler. His repertoire includes all the classical standards plus works by George Balanchine, Anthony Tudor, Agnes De Mille, Peter Anastos, Margot Sappington, Ann Reinking, Lila York, William Whitener, Toni Pimble and many others. During his time with Kansas City Ballet he worked closely with Todd Bolender and the Balanchine Trust in the reconstruction of the lost George Balanchine ballet Renard.

Prior to joining OKC Ballet as Artistic Director, he spent three years as Artistic Director of Ballet Nouveau Colorado bringing that company into the national spotlight. A sought after teacher, he teaches on faculty at The Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet and has taught at the Kansas City Ballet School and Ballet Idaho Academy along with numerous summer programs across the country including the University of Oklahoma and Burklyn Ballet. An accomplished choreographer, he has created ballets for Oklahoma City Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Tennessee and Ballet Nouveau Colorado among others.