Miss Alida - Artistic Director

​​​ My name is Alida Van Mill and I have been teaching dance for the past 9 years. In 2014 I was the co-owner of Alida’s Stars School of Dance. Starting in 2017 I embraced the role of artistic director at Starbound Dance Center. I am love teaching, but my real passion lies in choreography. I attended the University of Lethbridge taking classes in Psychology, and neuroscience. After that she transferred to the Lethbridge College, and obtained a diploma in Correctional studies. Miss Alida has worked in the Early Childhood program at St. Joseph’s in Coaldale for the past 4 years. Prior to my teaching career I danced for 7 years in Lethbridge both recreationally and competitively. I’ve travelled to London, York, and Scotland where I danced at Pineapple Dance studios, and Laban Modern/Contemporary centre. 

While at LCI I performed in the Nutcracker and had lead roles in both Roots and Cats. In grade 11 I co-taught two grade 9 classes under the direction of Betty Poulson. I was the first grade 10 student to perform for the prestigious LCI fine arts awards ceremony, and the youngest student ever to receive a fine arts award for which I received a full scholarship to Decidedly Jazz in Calgary, attending an Advanced summer camp. In 2015 I choreographed two dance pieces for Father Leonard Van Tighem’s musical production Midnight. As well I choreographed for the 5, 6, 7, 8, Gone Breast Cancer campaign, partnering with the Lethbridge Hurricanes to create a swing piece. On top of teaching dancers I have done dance workshops for the Lethbridge Synchronized Swimming Club, and AAA hockey teams. In 2018 I started working with competitive figure skaters working on dryland training, as well as doing choreography. I attended the Pulse Dance Workshop in Denver, Colorado. There I danced with Brian Freedman; Choreographer to such people as, Brittany Spears, Beyoncé and Cher, Chris Scott; So You Think You Can Dance and Step Up Revolution, Rhapsody Jane; Step Up 2, and Mia Michaels; So You Think You Can Dance. I attended the Dance Teacher Live Web conference in Las Vegas where I had the opportunity to work and learn from dancers and choreographers such as; James Whiteside (professional ballet dancer for the American Ballet) , Steve Sirico, Angela D’Valda Sirico, Mathew Donnell (Director of the Dance Program for the University of Carolina School of Arts), Christopher Stuart, Jessica Epting (Broadway Dance Center), and J.V Goeke. I have also attended the VIP Dance where I took classes with Blake McGrath and Alexander Chung (Choreographer to Becky J). In 2010, I danced at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Being one of the 400 selected out of the 12 000 that auditioned. Where I danced in the closing ceremonies as part of the handing off of the Winter Olympics to the USSR, and the actual closing number. Over the 9 years that I have been in classrooms I have taught in styles ranging from; creative movement, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, technique for turns, technique for jumps, improv, stretch, and acro. I did not start teaching competitively until the last 5 years. I have had numerous solos, duos, and groups numbers win various awards including most promising, outstanding, top 1-5 placements, and overall high scores in styles jazz, acro, contemporary, ballet, and lyrical. I have also had many of my students selected to receive dance scholarships to IDance, Hollywood Summer Tour, NYC Broadway, NYC Thanksgiving Day Parade, Emerge, and many more. In 2018 at CARS the combination of my group scores resulted in being award highest technical and highest performance of the competition. My Jr Soloist Vienna Van Mill was also chosen as the recipient of the $2000 Broadway Bound Be Discovered scholarship in NYC. At CARS in 2017 my Int lyrical soloist won highest lyrical/ballet solo/duo mark, and my contemporary duo Scars Inside of Me won Highest solo/duo mark for Contemporary/Jazz. My contemporary group Alcohol won highest contemporary mark, and my lyrical Smother won highest lyrical mark on the competition. I was also awarded highest technical mark, and highest performance mark for having the highest combined scores for all group numbers. One of my senior soloists was chosen as the recipient of the Emerge Dance Scholarship. I have won highest group score of the entire competition at CARS two years (2016 and 2017) in a row for my acro group We Are Immortal, and my contemporary group I Will Find You. In 2016 at NOVA dance challenge (an affiliate of C.A.R.S) 2 of my students were selected to receive half scholarships to the Emerge Dance Intensive. In 2018 at JDC my acro duo Warrior Queens won A Judges Choice, as well as Highest Acro score of the entire Competition. As well as Just Dance 2018 my Jr Soloist Vienna Van Mill was titled Miss Jr 2018 for having the highest combined average of solo score, as well as she was Chosen as the recipient of the Hollywood Summer Tour Scholarship. In 2017 at Just Dance in Lethbridge my Jr Acro soloist won highest acro mark of the competition, as well as being Crowned Miss Junior High Score for having the highest combined solo average. At Just Dance one of my Teen Elite Soloist placed 3rd overall with her jazz solo, and one of her Sr Soloists also placed 3rd overall with her acro solo. My acro trio Lumina placed 1st overall for the Elite duo/trio division. As well in 2017 at JDC one of my senior soloists was chosen as the recipient for the Hollywood Scholarship.

At Extreme Dance Challenge 2017 my Jr soloist won highest mark acro, 2nd place overall, and 1st place overall high point solo. My teen soloist won jazz category cup, 4th overall, and 2nd overall high point solo. Both my Jr soloist and Sr soloist were chosen as recipients of the Extreme Dance Challenge Scholarship. In 2016 my contemporary duo The Invisible Thread won “runner up” of the competition at Extreme Dance Challenge by being one of the 3 top duo scores and re-competing in the dance off. My Junior soloist won second place for her acro solo, 1st place high point solo, and was chosen as the recipient of the Extreme Dance Scholarship award. My senior lyrical soloist won the lyrical category cup, and 2nd place high point solo. In 2017 at sparkle my Jr soloist Vienna won overall high Jr score for her lyrical solo, and a scholarship. Also in 2017 my contemporary group Alcohol was chosen as overall adjudicators choice. In 2016 at Sparkle my acro group We Are Immortal won overall high score for division 3. My ballet Alice won overall adjudicators choice, and my lyrical Say Something won “A Tissue for my Tears.” My Junior soloist Vienna won overall high Jr score for her acro solo, and a scholarship. At 2018 Dance Champions my lyrical group A Million Reasons was 1st place for the SR Division, my acro duo Warrior Queens was 1st Place Competitive Jr Solo/Duo divison, and my contemporary soloist Vienna Van Mill was 1st Overall Jr Soloist. In 2017 at Dance Champions I had my acro soloist be crowned runner up “Dancer of the year” at the Dance Champions. My Jr soloist won overall Miss Jr. As well my acro group Monsters won Overall Sr group , and my Acro trio Lumina won overall high score Jr Group. In 2015 Miss Alida’s Jr soloist won 4th overall high score at Terpsichore Dance Starz, and her Sr contemporary soloist won overall 13 and over at Terpsichore Dance Challenge.

Also 2015 at Terpsichore Dance Challenge my character ballet Welcome to the Dollhouse won Overall Intermediate Large Group, and my lyrical Jar of Hearts won overall Intermediate small group. My Sr soloist also one the title of high score overall soloist at Terpsichore Dance Challenge. In 2013 my only group number Habit won runner up Int 2 division at Dance Power. Besides the awards listed my competitive groups have won numerous overall high score standings in acro, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz. I has won multiple choreography awards in jazz, lyrical, ballet, contemporary/modern, and acro. In 2017 I won choreography awards for all of my competitive group pieces. Jazz Choreography Awards: Break the Rules, Rule the World (2), Crazy in Love (2), and Beast. Lyrical Choreography Awards: If I be Wrong, Smother (2), Are You Listening (1) and Say Something. Acro Choreography Awards: Monsters (3), Don’t Wake the Dolls (2), Wonderful World of Wonderland (1), and We are Immortal. Ballet Choreography Awards: Alice (2), Enchanted, Forever and Always, and Welcome to the Dollhouse. Contemporary Choreography Awards: I Will Find You (3), Alcohol (2), Untold Truths, Beautiful Sadness, The Invisible Thread, Persephone’s Lair (3) and Love. Certifications I hold my certification in Jr, Int, and Sr Level of PBT (Progressive Ballet Technique) taught by the former ballerina Robyn Segel Shifren. I hold my certification from IDTS (International Dance Teaching Standards). I hold my TA-DA Hand balancing Foundations and Module 1, Module 2 from the brilliant former Cirque du Soleil artist Tyler Ayres. I hold my Acrobatic Arts Certificate, Module 1 and 2 I am CLI Certified I am also certified in First Aid.