Katie Hopkins

Katie Hopkins is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer who currently resides in Austin, TX. Katie has been a choreographer and movement instructor for the Santa Clara Vanguard since 2018. In 2023, she spent the season as a choreographer at Carolina Crown and Phantom Regiment. Katie’s drum corps career began in 2006 as a member of the Cadets color guard where she remained until 2009. She then went on to teach and choreograph for the Cadets from 2010 to 2017.

Katie has been the Vision Dance Company Director at Vandegrift High School in Austin since 2019. In that time, the band and Vision Dance Company have been named the BOA Grand National Champion, a Super Regional and multiple time Regional Champion, a 2-time UIL State Champion, and a 2-time State Silver Medalist. The Vision Dance Company was also invited to perform in the Regional High School Dance Festival Gala Concert in the Spring of 2024 at Texas A&M University and marched alongside the Vandegrift Band in the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since moving to Texas in 2016, Katie has served as a choreographer and instructor for many successful high school band and color guard programs, including James Bowie and Westlake. She also works with and choreographs for WGI Independent World guards Origins, as well as Paramount, the 2023 Champion and 2025 Silver Medalist.

Originally from Arlington Heights, Illinois, Katie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Columbia College Chicago with a concentration in teaching and performance and a minor in Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management. Katie is a co-creator of Marching Band Movement, an educational video course designed as a resource for teachers and students to be better trained in modern marching arts movement and dance. As a dancer, Katie has performed with multiple independent artists and dance companies including the Austin-based, ARCOS and BLiPSWiTCH.