Kavalon Mills '27 isn’t doing your typical summer internship; the Elon triple major is performing three to four times per day at Carowinds theme park in “¡Fuego!”
Visitors to Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina will be able to see the spark of Elon University’s own Kavalon Mills ’27 as a dancer and singer in “¡Feugo!” – a performance for the theme park’s Viva La Fiesta event.
Viva La Fiesta is described as a “voyage to tropical shores with invigorating entertainment,” and the role is perfect for Mills, a triple major in acting, music and arts administration with a minor in dance, who is from Charlotte.
“I’ve always had an interest in the arts, it’s an outlet for me to express what’s going on inside,” he said. “It’s so much about community and the people you find within that community, which is really interesting and something that’s always made me gravitate toward the arts.”
Mills began preparing for the show in July and will be performing four to five times per day at the theme park until August 10. It is his first professional performance contract, and one he says Elon prepared him for.
“Elon set me up to have a routine and what that routine looks like as a performer in the professional world,” Mills said. “Having the support of our professors and being able to do things like this in school is amazing.”
Elon’s Performing Arts department is what brought Mills to the university, including being named one of the most represented colleges on Broadway and recently named one of the “25 Best Drama Schools of 2025.” However, it was his tour guide who made the most lasting impact.
“Elon was one of the first schools that I auditioned for, and I didn’t do a tour initially,” said Mills. “I got my call back, and during that is when I also did my tour, and I had one of the most amazing tour guides ever, who I still cherish to this day, and she was a big reason why I came to Elon. She was also a person of color, and it was just very good for me to see that.”
In his first year, Mills didn’t waste time getting started, performing in the mainstage production of “As You Like It + Zombies,” and then in “The Grapes of Wrath” in spring 2025.
While he says he’s excited for the “¡Fuego!” performances, it’s the people he’s met during the performance that have made the experience great.
“I met some really incredible people from a bunch of different backgrounds, like meeting people who didn’t go to school for theater. It’s really interesting to hear their point of view on things,” he said.
Just like the performance in “Fuego” is a mix of skills, Mills is hoping his future is just as varied. He’d like to see himself on the screen and stage, but also on the seas.
“I would like to have a cruise contract at one point,” he said. “I have a few friends who have done cruise contracts, and they’ve absolutely loved it. They said it’s a great way to save money while performing. I’m an avid traveler already, so I’ve been on a few cruises, and I can’t imagine what it’s like to stay on a cruise for months on end. It’s something that will be different, and it will push me as a performer.”