Sarah Hillmer,
Founder & Director
An Atlanta native, Sarah Hillmer has dedicated over 19 years to the professional dance world as a dancer, assistant to choreographers, ballet master, stager, educator and creator.
Her company credits include the Atlanta Ballet, glo-as a founding member, and staibdance. During Sarah’s tenure as Ballet Master at the Atlanta Ballet, she worked alongside world-renowned figures in the ballet world, and coached dancers in seminal works by Ohad Naharin, Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, John McFall, Helgi Tomasson, Gemma Bond, Craig Davidson, Ricardo Amarante and Yuri Possokhov. It was during her time at the Atlanta Ballet that ongoing artistic relationships with Twyla Tharp and Helen Pickett were forged. She was instrumental in the building of their full-length ballets and continues to stage their work globally. Sarah’s work as a stager and assistant have taken her to Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Smuin Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, UNCSA, UArts, Pennsylvania Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Boston Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
In 2017 Sarah formed ImmerseATL, to connect emerging contemporary dancers to their next steps.
Sarah is an active member of the Atlanta dance scene, serving as a guest teacher for Kennesaw State University, Brenau University, Spelman College, Emory University and Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre. As a choreographer, Sarah has been commissioned to create work for Atlanta Ballet’s Wabi Sabi, Backside of the Tent Productions, Emory Dance Company and Admix Project. In 2019, Sarah was a co-collaborator with George Staib on staibdance’s production of “fence”, which was funded by a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts, National Dance Project.
As Executive Director for staibdance, Sarah has planned and managed 6 national tours, 2 world premieres, annual workshops, (MC)2, Atlanta’s first multi-cultural dance festival, as well as a docuseries based on (MC)2 and a podcast series, Secret Architecture: the process of process.
photo by Daylilies Photography
Andie Knudson,
Administrative Director
Andie Knudson is a dancer, maker, videographer, writer, educator, and arts administrator currently based in Atlanta, GA. Andie received her BFA in Dance from Belhaven University with Summa Cum Laude and multiple accolades for her artistic achievements.
On her journey from academia to the present, Andie has continued to deepen her movement experiences with companies such as Doug Verone and Dancers, Fly On a Wall, staibdance, and many others. Since moving to Atlanta in 2020, Andie spent a season working as an Artist with ImmerseATL and a summer with Oriantheatre’s Paris Summer Academy working with artists such as Toula Limnaios, Volmir Cordeiro, Olivier Gemser, and Mehdi Farajpour.
Throughout her freelance career, she has been honored to perform the works of Bill T. Jones & José Limon in addition to working with a wide range of choreographers & improvisation artists such as Nancy Stark Smith, Elizabeth Dishman, Excavate Body (Jacqui Hinkson), George Staib, Sarah Hillmer, and Anna Bracewell Crowder.
Andie is a seasoned Arts Administrator, with experience working with organizations such as The Breath & The Clay, The Sketch Effect, Rise City Dance, and is overjoyed to be working alongside Sarah as ImmerseATL’s first Administrative Director!
photo by Jacquelyn Kay Photography