Sarah Hillmer
Associate Teacher
An Atlanta native, Sarah Hillmer has dedicated over 17 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 and Boston Ballet.
In 2017 Sarah formed ImmerseATL, a contemporary dance training platform designed to serve as a bridge between the pre-professional and professional world of dance. ImmerseATL provides classes, mentorships, performance opportunities, and professional connections for its artists.
Sarah is an active member of the Atlanta dance scene, serving as a guest teacher and choreographer for Universities and dance schools. Sarah creates original works for ImmerseATL and has been commissioned to create work for Atlanta Ballet’s Wabi Sabi, Backside of the Tent Productions and Emory Dance Company. Currently Sarah is collaborating with George Staib on his newest work for staibdance titled fence, which was funded by a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts National Dance Project.
In August 2019 Sarah stepped into the role of Managing Director for staibdance and is thrilled to be part of leading this extraordinary organization forward.
Sarah joined United Dance in 2020.