Anna Bracewell - ImmerseATL EDUCATOR

Anna Bracewell is an Atlanta based dance artist. She was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and began her dance training at an early age at Decatur School of Ballet. While continuing her classical training at DSOB, she trained, and went on to graduate from DeKalb School of the Arts where she studied under the legendary Pamala Jones-Malave. Anna later received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.

Since 2012, she has had the deep pleasure of being a member of staibdance, under the direction of George Staib, where she is a dancer, collaborator and teacher. Anna was also a member of Core Dance from 2012-2020 where she performed in theaters, museums, public spaces, and festivals across the United States, France, Spain and Israel. In her time with Core Dance, Anna has had the opportunity to move and create original works with notable artists such as Niv Sheinfeld & Oren Laor (Tel Aviv), Germana Civera (France/Spain), Frank van de Ven (Amsterdam), Amanda K. Miller (Germany/U.S.), Isabelle Saulle & Adolfo Vargas (France), Leslie Scates (U.S.), D. Patton White, Lori Teague and Sue Schroeder (U.S.).

In her years of dancing professionally in Atlanta, Anna has also created and collaborated with local artists Blake Beckham (The Lucky Penny), Joshua Rackliffe, Erik Thurmond and Catellier Dance Projects!.

Anna was recognized as “Best Dancer” in Atlanta by ArtsATL.org in 2018 and has been internationally recognized in her collaborative work with: Association Manifeste (Toulouse, France) in which she performed in several public corner spaces across France and the U.S., and in her work with Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor performed in Tel Aviv, Israel.

IG: @annavbracewell

George Staib - ImmerseATL EDUCATOR

George Staib is a Professor of Practice in the Emory University Department of Theater and Dance, and is the artistic director of staibdance, a dance company dedicated to the intersections of movement, community and culture.

Staib began his dance training at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, then went on to earn an MFA in dance and choreography from Temple University.

Further movement research led him to Israel, Sweden, and Italy to deepen his understanding of Gaga and release technique as well as the unbridled physicality of movement pioneers such as Iris Enez, Yasmeen Godder and Noa Wortheim. Currently his movement interests reside in blurring the line between process and performance, and he is interested in the notion of spontaneity as it relates to established material vs. improvised ideas. 

 As a choreographer, Staib’s primary vehicle for dance-making is through staibdance, now in its 18th year. Staib’s work is often founded upon autobiographical stories, while being dedicated to unearthing their relatability among diverse populations. Staib’s work has been commissioned across the US and abroad, and has been awarded funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Emory University Research Committee, The Latham Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts and The Vail Family Foundation.

staibdance curated and produced the first-ever Atlanta Multicultural Dance Festival, now in its third season, created a summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy, now in its 13th year and hosted a10-part podcast series titled Secret Architecture: the process of process, that features culturally based artists from across the country. staibdance is currently developing their new work “between dog and wolf” set to premiere in October 2025.

staibdance.com

Sarah Hillmer  -  ImmerseATL Founder & Director

Sarah Hillmer has 20+ years of experience in the professional dance world as a dancer, rehearsal director, assistant to choreographers, stager, educator, creator and arts administrator.

Her company credits include the Atlanta Ballet, glo - as a founding member, and staibdance. Sarah served as a Rehearsal Director at the Atlanta Ballet from 2013-2019 where artistic relationships with Twyla Tharp and Helen Pickett were forged. Sarah staged work for Twyla Tharp at Royal Winnipeg Ballet & Atlanta Ballet, and her work as a stager and assistant for Helen Pickett have taken her to Alberta Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Scottish Ballet, Smuin Ballet, UArts and UNCSA.

Sarah is the Founder & Director of ImmerseATL, a training & mentorship program that serves dancers at pivotal stages in their ever-evolving journey as artists through the Artist Program and the ImmerseATL Collective.

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. Sarah has been a co-collaborator with George Staib on two productions; fence in 2019, which was funded by a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts, National Dance Project, and Dido & Aeneas in 2023, a collaboration with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra.

As an arts administrator, Sarah currently serves as Executive Director for staibdance. During her 5-year tenure she has planned and managed 6 national tours, 2 world premieres, annual workshops, an annual 2-week summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy, (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.

Additionally, Sarah serves as Business Operations Manager for Windmill Arts, an organization dedicated to the advancement of new work in the arts.

sarahjhillmer.com