Sarah Hixon (she/her) is a choreographer, director, dance educator, and performer. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from George Mason University and a Masters of Fine Art in Dance Choreography from The Ohio State University where her thesis work focused on diverse approaches to choreography. She has studied choreography with Doug Varone, David Parsons, Bebe Miller, Susan Rethorst, Vera Blaine, John Giffin, Vicki Uris, Karen Studd, Susan Shields, and others.

 

Hixon is currently artistic and executive director of Hixon Dance, a professional modern dance performing ensemble based in central Ohio. The company is known for its rich collaborations with other artists--especially musicians--and for presenting impactful and finely crafted works. Her work has been presented at The National Academy of Science, Joy of Motion, The Lincoln Theatre, The Wexner Center for the Arts, The Fairfax Center for the Arts, The Pivot Center, and others. She has collaborated with The Columbus Symphony, The Movement Project, poet Maggie Smith, Opera Project Columbus, the Worthington Chamber Orchestra, CATCO is Kids, Vox Novus, COSI, and many others throughout the region. She has received special commendations for her work from Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and Ohio House Representative Beth Liston.

 

As an educator, Hixon believes in creating meaningful relationships with students of all ages and abilities, and providing a thoughtful, inclusive, and well-rounded approach to technique.  She has 20 years of experience teaching dance technique in various styles to ages two through adult. During her tenure at OSU, she held a full-time Graduate Teaching Associate appointment. She not only taught technique, but also history, composition, and technology.  Hixon has taught at a number of universities and pre-professional schools throughout the Washington DC and central Ohio areas including the OSU Department of Dance, BalletMet Columbus, New Albany Ballet Company, and has guest taught at Wittenberg University, Columbus City Ballet, George Mason University, Dublin Dance Center, Northpoint Dance Academy, the OhioDance Festival, and the American College Dance Festival among others.

 

Community outreach and artist development has also been an important element of Hixon's career. After graduation from GMU, she began a performance collective for emerging dance artists, curating shows of local work in the Washington DC area. She also began FLOORSPACE, an arts incubator studio dedicated to providing affordable space to working artists in the central Ohio area which serviced more than 20 arts groups. She has held leadership positions at several performing arts organizations, including Early Music in Columbus. She co-founded an after-school performing arts program for the Worthington City Schools, and continues to be active as a  free-lance choreographer.  She has created work for several local performing groups in various styles including musical theater and opera.



Hixon received extensive training in classical ballet, modern, and African diasporic styles, working with teachers hailing from American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Eliot Feld's BalletTech, Mark Morris Dance Group, The White Oak Project, José Limon, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and others. She studied at The Washington Ballet, The Milwaukee Ballet, American Repertory Theatre, BalletMet, and The Fairfax Ballet.

 

For further information, please email her at director@hixondance.com