CHILDREN'S GAMES
Twinkle, Baa Baa, ABC
Direction & Choreography:
Sarah Hixon
Performance & Choreography:
Ellie Bearss
Samantha Conte
Alicia Hann*
Lisa Horton
Sarah Price
Anne Raspe
Sarah Vah
Mercedes Hicks, Isabelle Johnston (alternates)
Music Performance:
Suzanne Newcomb, piano
Music:
12 Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je mamam,"
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Costume Support:
Samantha Conte
~ Brief Pause | Wiggling is welcome! ~
Entrée à Danse
Choreography:
Sarah Hixon
Performance:
Samantha Conte
Alicia Hann*
Mercedes Hicks
Lisa Horton
Isabelle Johnston
Sarah Price
Anne Raspe
Sarah Vah
Ellie Bearss (alternate)
Music:
Symphony No. 101 "The Clock," Mov II: Andante
by Franz Joseph Haydn
Costume Support:
Samantha Conte
~ Brief Pause | Wiggling is welcome! ~
Go, Dog, Go!
Based on the book by P. D. Eastman
Choreography & Direction:
Sarah Hixon
Performance & Choreography:
Ellie Bearss
Samantha Conte
Alicia Hann*
Mercedes Hicks
Lisa Horton
Isabelle Johnston
Sarah Price
Anne Raspe
Sarah Vah
Music Performance:
Suzanne Newcomb, piano
Music:
Waltz in D-flat major
("The Puppy")
by Frédéric Chopin
Tournament Galop
by Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Wiegenlied (excerpt)
by Johannes Brahms
Le Banjo
by Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Costume and Prop Support:
Samantha Conte, Sarah Price, Anne Raspe
*The Victoria Alesi Company Position
Stay afterwards to meet the dancers!
Run time is approximately 45 minutes.
Please silence all cell phones.
No flash photography or video.
Production Team
Stage Manager:
Grace Glowacki
Running Crew:
Sarah Santilli
Videography:
Brandon Abbott, Ben Ito
Board of Directors:
Robert Estice, Aaron Greene, Sarah Hixon, Justin Johnston, Jacob Reed, Sarah Santilli
Very Special Thanks to:
Columbus Dance Theatre
Scott Orts at Relevate, LLC
Don Gagliarda
Callie Reed
All our donors!
This production is supported by:
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Hixon Dance is a modern dance performing ensemble founded in 2007 by Sarah Hixon that is active in the performing arts throughout central Ohio and beyond. The company regularly collaborates with other artists—especially musicians—and experts in other fields to inspire, create, and produce new work. The company is committed to a multidisciplinary creative process and is known for presenting impactful works that are accessible to audiences. Past collaborators include The Columbus Symphony Orchestra, The Columbus Ohio Discovery Ensemble, Opera Project Columbus, The Worthington Chamber Orchestra, Converging Arts Columbus, and others. They have recently worked with composers Jacob Reed, Lauren Spavelko, Michael Rene Torres, and award-winning poet Maggie Smith.
Hixon Dance has been a mainstay of the Columbus dance community, participating in a wide array of community-centered performances including the Columbus Dances series, GCAC's New Choreography Project, Columbus Summer Dance Festival hosted by The Ohio State University, Vox Novus, Global Water Dances, OhioDance Festival, Ten Tiny Dances, and others. They host City Dance Showcase, an annual presentation of local independent dance makers.
Education and outreach are a central component of the company’s mission, and strongly believe that the performing arts enrich our community. They offer noncompetitive and inclusive classes for ages 2 through adult at their studio in Clintonville, OH.
They have been featured in The Columbus Dispatch, The Columbus Underground, The Columbus Alive!, The Clintonville and Worthington Spotlight, LifeLine Columbus, and other publications.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
Sarah Hixon
Director
Sarah Hixon is a choreographer, dance educator, and artistic director of Hixon Dance. Ms. Hixon studied choreography with Doug Varone, Bebe Miller, David Parsons, Susan Rethorst, Vera Blaine, Susan Shields, and others.
She trained at The Washington Ballet, American Repertory Theatre, and The Milwaukee Ballet, among others. She holds a BFA in Dance from George Mason University and an MFA in Choreography from The Ohio State University.
Hixon’s award-winning choreography has been presented at The Wexner Center for the Arts, The National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., Joy of Motion, The Short North Stage, The Lincoln Theatre, The Fairfax Center for the Arts, The Pivot Center, and others. She has worked with Opera Project Columbus, the Worthington Chamber Orchestra, CATCO is Kids, Vox Novus, COSI, and many collaborators throughout the region. Recent collaborative partners include The Columbus Symphony, The Movement Project, poet Maggie Smith, and composer Michael Rene Torres. She has received special commendations for her work from Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and Ohio House Representative Beth Liston.
She has taught at several universities and pre-professional schools throughout Washington, D.C., and central Ohio including the OSU Department of Dance, BalletMet Columbus, New Albany Ballet Company, Wittenberg University, George Mason University, and The Peabody Institute among others.
Ellie Bearss
Dancer
Eleanor Bearss received a degree in Dance studies and Political Science from Ohio Wesleyan University. On campus she was part of the departments dance company and college dance club. In the past she has had the opportunity to train at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and UNCSA. She is so excited to be part of this collaborative company. She thanks her Mom, Dad, Anne Raspe, Jacey Scheffel and Rashana Perks-Smith for their continued support and love! This is her third season with the company.
Samantha Conte
Dancer, Company Manager
Samantha Conte is a performer, dance educator, and choreographer. Her previous training includes fourteen years at South Dayton School of Dance under the instruction of Gina Walther, Gigi Gardner, and Erin Robbins.
In 2012, Samantha was awarded the "Monticello Award for Emerging Choreography” for her work Inferno which was selected to perform in Montreal as a part of Regional Dance America. She continued her training at Ball State University where she graduated with her B.F.A. in Dance. She has been on staff at many local dance studios, as well as spending time in Hamilton area pre-schools to give children early exposure to dance. Throughout her professional career, Samantha has worked with guest artists such as Sidra Bell, Rodney A. Brown, Leslie Dworkin, Cody Szarko, John Litzler, Ruka White, William B. McClellan, Jr., and Debbie Blunden-Diggs. When not in the studio she spends her days as a College Planner, helping students with career exploration and college preparation! Samantha previously danced with Mamluft&Co. Dance in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is now in her sixth season with Hixon Dance.
Alicia Hann
Dancer, Rehearsal Director
The Victoria Alesi Company Position
Alicia Hann began her dance training at Dublin Dance Center, and pursued her study of modern dance at Ohio University where
she received a BFA in modern dance performance and choreography.
She is also a Dancing Mindfulness Facilitator, certified through The Institute for Creative Mindfulness and Mindful Ohio. Dancing Mindfulness is a form of conscious dance which incorporates meditation, improvisation, music, and community. She has had the privilege of facilitating at Amethyst Inc, a treatment center which helps recovering drug and alcohol dependent women and their families. Alicia is currently dancing at Hixon Dance as well as freelancing. She has worked with various choreographers from around the country. Notably, Miki Orihara, principal dancer from the Martha Graham Company in a reconstruction of Graham’s early works ‘Heretic’. She has also worked with Kelsey Bartman of Texture Contemporary Ballet, Hannah Williamson of MamLuft&Co. Dance, and was a guest artist for Alexandra Bodnarchuk’s ‘Something Pretty’ premiering at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburg.
Mercedes Hicks
Guest Performer
Mercedes Hicks is a recent graduate of the Ohio State University, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. During her time in the dance department, Mercedes performed in a variety of faculty and student works in styles including but not limited to contemporary, modern, ballet, west African, house, and hip hop. She also worked directly with Bebe Miller, Sidra Bell, and the Limón company's artistic director Dante Puleio. In 2022, she spent a short but fulfilling summer semester in Denmark where she was introduced to Danish gymnastics and release technique. Shortly after she wrote a research essay on the roots of jazz dance that would later be published in the University of California Irvine's Dance Journal. In addition to being a performer, Mercedes is a passionate teacher/choreographer. She’s excited to continue her dance journey as a guest artist and teacher at Hixon!
Lisa Horton
Dancer
Lisa Horton is a dancer, creator, and dance educator. She received her B.A. in Dance with a business cognate from the University of Akron.
She has performed in several shows with The University of Akron Dance Company in styles of ballet contemporary, modern, contemporary jazz and tap. Along with performing, her work was presented in the Spring UADC show through the Choreographer’s Workshop. In addition, she’s worked with various artists and companies like Gibney Dance, Body Traffic, Ben Needham-Wood, Dance Heginbotham and more. Lisa has worked as a dance educator at Martell School of dance for the several years, Weathervane Playhouse as an Akron after-school dance teacher and leader for the Neighborhood Playhouse Camp. This is her third season with Hixon Dance.
Isabelle Johnston
Guest Performer
Isabelle Johnston is a dancer, dance educator, choreographer, and overall art enthusiast. They graduated from The Ohio State University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and English, where they trained in a variety of styles including ballet, West African, jazz, contemporary, modern, Hip Hop, tap, and musical theatre. In 2022, Isabelle had the opportunity to participate in the Department of Dance’s Dance Denmark study abroad program in which they traveled to Denmark to perform choreography by Daniel Roberts. In 2022, Isabelle lived in New York City to train at Broadway Dance Center. There, Isabelle trained in a variety of styles with artists such as Sheila Barker, Christine Cornish Smith, Natalya Stavro, and David Thomas. After graduation, Isabelle moved to Florida and trained with Crawford Jazz Company under Carrie Crawford, studying a variety of jazz styles as well as aerial barres. They are passionate about storytelling and queer identity in dance, especially musical theatre, and uses this interest as a drive in all styles. Isabelle currently teaches at their childhood studio, Columbus DanceArts Academy, and this is their first season with Hixon Dance, where they are excited to learn from others and continue learning about themselves.
Suzanne Newcomb
Pianist
Suzanne Newcomb is an active solo and collaborative artist who has performed as soloist or on stage with nearly every orchestra in the region. In 2023 alone, Suzanne performed concerti by Mozart, Rachmaninoff, and Florence Price. This year has included the Beethoven Choral Fantasy and the Trio Concerto. An associate musician at the CSO and ProMusica, she also appears regularly in recitals with Columbus’ professional musicians. In addition to frequent Camarata Trio performances, completing a cycle of all Beethoven and Mozart Trios, Suzanne has performed in VIVO chamber music concerts and solo recitals at the Columbus Museum of Art. During the summer of 2023, Suzanne served as collaborative pianist for the AlpenKammer Music Festival in Austria, playing with string players and for participants in the esteemed Clarinet Institute
Dr. Newcomb received her MM and DMA degrees in piano performance from The Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, studying piano under Leon Fleisher. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Suzanne has been teaching piano full-time for many years. She stays involved in her continuing education and professional associations. She has presented lectures to national audiences at MTNA Conferences. In March 2023 she was honored in Reno, NV, as an MTNA Foundation Fellow, a lifetime achievement award.
Dr. Newcomb is a senior lecturer and staff pianist at Otterbein University. She has a successful home studio in Upper Arlington of about fifteen enthusiastic pre-college students.
Sarah Price
Dancer
Sarah Price is a performer as well as a teaching artist at Hixon Dance. Sarah attended Western Kentucky University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance.
While at Western, Sarah was a member of the WKU Dance Company as well as the National Dance Education Organization WKU student chapter. In 2021 Sarah choreographed multiple pieces for WKU student showcases including her piece titled, “See My Voice.” Sarah has had the privilege of training under various masters such as Nan Giordano, Ballet Hispánico, Roni Koresh, and Jon Lehrer. Her training consists of an eclectic mix including Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Irish, Acrobatics, and Aerial Arts. Sarah is thrilled to be dancing her third season with Hixon Dance.
Anne Raspe
Dancer
Anne Raspe is a performer, choreographer, and dance advocate. She received a degree in Dance Studies, under the instruction of Rashana Perks-Smith, at Ohio Wesleyan University and maintained many leadership
positions within the campus dance company, clubs, and department board. She is passionate about keeping art accessible and has thoroughly enjoyed dancing alongside her company members. When she isn’t dancing she works at Opening Night in both Dublin and Gahanna. This is her third season with Hixon and has loved every moment so far.
Jacob Reed
Music Director
Jacob Reed writes immersive and transformative music that pulls the audience into a distinct sonic world. As a pluralist, he draws on a diverse musical background to write engaging & thrilling music for orchestras, choirs, chamber & jazz ensembles.
Reed is intrigued by the intersection of music with other arts and collaborates frequently with choreographers, writers, and visual artists. He serves as Music Director of Hixon Dance and teaches vocal music in the Worthington Schools. He studied with Augusta Read Thomas, Tom Wells, and Joe Ong and holds degrees in Composition, Music Theory and Music Education from The Ohio State University. Recent commissions include The Central Ohio Symphony, The Johnstone Fund for New Music and UCelli Cello Quartet, The Worthington Chamber Orchestra, and the Ohio Music Teachers Association among others.
Sarah Vah
Dancer
Sarah Vah received her B.A. in Dance Studies from Kent State University, along with a double minor in Arts Entrepreneurship and Disability Studies.
She was a 3-year member of the Kent Dance Ensemble and served as
the Student Artistic Director and Social Media Representative. Sarah was also a member of the Student Dance Education Organization and served as the Event Coordinator and Social Media Representative. She has performed around Ohio at the Cleveland Dance Festival, The Ohio Statehouse Tree Lighting Festival, and the American College Dance Association Conference. Sarah has had the privilege of working with renowned artists such as Micaela Taylor, Lisa Viola, Hope Boykin, Stefanie Batten Bland, Catherine Meredith, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, and Ray Mercer. In 2022, Sarah choreographed her own piece for Kent’s student dance concert titled “Not Just Yet." Sarah is excited for her third season as a Hixon Company member!
Grace Glowacki
Stage Manager
Grace Glowacki has been working with students in the performing arts and early childhood settings for over 10 years. Grace participated in multiple performing arts during middle and high school, before she began directing. While working for the Worthingway Arts Program, she began to help backstage with Hixon Dance Company performances. In 2021, Grace officially began working for Hixon Dance as Studio Operations Administrator. She has since become our Studio Manager. Grace’s favorite part about working for Hixon Dance, and supporting both the Education Program and the Company, is that there is always something new to learn and fun to have along the way.
Hixon Dance Supporters
Encore ($2,500+)
The Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Columbus Foundation
The Ohio Arts Council
Victoria Alesi
Stanley Wolfersberger
Ovation ($500-$2,499)
Jacob Reed
Michael Reed
Cheers ($100-$499)
Dan and Susan Barco
Katharine and Dick Burnett
Sharon Ferguson
Andrew Grunauer
Justin Johnston
Brenda Mougey
Allison Potvin
Nancy Taylor
Kathy Trask, in memory of Ray Trask
Applause ($1-$99)
Jackie Ariail
Loren Bucek
Antoine Clark
Erin Feiler
David Frego
Spencer & Amy Hixon
Nick & Emily Koval
Bebe Miller
Patricia White
Your contribution matters!
We are here to make dance accessible, meaningful, and joyful through our performance and education initiatives. Financial contributions are essential to help us do the work we do and allow us to have a more powerful impact on our community.
We gladly accept donations in any amount. Even as little as $20 can help fund our student scholarship program. $50 pays for the creation of a new costume piece. $100 helps sponsor a dancer!
Your donation is tax-deductible and can be made securely online here at our website or by mail.
Become a sponsor today, and thank you for supporting local independent dance!
Hixon Dance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
We value your opinion and want to hear about your experience. We hope you enjoyed the performance. Please take a few minutes to let us know about your experience. Your feedback will help us improve future programming and understand the ways our work is advancing our vision and mission for the community. Your responses are anonymous and confidential.
Thank you for joining us!
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