Who We Are
Founders & Owners
Sam R Ross - Owner & Executive Director
A member of both Actors' Equity Association and Screen Actor's Guild, Sam R Ross has over fifty years of experience in theatre including Off Broadway, Regional Theater and other professional theaters from New York to Los Angeles. Sam has been seen in over 110 productions including many world and regional premieres. Sam has also appeared in over a dozen film and TV shows. As a playwright his adaptations and co-adaptations with VanguardRep have been seen across the country. Sam is also an award-winning director and lighting designer of over 20 productions.
As an artistic director, Sam has been integral in the foundation of multiple successful companies including Down Right Theatre in Atlanta, GA, Kudzu Productions and Vanguard Repertory Company - both in Los Angeles, CA. He is the founder and Executive Director of Windmill Arts.
Sam has a B.S. from the college of Charleston and an M.P.A. from Georgia State University and has done graduate work in acting at the prestigious Trinity Repertory Conservatory in Rhode Island.
photo by Emily Lambert Photography
Liz Ross - Owner
Liz has been an educator for 26 years and an advocate of the arts for a lifetime. She graduated summa cum laude from Mercer University with a M.A.T in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English. She has taught AP English Literature and Writing, World Literature, British Literature, and American Literature. Liz was English Department Chair and a member of the Curriculum Board and was responsible for dynamic initiatives including a Critical Thinking Initiative, a Curriculum Mapping Initiative and Faculty Band and Promotion (Teacher Evaluations). She spearheaded both horizontal and vertical teaming initiatives and promoted best practice and research-driven pedagogy within the department. She has presented at the NCTE Annual Convention, created, designed and implemented new classes and new units, defined goals and objectives for the English instructional program, and chaired the department accreditation process. She has worked as a stylist for Neiman Marcus events for 10 years and has designed costumes for dance and theater productions including Butterfly. With additional experience as a dramaturg, producer, stage manager, and production manager, Liz's passion for the performing arts is evident in her diverse skill set.
She is a founding member and Director of Education of Vanguard Repertory Company and a founding member and owner of Windmill Arts.
photo by Tyrone Domingo
Staff
Sarah Hillmer - Business Operations Manager
photo by Daylilies Photography
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 2011-2019 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, UNCSA, and UArts.
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.
Sarah currently serves as Executive Director for staibdance. During her 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.
In January 2024, Sarah stepped into the role of Business Operations Manager for Windmill Arts, and is thrilled to be a part of the team expanding the vision and impact of this extraordinary organization.
Grace Darden- Marketing & Communications Coordinator
photo by Jalicia Costa
Grace Darden is an emerging dancer and arts administrator currently completing her BA in Dance and BBA in Marketing at Brenau University, with an expected graduation in Spring 2026. She is passionate about dance performance, choreography, arts education, and the administrative structures that support creative work.
Grace began her dance training at the Woodstock School of Ballet and continued her development with the Gainesville Ballet Company. She is currently a member of Brenau University’s dance program, where she has performed in both student and notable guest artist works at festivals including the American College Dance Association Southeast Conference and the Alabama Dance Festival New Works Concert. She has also choreographed original works presented at Brenau University.
Grace has furthered her professional experience with Aurora Theatre as an intern and choreographer and is currently a dance educator at Elevate Performing Arts Center. She also interned with Giordano Dance Chicago, where she supported administrative operations and shadowed the rehearsal process under choreographer Al Blackstone.
Grace completed the ImmerseATL artist program, where she collaborated with Atlanta-based artists and received valuable mentorship supporting her artistic and professional development. She is eager to contribute to Windmill Arts and to continue fostering the arts in Atlanta.