Artistic Team
Olivia Rivard Hill
Founder & Artistic Director
Olivia C. Rivard Hill (B.F.A. Dance, B.A. French, minor in Gender Studies) is a professional dancer, movement teacher, and choreographer living in Charlottesville, VA. After having completed her degrees at the University Of Minnesota, Olivia joined Kanopy Dance Company (WI) becoming a Principal Dancer. Her experience continued abroad in Paris, France training at the Centre De Danse De Marais and teaching Modern Technique to International Students. Her choreography has been presented by Kanopy Dance, The Bare Bones Dance Collective, LizSexe Dance and Cumulus Dance where she served as artistic director. She is currently a Resident Artist of McGuffey Arts Center and continues to bring an interdisciplinary approach to modern dance creation and performance collaborating with other artists including photographers, videographers, and more.
Olivia has taught Modern Dance Technique to dancers of all ages and abilities including at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies Program and at the University of Virginia. In 2019 she founded The Move Studio, a hybrid dance and fitness studio to bring the joy of practice to all movers.
Liz Sumpter
Production Assistant
Liz comes on board with ORH Dance delighted to share in the development of a new modern company for Charlottesville. This is a natural continuation of her lifelong practice, interest, and involvement with the art of dance.
A graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, BA in dance with special honors, Liz trained heavily in modern dance, including the Martha Graham technique. As a young adult she studied and pursued dance in New York City and Los Angeles, performing in smaller modern dance companies, learning dance studio administration, working in membership departments of the Metropolitan Opera House and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and touring as a showgirl and aerialist with Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Later, Liz returned to her home town of Lynchburg where she served as the executive director of a nonprofit health organization and taught dance at several local studios. When the opportunity arose, Liz became owner of the dancewear shop in Lynchburg for ten years.
Making the decision to move to Charlottesville in 2017, Liz returned to the dance studio, taking classes with Charlottesville Ballet, Olivia Rivard Hill, and Susan McCulley. Liz serves on the Board of Charlottesville Ballet. She applauds Olivia Rivard Hill for launching a new modern dance company for Charlottesville.