A homegrown Healdsburg native, Tanya Tolmasoff Knippelmeir has worked professionally as a dancer, performer, designer, and arts/cultural manager both nationally and internationally for two decades. Tanya is the artistic director and co-founder of UPside Dance Company, one of Sonoma County's most recognized local dance companies, known for bringing contemporary dance to unconventional spaces. Tanya is also an instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College Dance Department and ArtQuest Dance program at Santa Rosa High School. Her SRJC choreography has twice received awards and been nationally recognized at the American College Dance Association. 

Tanya holds an MA with Distinction in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from Goldsmith University of London, and a BA in Theatre, Dance, and Costume Design from Cal Poly University, SLO.  While in London (2011-2012) she worked in the Creative Development Department for Sadler’s Wells London’s Dance House working for renown choreographers Mathew Bourne, Akram Khan, Sidhi Larbi, Wayne McGregor, Russel Maliphant, and artists from Pina Bausch, and helped coordinate ‘BIG Street Dance 2012‘ where over 1,000 performers danced on the steps of London’s National Gallery and Trafalgar Square.

On stage and on tour, Tanya has performed in St. Petersburg (Russia), Interweave Dance Theater (Boulder CO), Variable Velocity Performance Group (California), Civic Ballet (California), AMP:Dance (NYC), RE:DS Dance Company (London, UK), and a Viennese circus act (Yes, you read that right, she was a clown!). As well as a performer, she has also designed theater costumes for off-Broadway productions in NYC, dance costumes for Variable Velocity and the SRJC Dance Department, and directed a Californian fashion company called Melanie Renee Design.