Jesus Acosta is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. He began dancing at Sam Houston State University at the age of eighteen. He has danced professionally with METdance Company for four seasons, Hope Stone Dance Company for four seasons, he is a founding member for NobleMotion Dance where he danced for nine seasons, and is more currently a founding member for Houston Contemporary Dance Company where he danced for three seasons. Jesus has worked for MA Dance and Auxiliaries for nineteen years teaching, choreographing, and judging all over the United States. Jesus has also choreographed for The Houston Texans Cheerleaders and has been featured in Dance Teacher Magazine. Mr. Acosta has danced nationally in venues such as The Ailey Theater in New York City, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., The Paramount Theater in Boston, Massachusetts, The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California and The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Complex in Salt Lake City among others. He can be found teaching at many dance studios in Houston and the surrounding areas. He loves instilling positivity and inspiring young minds to fulfill their potential as artists and humans.

Joel Aguilera is a Houston Native with an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and BFA in Dance from the University of Houston. Aguilera has experience touring nationally and internationally as a professional dancer, performing in countries like Albania, Costa Rica, and Montenegro. Most recently, Aguilera became an Olympic Coach as breaking debuts in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. In Houston, Aguilera has opened up for John Legend, Pitbull, and Lil’ Wayne alongside Kreate Inc, entertained with Houston Rockets Launch Crew for two seasons, and currently spends his time teaching at several studios in the Greater Houston area. Aguilera is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Mezclada Dance Company and has presented his work in Houston, New York, Milwaukee, and St. Louis as well as in many dance festivals such as “Barnstorm Dance Fest”, “Emerging Choreographers Showcase”, ”16th Annual Celebration of Dance”, “Mind the Gap 8.0”, “Mind the Gap 13.0”, and “Texas Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival” where he fuses his Breaking foundation with Modern dance and Latin Culture.

Lizzy Aguilera received her BFA in Dance from the University of Houston and her MFA in dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Aguilera works alongside her husband, Joel Aguilera, as the Assistant Director and Principal Dance of the Mezclada Dance Company. Additionally, Aguilera is a company member for six degrees dance company. Previously, Aguilera has guest danced for several other dance companies including Noblemotion, Psophonia, and Dance Houston.

Aguilera teaches a wide array of dance styles but specializes in teaching Jazz, Contemporary, and Acrobatics. Aguilera teached pedagogy and contemporary dance as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston. Aguilera is the Assistant Artistic Director of her family owned dance studio, Dayton Academy of Dance, and was previously the Director of the dance program at Crosby Middle School. Aguilera is highly experienced in studio team choreography, drill team choreography, but always stresses the importance of proper technique and a firm classical foundation no matter the platform.

Lucy “Miss Lou” Arrington is a SETX native and prominent face of dance throughout the community. Miss Lou has been teaching at Lamar University for over 20 years in movement techniques, theatre dance forms, and more. She is certified with Dance Masters of America in ballet, tap, jazz and acrobatics. Miss Lou has choreographed numerous original works for LUTD faculty concerts, served as choreographer for “Sweet Charity” and “Frog and Toad,” and is currently the choreographer in residence for the Southeast Texas Ballet Company. As a freelance choreographer, she has worked extensively with the Beaumont Community Players, Symphony of Southeast Texas, Beaumont Ballet Theatre, Ozen Dance Company, Orange Jazz Company, and other organizations. In 2019, her work “Boudain and Barbecue” was presented in Taiwan as part of the cultural exchange program between Lamar University and Tainan University of Technology. In addition to her work at Lamar University and area dance studios, Miss Lou is also an actor and singer, having performed with Gaslight Theatre, the Beaumont Community Players, the Beaumont Civic Ballet, as well as other local performing arts organizations.

Will Brighton is a dancer, choreographer, and writer based in St. Louis, MO. He grew up in Ann Arbor, MI and graduated summa cum laude from Western Michigan University with a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.A. in English. While at WMU, Will performed works by Yin Yue, Christian Denice, BAIRA, George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Antony Tudor, and others, and performed alongside Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. Will is currently in his sixth season with Saint Louis Dance Theatre, where he has performed repertory by Jiří Kylián, Johan Inger, Sidra Bell, Omar Román de Jesús, Norbert de la Cruz III, Joshua Peugh, and more. He has also performed as a guest artist with Saint Louis Ballet and MADCO, as well as in collaborations with Jazz St. Louis, the Pulitzer Arts Museum, and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Will was named an Emerging Choreographer by Young Dancers Initiative in 2020 and by Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s NewDANCEfest in 2021. His work has been commissioned by Resilience Dance Company and Space Station Dance Residency, and presented at festivals including the Saint Louis Contemporary Dance Festival, MADCO’s Dare to Dance Festival, Modern Night at the Gem, and RADFest.

West Devaney is a dancer and choreographer born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. West’s formal training began at Laguardia High School, while simultaneously performing and training with the Peridance Youth Ensemble. Here, she was able to perform a variety of new works and repertoire by artists such as Norbert De La Cruz III, Mark Casserta, Clarrise Roud, and others. This led to attending SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a concentration in composition, planning to graduate in May of 2026. While at SUNY Purchase, West has performed with Purchase Dance Company, presenting works by Paul Taylor, Doug Varone, DualRivet, Cain Coleman, and Marcel Gbeffa. She closed her time at Purchase with “Darn Rite”, a solo by Ana Maria Lucaciu. Outside of Purchase, West has had the opportunity to train with many intensive programs, such as Springboard Danse|Pittsburgh, B12 Research or Die, DART Dance Company, NOD Nuova Officina Della Danza, and Sidra Bell’s MODULE 24 and 25 as a guest artist. As a choreographer, West has presented works at the Peridance KnJ Theater, Uptown Rising Dance Festival, and the SUNY Purchase Dance Theater Lab.

Kelsi has created work for New Dances 2025 a collaboration between Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago, presented work as an emerging choreographer for the Eisenhower Dance Detroit NewDANCEfest and developed work as a DanceWorks Chicago Dance360 ChoreoLab Choreographer.

Amy Elizabeth-a dance creative, arts administrator, and educator – holds an M.F.A. from Sam Houston State University and an M.B.A from Lamar University. Amy is currently on faculty in the LU Department of Theatre & Dance teaching movement technique, composition, and history. As founder and artistic director of Aimed Dance, Amy has presented work and/or participated in workshops with ACDA, Brazos Contemporary Dance Festival, Houston Fringe Festival, Dance Gallery, Barnstorm Dance Fest, Austin Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, American Dance Festival, and Dance/USA. She has taught and/or set choreography with Lamar High School, Tarrant County College, San Jacinto College, Stephen F. Austin State University, Rice University, the Governor’s School at Radford University, Dance Source Houston Artist in Residence, and the Tainan University of Technology in Taiwan. Amy has been on faculty at Lone Star College, Houston Community College, as well as an instructor at SHSU and Rice University.

Kelsi Fears is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and a graduate of the Point Park University Conservatory of the Performing Arts receiving a BFA in Dance. Kelsi is a 2023 participant of the Camille A. Brown Mentorship Program and a 2023 Tomayko Foundation Award recipient for Excellence in Choreography.

Kelsi has created work for New Dances 2025 a collaboration between Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago, presented work as an emerging choreographer for the Eisenhower Dance Detroit NewDANCEfest and developed work as a DanceWorks Chicago Dance360 ChoreoLab Choreographer.

Coming Soon…

Hailed as “bold” by the NY Times, Jennifer Mabus has performed with Robert Battle (NYC), Amy Marshall (NYC), Heidi Latsky (NYC), Takehiro Ueyama (NYC), Bruce Wood Dance (TX), Noble Motion Dance (TX), Dark Circles Contemporary Dance (TX), and continues to create and perform her own work. She has served on the faculties of University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Christian University, Booker T Washington HSPVA, Interlochen Arts Academy, Houston’s HSPVA, and Sam Houston State University. Additionally, Jennifer has presented her work in nationally recognized dance festivals, and she co-created multi-media evenings in venues such as the Miller Outdoor Theater, Hobby Center, Rothko Chapel, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Rec Room, and the Blanton Museum. She has been a resident artist with Rice University, Noble Motion Dance, Dance Source Houston, Arts Mission Oak Cliff and Agora Artists, and has created works for the dance companies Bruce Wood Dance, Avant Chamber Ballet, Houston Contemporary, METdance, Contemporary Ballet Dallas, Muscle Memory Dance Theater, Elle Danceworks, and Pilot Dance Project. Mabus received her BFA in Dance from Southern Methodist University and her MFA from Sam Houston State University. She also a yoga teacher, cat lady, and Argentine tango dancer. She is pursuing certification as a Dance Movement Therapist and is deeply researching the intersection of dance and healing.

Rain Ross is a performer, choreographer, and dance educator whose work centers community-building, collaboration, and the belief that artmaking is a necessary human practice. 

Rain has worked with a diverse range of choreographers including Meredith Rainey, Toni Pimble, Wade Madsen, David Dorfman, as well as performed both nationally and internationally with companies such as The Playhouse Dance Company (South Africa), and Arc Dance (Seattle). Her choreographic work has been presented in New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Santa Barbara, Beirut, and beyond. Since its inception in 2011, Rain has been a core contributor to the International Dance Day Festival in Lebanon, where she has served as a choreographer, teacher, performer, and co-founder. 

Rain is currently Professor of Dance at Stockton University in New Jersey, where she teaches contemporary and ballet techniques, improvisation, kinesiology, and dance theory. Her work in higher education is grounded in mentorship, embodied learning, and expanding access to meaningful artistic experiences. Whether working with students or professionals, Rain is invested in creating environments that support growth, agency, and authentic human connection through movement.

Amy A. Wright is originally from Lubbock, Texas and holds an MFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX, and has served as full time faculty and coordinator of dance programs in New Mexico, Ohio, and Illinois. Amy has worked extensively as a teacher, performer, choreographer, director, light and costume designer, technician, production/stage manager, graphic designer, and filmmaker in dance, musical theatre, and opera. Her choreographic work has been featured in numerous prestigious festivals including The Rockford City Dance Festival, Corpus Christi’s Bailando, Dance Chicago, The Elgin Fringe Festival, Chicago’s Going Dutch, Houston’s Venturing Out and The Dance Gathering, the American College Dance Association’s Central and South Central Regions, and the 2016 International Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Paige Cunningham Caldarella joined the Dance faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in August 2022, following fifteen years on faculty at Columbia College Chicago. She performed internationally with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, appearing at venues including the Joyce Theater, the David H. Koch Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Barbican Centre in London, the Tate Modern Museum, and Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. During her time with the company, she danced in both repertory works and new creations.

After MCDC, Paige danced with the Chicago-based company The Seldoms, including performances in New York and Russia. Her performance career also includes working with a wide range of artists including Onye Ozuzu, Timothy Buckley, Darrell Jones, Alfonso Cervera, Anna Peretz Rogovoy, Mandy Salva, Colleen Halloran, and Cynthia Oliver.

Paige’s choreography draws from these diverse dance histories, blending contemporary ballet and modern dance while emphasizing discomfort, risk-taking, and conflict as essential tools for growth. Her 2012 work Without Consideration for Cincinnati Ballet was praised as “a modern dance piece cut with classical ballet… by turns satirical, ominous, and oddly compelling” (Julie Mullins, CityBeat). She holds a B.F.A. from The Juilliard School and an M.F.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Atticus Griffin started dancing at age 18 in his hometown of Burleson, Texas. He continued his training at Texas State University, and later the University of Texas at Austin, receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. While in Austin he began working as a freelance dancer, performing with multiple dance companies such as Ballet Concerto, Chamacos Dance Company, Dance Theatre X, NobleMotion Dance, and other guest performances. His most notable appearance was in the inaugural cast of Ventana Ballet in Austin, Texas as the Nutcracker in The Watchmakers Song. He has been a rehearsal director and choreographer for Open Dance Project 2 for productions Wonka!, Peter and Wendy, and Alice, and was a featured choreographer for ODP’s 2023 Shortcuts production. He recently completed the Countertechnique Teacher Training Program in Amsterdam, and received his Teaching Certificate. He is one of only two certified Countertechnique teachers in the state of Texas. This is his fifth season as an artist with Open Dance Project.

Jasmine Jaramillo is from Denton, TX and has been a dance educator for over 20 years. Ms. Jaramillo holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in History with a dance minor and a Master of Arts degree in Dance History from Texas Woman’s University. Ms. Jaramillo is currently in the first cohort for the Masters of Fine Arts in Dance at Texas A&M University. In 2021, Jasmine founded the Jaramillo Dance Group, focusing on movement-performance art from the female perspective. Ms. Jaramillo’s choreography has been presented at the 254 Dance Festival, Summerfest at Lamar University, the Youngtanzomer Tour in Austria, Texas Woman’s University Alumni Dance Concert, South Texas College Department of Dance and Theatre Spring Concert, National High School Dance Festival and others. From 2021-2025, Ms. Jaramillo was part of the dance faculty at the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts in Fort Worth, TX. For the 2024-2025 academic year, Ms. Jaramillo served as the Dance Department Chair at FWAFA and was a runner up for the Bruce Wood Dance Excellence Award for Educators Scholarship presented by the Fort Worth Dance Festival. Upon graduation from Texas A&M University, Ms. Jaramillo will seek a position in higher education to further her pedagogical and professional practices.

Kally Jones is a Tulsa based artist who truly encompasses the term Renaissance Woman. She graduated from RSU with her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Rogers State University and since then has worked as an independent contractor doing portrait work, murals, gallery installations, photography, and a dance instructor/choreographer. She performed as both a lead dancer for Legacy Professional Dance Productions and a member of their Hop Hop Crew for many years. As a choreographer, she has won numerous awards and recognition, most recently being a chosen choreographer for Cure-8, a choreographic mentorship program provided by RACE Dance Collective in Oklahoma City, the birthplace of the piece ‘STIGMA.’ She has collaborated with the Philbrook Art Museum to merge the performing arts and the fine arts through her movement-based class, ‘Move Like Monet,’ which teaches artists the importance of their intuition. Recently, she has stepped down as a full-time teacher at Attitudes Dance Studio of 10+ years and is now pursuing more artistic opportunities outside of teaching.

A mover, maker, researcher and educator, Gina Laurenzi graduated from the University of WI – Milwaukee where she earned her MFA in dance. With roots in jazz dance and contemporary ballet, Laurenzi’s professional dance career began in Chicago. In Milwaukee, Laurenzi’s performance career expanded as a contemporary company dancer with Danceworks Performance MKE, Hyperlocal and Wild Space Dance Company. In 2015, Gina created the Gina Laurenzi Dance Project to present and develop her own choreographic ideas alongside a collective of artist collaborators. Originally from Southeast Wisconsin, Gina was previously a Co-artistic Director at Danceworks and dance lecturer at the University of WI – Milwaukee. Gina aims to craft curious and dynamic interdisciplinary works of dance that spark wonder, and invite reflection. A passion for scuba diving and a lover of nature, Gina’s recent choreographic work explores awe and the human impact on the planet through the medium of dance. Currently residing in Texas, Laurenzi continues her research as an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Morgan Teel (she/her) is a choreographer, producer, and community-engaged artist based in Austin, Texas. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Dance Waterloo, a nonprofit contemporary dance company dedicated to creating accessible, intergenerational, and socially connected dance experiences. Her work centers care, communication, and collaboration—often inviting dancers, families, and community members into the creative process as co-authors of movement.

Morgan’s choreography has been presented at festivals, site-specific locations, and community spaces across Texas and the Midwest. Her recent projects explore themes of inheritance, consumer culture, and relational exchange.

She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where her research examined the Enneagram as a tool for choreographic process and artist development. In addition to her artistic practice, Morgan works as a People & Culture strategist and Certified Enneagram and time-management coach, bridging arts, wellness, and organizational design. Across disciplines, her work is rooted in accessibility, reflection, and building systems that support sustainable creative lives.

Eduardo Zambrana is a company member with Giordano Dance Chicago. He received his training from The University of Arizona School of Dance triple-track program with equal emphasis in Ballet, Modern, and Jazz and received his MFA in Choreography and Performance. During his time as a graduate student, Eduardo was awarded the Creative Achievement Award in the College of Fine Arts, representing the School of Dance for demonstrating exceptional creativity and innovation with a passion for the arts. He holds the distinction of being the only Bolivian worldwide certified at the Professional Level of the Nan Giordano Certification Program® and is committed to fostering growth in the Chicago dance community. His choreographic commissions include original works for New Dances 2023 (IL), Simantikos Dance Chicago (IL), Ten Tiny Dances at Taliesin West (AZ) and Dance Kaleidoscope Spirit & Place Festival (IN). Eduardo has also presented his choreography at Giordano II (IL), Delve Dance Chicago (IL), Dance Festival (IL), The University of Arizona, Breaking Ground Festival (AZ), SHFT at Tempe Center for Arts (AZ), Florence Dance On Screen (Italy), and Red Rock ScreenDance Film Festival (UT) where he was awarded Best Student Film in 2021.