Welcome
​Open Space presents OPEN SPACE TOO
Welcome! We are delighted to present our second annual Open Space Too Show. Currently in its second year, Open Space Too is an intensive two-year training program for artists looking to pursue a career in dance. We could not be more proud of the 2024/25 cohort--their daily commitment to their craft is commendable. Artistic Director Franco Nieto has been working continuously with our trainees this academic year and is presenting two works tonight. Guest choreographers, and Open Space favorites, Sara Parker and Claire Olberding also have pieces on the program.
Tonight's show will have a special performance by the top two levels from The School at Open Space.
Open Space Too teaching apprentice Samantha Cruz, under the tutelage of Director Maeve Dougal choreographed on our Junior Artists Company and Executive Director, Charlene Hannibal worked with the Young Artists Company.
A special thanks Oregon Contemporary for your continued partnership with Open Space.
Thank you for being part of our blossoming community- we love dancing with you!
​Big love,
Franco + Char + Maeve
​Franco Nieto, Artistic Director
Charlene Hannibal, Executive Director
Maeve Dougal, Director of Education
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Open Space Too Artists
Kiri Massen, Natalie Becker, Elisa Trujillo, Maeve Ethridge, Dinah Gardner, Ellie Toop, CJ Hankins, Sam Cruz, and Omar Vargas​
Choreographers
Franco Nieto, Claire Olberding, Sara Parker, Charlene Hannibal, and Sam Cruz
Open Space School
Junior and Young Artists Companies
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healing hearts
Choreography: Sara Parker
Music: Teho Teardo, Jonsi, A Perfect Circle
Dancers: Kiri Massen, Natalie Becker, Elisa Trujillo, Maeve Ethridge, Dinah Gardner, Ellie Toop, CJ Hankins and Omar Vargas​
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‘healing hearts’ is a part of a greater anthology of my creative research since 2023 that explores the journey of the heart.
For a heart to be in the process of healing - it must be broken, open.
This work explores injury, rupture, and pain as a catalyst for the brilliance of being.
The wound as a portal.
I believe that no one is ever fully healed- for that indicates a finality that one can no longer go beyond.
A sort of arrival point- that doesn’t exist.
Every person, situation, and experience in our lives leaves some remnant of a stain on our hearts.
In ‘healing hearts’ the dancers and I explore the state of a healing heart as a constant process. What you will see tonight is a representation of that experience.
I invite you to see the dance through your own painful experiences in an effort to surrender to becoming “healing hearts” along with us.
Enjoy.​​
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Stars Are Rising​
The School at Open Space​​
Music: George Lykogiannis
Junior Artists Company
Choreography: Samantha Cruz, Open Space Too Teaching Apprentice
Dancers: Nyonchele Afronso, Isla Bungcayao, Frankie Connelly Antonick, Anouk Humphries, Oliver Moultrie,Sigga Nichols, Cassidy Parker, Ellie Schneider, Marin Telling, Laia Helen Shamrell, and Ariah Winter
Young Artists Company
Choreography: Charlene Hannibal
Dancers: Avery Anderson, Adeline Cress, Camden Forness, CJ Hankins, Henry Roth, Mimi Reppenhagen, Sonora Buchholtz, Sophia Smith-Stetzel, Sophia Bledsoe, Tanner Wuethrich,
Winifred Keane, and Zoe Karamfilova
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Confetti Head ​
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Choreography: Franco Neito
Dancers: Elisa Trujillo and Maeve Ethridge
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Originally premiered in 2021 on Open Space Company Artists, Audrey Wells and Elise Gonsalves.
Remnants Of A Year​
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Choreography: Claire Olberding
Dancers: Kiri Massen, Natalie Becker, Elisa Trujillo, Maeve Ethridge, Dinah Gardner, Ellie Toop, Sam Cruz, and Omar Vargas​
If we are going to survive, we're going to have to tie our roots to other roots.
-Sophie Strand
To this soulful, hard working, spirited, deeply caring, generous, funny, talented
group of young artists, a heartfelt thank you.
Love,
Claire
Video Interlude​
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Cinematographer: Matthew Tomac, RUNTHISBLOCK Productions​​​​​
Shadow Ego
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Choreography: Franco Nieto
​Dancers: ​​Kiri Massen, Natalie Becker, Elisa Trujillo, Maeve Ethridge, Dinah Gardner, Ellie Toop and Omar Vargas​
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Program
About the Choreographers + Special Guests
Franco Nieto
Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Open Space
Princess Grace Award winner Franco Nieto was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. He made the unconventional switch from football to ballet in his teenage years and has now taught and danced internationally. Nieto was a principal dancer with NW Dance Project in Portland, Oregon, where he toured the world and worked with leading minds to create countless original works. His early training came from the Vancouver School of Arts & Academics, Columbia Dance, and mentor, Tracey Durbin. He graduated from Point Park University, with his BFA in Jazz. Nieto is now Artistic Director and founder of Open Space Dance.
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​Claire Olberding
Open Space Faculty
Teacher, dancer and choreographer Claire Olberding was born and raised in Portland, OR. Her early training at Dancer's Workshop began a lifelong relationship with Tracey Durbin and a deep love of the Luigi style of Jazz Dance. She brings to. OpenSpace a 16 year career teaching and leading Portland's daVinci Arts Dance Program. She received her BFA in dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.​
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Sara Parker
Open Space Faculty
Sara Parker is a dance and movement artist who currently teaches, creates, and performs throughout the Portland-area. She holds an MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah (2015) and a B.S. in Dance from the University of Oregon (2009). These formalized experiences have provided her the ability to integrate thought and experience into action as she engages with dance and movement in the span of her career.
Motivated by creativity, Sara values dance as a radical act of liberating one’s body to more fully engage and connect with the deeper and subtle layers of existence. She is enamored by ‘what comes up’ in the studio, and the relationship between her lived experience and the ‘bigger picture’. The micro and macrocosm. Sara believes that dance is a powerful catalyst for personal and communal revolution and her aim is to make a positive impact through teaching, choreography, and performance.
​Matthew Tomac
A cinematographer based in Portland, OR, Matthew is the founder of RUN THIS BLOCK, a video production company specializing in documentary and commercial content.
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Performing Artists
Elisa Trujillo
Ellie Toop
Maeve Ethridge
Dinah Gardner
Natalie Becker
Sam Cruz
Kiri Massen
CJ Hankins
Omar Vargas
Open Space Support
Supernova Sponsors ($10,000 - $20,000)
Alan and Sharon Jones, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, John Perry, Swell Fund/Oregon Community Foundation, Urban Cadance
Light Speed Legends ($5,000 - $9,999)
Katherine Disenhoff, Jessica Nokovic, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Sarah and Frank Reppenhagen
Starstruck Killers ($2,500 - $4,999)
Jared Hunt Kendal and Dorian Kendal, Allison and Peter Lyneham, Kelly O’Sullivan, Serena Zilliacus and Pierre-Laurent Baudey
Comet Crusaders ($1,000 - $2,499)
Gina Condon and Eric Cress, Dr. Abby and John Furukawa, Suzy Greenburg, Susan and Thomas Hannibal, Harrington Family Foundation, Jessica Hutchins and Stephen Malkmus, Paul King and Walter Jaffe, Melissa and Mark MacDonald, Robert Montgomery, Ann-Marie Nava, Ariel Nemirow, Kaelin and Frank Nieto, Reegan and David Rae, Ashley Roland and Jamey Hampton, See-yin So and Tyler Frank, Jane Tighe, Sarah and Stephen Schwarz, Derek Spears, Jennifer and Dr. Brandon Togioka, Sarah and Steve Wells​
Meteoric Marvels ($500 - $999)
Dr. Carrie and James Allsion, Barbara Berkeley and Wendy Storch, Annie and Brad Carnese, Gary Carroll, LeeWei Chao, Yvonne Cohen, Donna Dresch and Sarah Bibb, Paul Fylger, Kathleen Frazlen, Kyle and Charles Fuchs, Alan Gerencer, Chelsea and Gabe Heller, Anne Huffington-Carroll and Zachary Carroll, Dr. Danylle Kapler, Stephen Karakashian, Linda and Malcolm Mathes, Jess and Bob Monsey, Jackie and Dan Moore, Anne Prior, Dani Rowe and Luke Ingham, Jack Rutledge, Robert Textor, Josh Todd, Katrina Wheeler, Julie Lagesen, Lucinda Welch and Dennis Nolan, Alexander Vassos
Cosmic Crewmates ($250 - $499)
Erin Acker, Nicole Bangs, Dr. Denise and Emily Bilbao, Bradley Chow, Melinda Coats, Sandra Cost, Leah Daniels and Stephanie Backus, Judith Dougal, Malia and Nathan Freeburg, Eric Garcia, Christy and Jason Griffiths, Leahland Hill, Robert S Hopkins, Kelly McCoy and Peter Ostrom, David Nokovic, Santi St. James, Daniel Stearns, Anna-Marie Spence and Mac Strang, Karen and Russ Swinehart, Clair and Hubert Scrase, Ray and Darla Tomac, Jackie and Carl VanderZanden, Shannon and Erik Walcott, Lucinda Welch and Dennis Nolan, Katrina Wheeler, Colette and James White, Kristan Williams, Maryann Yelnosky
Space Cadet Squad ($100 - $249)
Erin Acker, Katie Bledsoe, Sali Borchman, David Rubin, Jen and Danny Clancey, Thane Giles, Ty Givens, Regina and Doug Hansen, Jeffrey Howard, Adra Huston, Glenford Kennedy, Holly MacFee, Bradley Miller, Dennis Morar, Shane Nevius, Portland City Properties, Dina Soriano, Vy Ta and Brandon Chung, The Leotard, Jenny Van Alstyne, George and Marilou Waldmann, Karen and Lester Weideman
Stardust Seekers ($25 - $99)
Katherine Brown, Debra Burke, Whitney Dorer, Galen Ettlin, James Evans, Michael Gearhart, Mary Anne and George Hannibal, Julie Harrigan, Lisa Kaplan, Shaun Keylock, Ali Krasnow, Melissa Lu, Hannah Martin, Kari McFarlan, Douglas Meddaugh, Daniel Newman, Ry Ott, Jenny Peterson, Stacey Shroeder, Amy Smith, David Taub, Teryn Thiesen, Kathleen Valdez
Nebula Navigators (In Kind)
AM Spence Design, Barre3, BodyVox, Botanica Floral Design, Kim and Mike Chopko, Erath Winery, Firelight Yoga, Nathan Freeburg, Full Plate Farm, Fusion Landscape Design, Dr. Alice Gray, Hilary Finck, Janelle Faherty, Jessica Schultz, Judy Heller, Kamp Grizzly, Louise Apparel, Mantel, Mayfly, Mississippi Studios, North Country Productions, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Brewery Running Series, ¿Por Qué No?, Pacific Groves, Parkside, Caitlin and Zach Pickens, Portland Women’s Acupuncture, Posies, Rae Creative, Rose City Dogs, Sarah and Frank Reppenhagen, TEDxPortland, White Bird
Corporate Matching Gifts
Apple, Google, Intel, Nike, Raytheon Technology, Salesforce