Franco Nieto 
Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Open Space

Franco Nieto is a Princess Grace Award-winning dancer and the cofounder and Artistic Director of Open Space.  He has choreographed over 20 original works, performed in more than 160 world premieres, and is a sought-after master teacher. He is known for fostering a culture free of judgment and creating a wave of positive change in the dance world.  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 in over 10 different countries and performed with the likes of Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John. He spent 10 years as a principal dancer with NW Dance Project in Portland, Oregon, where he toured the world and worked hand in hand with the leading minds in choreography to create and bring to life countless original works. His early training came from the Vancouver School of Arts & Academics and Columbia Dance, and his formative line of choreography was born from his mentorship with Tracey Durbin. He graduated with his BFA in Jazz from Point Park University. Franco brings his big heart (and his dog, Otis!) to the studio each and every day.

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​Meredith T. Webster grew up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, studying under Jean Wolfmeyer and then attended the Harid Conservatory and Pacific Northwest Ballet School.  She worked with Sonia Dawkins Prism and Donald Byrd's Spectrum Dance Theatre in Seattle, and earned a B.S. in Sustainable Resource Sciences from the University of Washington before moving to San Francisco to work with Alonzo King LINES Ballet. In her nine seasons as a dancer with LINES, Webster originated many central roles, performed in international galas, and received a Princess Grace Award. In 2014 she became the Ballet Master for LINES, a role in which she served until early 2020.  Meredith has also performed with Sharp & Fine, joined Ledoh/Salt Farm in the butoh-inspired Incognito, worked with Maureen Whiting & Co, collaborated with David Harvey to create the site-specific Ladysmith Draw, and co-created Empress Archer, an evening-length duet produced by The Cambrians of Chicago. Webster has served as a faculty member for all of the LINES Ballet programs and as a guest teacher around the world, and she has contributed as a writer to Dance Spirit and Conversations.  She choreographed and starred in the short film Mirrors, written and directed by Mary Marxen, and worked with Drew Jacoby and SF Danceworks on the film Evidence of it All, in which she performed the lead role, with voiceover by Rosamund Pike.  Meredith participated in the Room to Room project in collaboration with Bruno Roque to make the solo Miles Away, and created the music video Numenon- the result of a choreographic residency at Dancers’ Workshop in Jackson, Wyoming.  She currently sits on the Board of Directors for Maureen Whiting & Co and lives on the unceded Ohlone land of xučyun (Huchiun), also known as Oakland, California.  Since 2021, she has been staging Alonzo King’s work and assisting him in the creation of new work for various companies outside of LINES.​

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Noelle Kayer

Resident Choreographer, Open Space

Noelle Kayser is an award-winning choreographer, director, and multi-disciplinary performer based in Chicago. She is the inaugural resident choreographer for Open Space, a Whim W’him Choreographic Shindig winner, the 2025 BalletX Choreographic Fellow, and a 2026 Ballet Collective Commission for Developing Choreographers recipient. Noelle has created work for companies including Dance Aspen, DanceWorks Chicago, MADCO, Visceral Dance Chicago, and SALT II among many others. She served as a guest Ballet Mistress at the Lyric Opera, was the founding rehearsal director and administrator for PARA.MAR Dance Theatre (2022 Dance Magazine Top 25 to Watch), and named one of NewCity Magazines, “The 50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago”. Noelle’s short dance film “dust”—produced by Open Space—was awarded Best Dance Film at both the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival and the Mannheim Arts and Film Festival, and is an Official Selection at the Swedish International Film Festival and ARTSinTANK Dance Festival in Korea.

In addition to her choreographic work, Noelle has performed works by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Ihsan Rustem, Wen Wei Wang, Danielle Agami, Robyn Mineko Williams, Kevin O’Day, and Alice Klock, among others. She has had the privilege of dancing with companies such as NW Dance Project, LED Boise, Open Space, and Visceral Dance Chicago among others. She has taught for organizations such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Goodman Theatre, and Visceral Dance Chicago. As an actor, Noelle has narrated 16 audiobooks for Audible, appeared in advertising campaigns, and performed in stage productions at The Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and The Alliance Theatre among others. Most recently, she won the 2024 Jeff Award for Best Ensemble for her performance as Selene in The Penelopiad at The Goodman Theatre, and starred in Anna Long’s short film Death in the Desert (Best Actress in a Short at the Idyllwild Film Festival & Best Short Drama at the Breckenridge Film Festival). 

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Ellie Thomas (she/they) grew up in Portland, Oregon. They trained at Sultanov Ballet Academy and as a Jefferson Dancer before completing their BFA in dance performance and composition with a minor in arts management from SUNY Purchase. At Purchase, Ellie performed works by Eve Chan, George Balanchine, Jenelle Figgins, Lauren Edson, and many others. Additionally, they have furthered their artistic training at organizations such as London Contemporary Dance School, Open Space, Big Kids, Whim W’Him, Vim Vigor, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet.  In 2024, they joined Open Space as an apprentice and was promoted to company artist in 2025. Ellie has performed works at Open Space in collaboration with choreographers such as Ching Ching Wong, Keelan Whitmore, Noelle Kayser, and Outrun the Bear. 

Ellie teaches and choreographs across the Portland area and is thrilled to share their passion for dance at Open Space! 

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Kylee Killian (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned her BFA in Modern Dance from Point Park University, where she also performed with improv-dance company, The Pillow Projects. After graduation, she joined SALT 2 Contemporary Dance in Salt Lake City, Utah, performing

works by celebrated contemporary choreographers and debuting herown original choreography. Now based in Portland, Oregon, Kylee is excited for her second season at Open Space, as well as teaching and choreographing at The School at Open Space, and other local dance establishments. Kylee also dances with LED, under the direction of Lauren Edson, where she recently performed in the premiere of their new evening length work, “My Strange Darling”.

Kylee has had the privilege to perform in works by renowned choreographers such as Nicole von Arx, Alice Klock, Noelle Kayser, Ching Ching Wong, Martha Graham, Keelan Whitmore, Outrun the Bear, Penny Saunders, Norbert De La Cruz III, Garrett Smith, Courtney Mazeika, and many others!

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