MEET THE
FOUNDERS
Our founders bring decades of experience to guide the next generation with heart, rigor, and vision.
MEET THE FOUNDER
MAEVE
DOUGAL
#CO-FOUNDER #DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
MAEVE'S STORY
​​Maeve Dougal is a co-founder of Open Space and serves as the organization’s Director of Education. A passionate educator and advocate for accessible, high-quality dance training, Maeve brings two decades of experience as a teacher, mentor, and program leader across the country.​​
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Maeve holds an MA in Dance Education with a concentration in American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Ballet Pedagogy from New York University, where she trained under Raymond Lukens and Franco De Vita, co-authors of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is proud to serve as a member of the Artistic Board of Examiners for ABT’s National Training Curriculum, and is an ABT® Teaching Fellow, certified through Level 7 and Partnering.
Before returning to her hometown of Portland to co-found Open Space, Maeve spent over a decade working in the New York metropolitan area. She served as director of the Mason Gross Extension Division’s ABT® Certified School of Ballet at Rutgers University, directed Rutgers Summer Dance Conservatories, and was a lecturer in the Rutgers University Department of Dance.
Maeve is also a certified 4Pointe instructor (Levels 1–3), having been mentored by Lynne Charles, creator of 4Pointe and Artistic Director of English National Ballet School. She has held faculty positions at NW Dance Project, the Harlem School of the Arts, Princeton Ballet School, and several other schools throughout New York and New Jersey. Her work as a teaching artist has brought her into outreach programs for ABT Kids, the Northside Center for Childhood Development, Dance Bermuda, and the Wardlaw + Hartridge School.
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​Maeve trained and performed with Utah Metropolitan Ballet and its second company while earning her BFA in Dance from Utah Valley University. She received her early dance training at The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre with Damara Bennett, Columbia Dance, and the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. She has attended summer programs with Boston Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre.
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In addition to her work as an educator, Maeve has held administrative roles with Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), The George Balanchine Trust, the New York Choreographic Institute at New York City Ballet, and the ABT Studio Company.
Maeve welcomed her son Luka into the world in January 2021. He continues to be her most profound teacher in both life and art.
MAEVE DOUGAL
CHARLENE HANNIBAL
MEET THE FOUNDER
CHARLENE
HANNIBAL
#CO-FOUNDER #EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CHARLENE' STORY
Born and raised in Portland, Charlene trained at The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre for over a decade until joining OBT as an apprentice. She danced professionally with Company C Contemporary Ballet, The Oakland Ballet, Imagery and Berkeley City Ballet.
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In addition to her classical and neoclassical repertoire, Ms. Hannibal has performed the work of Twyla Tharp, Antony Tudor, James Canfield, Patrick Corbin, Charles Anderson, Gregory Dawson, Michael Smuin, Paul Taylor, David Parsons, Amy Seiwert, Paul Vasterling, and Thaddeus Davis.
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Charlene was interested in teaching dance from a young age. She assisted children’s classes during her tenure as a student at OBT and notated the school’s entire syllabus under Haydée Gutiérrez. Ms. Hannibal has taught ballet for Marin Dance Theatre, Contra Costa Ballet, Berkeley City Ballet, Portland Festival Ballet, Post:Ballet, BodyVox, and OBT. She was the Youth Ballet Director at NW Dance Project from 2018-2021. Her teaching is heavily informed by the wonderful artists and teachers at Alonzo King LINES Ballet.
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Charlene is a classically trained pianist, and holds an English degree from UC Berkeley. She became a certified yoga instructor in Pahoa, Hawaii in 2001. She taught yoga in San Francisco throughout her career as a professional dancer. In 2011, after studying extensively with posture guru Esther Gokhale, Charlene became a posture coach. An anthropologically-based practice aimed at helping those with back pain, Charlene has led hundreds of Gokhale Method seminars throughout Portland and the Bay Area. Currently, Ms. Hannibal resides in Portland with her husband Colin and their children Winston and Millie.
CHARLENE HANNIBAL
FRANCO NIETO
MEET THE FOUNDER
FRANCO
NIETO
#CO-FOUNDER #ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
FRANCO'S STORY
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 in over 10 different countries and performed with the likes of Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John.
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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 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 to every class at Open Space.