MARGO SMOLIK Studio Manager & Dance Instructor
is a Houston-based dance artist with over two decades of training. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Houston and furthered her Contemporary practice abroad in Paris, France in 2024. Margo has performed with Mezclada under the direction of Joel Aguilera, 6 Degrees under the direction of Toni Valle, The Lockin’ Keez under the direction of Brenden Winkfield, and Rivkah French Choreography under the direction of Rivkah French. She has also had the privilege of working collaboratively with Solero Flamenco and Dr. Gabriela Estrada in Phoenix: Renacer in 2024. In addition to her dancing, Margo teaches at Dance Du Coeur in Sugar Land, TX and co-manages Hunter Dance Center. She loves facilitating students’ discoveries and celebrating dance as an accessible, rewarding practice. Margo is excited to dive into her first season with Open Dance Project!
ELYSSA VEGA Studio Manager & Dance Instructor
is a versatile dancer and teacher with over twenty years of training and a decade of teaching experience. A Dance B.F.A. graduate from the University of Houston (UH), she was a member of the UH Dance Ensemble and narrated school shows in the Young Audiences Touring Company. She received the Joanna Friesen scholarship, performed in numerous concerts, and showcased choreography at various Houston venues such as Zilkha Hall. Vega is a previous company member of PDC Works, guest artist with Chapman Dance, and a current core dancer of Mezclada Dance Company. Vega is the co-founder of her own choreography and teaching business Momentum Movement in partnership with Lizzy Aguilera in which she travels to high schools allowing them to experience quality dance training and team building. As of June 2025, Vega has also begun an apprenticeship with Open Dance Project, under the direction of Annie Arnoult and currently manages Hunter Dance Center in the Heights, TX. She is extremely fond of the Houston dance community, teaching the next generation of artists, & growing in her own personal dance practice more and more each day.
JENNA LETT Studio Receptionist
Jenna Lett is originally from Knoxville, TN. In 2024, she earned dual undergraduate degrees in Chinese and Dance from Western Kentucky University. There, she performed with WKU’s dance company and had the opportunity to perform in pieces set by faculty and guest artists, guest in Kentucky Ballet Theatre‘s Nutcracker, and perform at Big Muddy’s Dance Fest Showcase and MADCO’s Dare to Dance Festival. She has also received additional training at summer programs with Salt Contemporary Dance, Visceral Dance Chicago, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, and Gus Giordano Dance School. Most recently, she has trained and performed under Waterstreet Dance Milwaukee where she trained under direction of Morgan Williams, toured across the Midwest, and performed in works by Morgan Williams, Lean Damasco Jr., Luis Vasquez, and Leila Henry. Now, she is a Houston-based freelance dancer who loves spreading the joy of dance to all ages and abilities. She is extremely excited to join and support the team at Hunter Dance Center!
CARA DEBUSK Studio Receptionist
Cara DeBusk is a “dance mom” and former teacher with over 20 years of experience in school administration. Cara became a part of the Hunter Dance Center family as a parent whose daughter (now a dancer at HSPVA) trained in the HDC Academy Program and in ODP2 for 3 years. Cara loves the dance community at HDC and is very excited to be part of it again, offering support to the teachers, parents, and students in every way possible.
ELIZABETH SANDEFUR Aerial Instructor
discovered her love for aerial arts in 2016 at a local studio in Houston, starting with silks and hammock. In 2017, she found her way to Lyra and was drawn in by its strength, grace, and creative potential. Over time, she’s built a strong foundation across several aerial disciplines through consistent training and a genuine love for movement. As a teacher, Elizabeth encourages students to approach the aerial arts with curiosity and confidence, helping them develop both solid technique and a practice that reflects their own unique style.
SARAH LYMAN Aerial Program Director
Sarah began studying aerial dance at Hunter Dance Center in 2016 under the direction of Abby Flowers, training in dance trapeze, aerial silks, and Lyra (aerial hoop) and has served as Aerial Program Director since 2021. She acquired her teacher training through Paper Doll Militia, completing Level 1 Lyra in 2018, Level 1 Silks in 2021, and Level 2 Silks in 2022. Sarah teaches both youth and adult aerial classes at HDC, with a special enthusiasm for beginners. She has appeared on a variety of aerial apparatuses in Open Dance Project’s performances for young audiences, Peter & Wendy (2018) ALICE! (2024) and most recently, The Wonderful Wizard of OZ (2025).
“Through the art of aerial dance, we foster a sense of wonder and possibility and celebrate the empowerment of ourselves and others through physical expression.” – Sarah Lyman
Sarah is an alumna of the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and was a member of Ate9 dANCE cOMPANY in Los Angeles, CA from 2013-2015. In 2016, she moved to Houston to perform in Houston Grand Opera’s Carousel. That same year, Sarah became an apprentice with Open Dance Project. She is honored to begin ODP’s 10th Anniversary Season as a company member.
JADE DEVAULT Pilates Instructor
is a Houston based professional dance artist, choreographer, movement educator, and Certified Pilates Instructor. She was first introduced to Pilates while acquiring her BFA in Performance and Choreography from Texas State University. Jade has discovered Pilates is vital to her own ability to remain injury free during her rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule. She is excited to share the unique benefits of Pilates and functional movement with others.
SONIA ENGMAN Dance Instructor
Sonia is a professional choreographer, performer, educator, and certified personal trainer with an emphasis in modern dance, ballet, and street/club styles such as hip hop and house dance. Sonia received her BA in Contemporary Dance with a minor in Arts Management in 2016 from the University of New Mexico. She has also studied with many masters of dance at the American Dance Festival, the American College Dance Association, and the Joffrey Ballet in New York City. Having such a diverse background and training has allowed her to fill many different rolls in her professional career.
Sonia’s career has consisted of an array of dance and dance theater productions like a multi-disciplinary/multimedia performance in the Alps of Austria with Lawine Torrén. She is currently in her fifth season as a company member of Open Dance Project, a dance theater company that specializes in immersive dance theater, her fourth season as a company member of Mezclada Dance Company, a company that blends contemporary dance and street styles with Latin dance, and a member of Assorted Flavas Crew, a street dance crew that has been based in Houston, Texas for 25 years. She has recently performed as a principle dancer with Bace Productions Motown Revue at The Miller Outdoor Theater, and in a collaboration with Mezclada Dance Company and Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at the Chelsea Factory in New York City. Sonia has presented her own choreography through ACDA, the University of New Mexico, with Open Dance Project at Miller Outdoor Theater and at the Match Theater in Houston, Texas. Sonia views art and the education of art as a means of social change. She has a passion for teaching dance to people of all ages and abilities, and feels that expression through movement is a necessity in life.
ATTICUS GRIFFIN* Dance Instructor (Contemporary)
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 recent ODP production Shortcuts. 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 fourth season as an artist with Open Dance Project.
EMILY JESSE Aerial Instructor
trains, teaches, and performs on various aerial apparatuses including silks, trapeze, rope, and custom fabricated apparatuses. As an instructor, she works to empower students both in class and in their daily lives; a love of aerial allows people to accomplish goals they never believed possible. Prior to teaching at Hunter, Emily spent seven years teaching trapeze and fabric at VauLt. She completed fabric and trapeze/lyra level 1-3 teacher trainings with VauLt in Houston, TX and Paper Doll Militia’s Level 1 Aerial Silks in Oakland, CA. She has attended festivals including the Irish Aerial Dance Festival, Edinburgh Aerial and Acro Convention, and Frequent Flyers Productions’ Aerial Dance Festival with aerialists from all over the world, each one influencing her teaching style and training strategy. Emily is thrilled to be a part of Hunter Dance Center and to share her love of aerial arts with the Houston community!
TAYLOR MCANULTY Dance Instructor (Acro Dance, Stretch & Flexibility)
has been an integral part of Open Dance Project since its founding in 2015 under the artistic direction of Annie Arnoult. Over nine seasons, she has developed a versatile and compelling performance style, excelling in both immersive and traditional stage productions. Previously she performed with Psophonia Dance Company under the direction of Sophia Torres, along with performing in many festivals across Texas including “Brazos Contemporary Dance Festival” and “254 Dance Festival.” In 2014 she was a featured soloist in the original score of Robert Paterson “The Book of Goddesses.” Primarily trained in Houston, Taylor has cultivated an engaging presence with a deep passion for storytelling through movement, captivating audiences with her expressive and dynamic performances. Her work spans a diverse range of styles, consistently pushing creative boundaries. Taylor continues to evolve as a performer, bringing energy, authenticity, and a profound connection to each role they embody.
MADELYN MANLOVE* Dance Instructor (Ballet, Modern, Floor-Barre®)
is a San Antonio native who began her dance training at the age of three and trained with Collective Dance Artistry since its opening under the direction of Ashley Lopez. After high school, she attended The University of Texas at Austin where she received a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Kinesiology. While completing her undergrad, she studied with Charles O. Anderson, Erica Gionfriddo, Gesel Mason, Andrea Beckham, Tina Curren, among others. This is her fourth season with Open Dance Project and Hunter Dance Center. In addition, she is also an Advanced Lagree Fitness trainer and teaches at FORM Lagree.
LINDSEY McGILL Dance Instructor
Lindsey McGill began her formal dance training under Elizabeth and Rosemary Molak in California and continued training at the Houston Ballet Academy under the direction of Ben Stevenson, Clara Cravey, Steve Brule, and Priscilla Nathan-Murphy. Lindsey has Level 2-Bournonville certification in MUNZ BARRE®. Lindsey has taught ballet and contemporary dance at a number of schools and programs including Hunter Dance Center, Houston Ballet Academy, the Institute for Contemporary Dance Houston, NW Dance Project, and Peridance NYC. Lindsey continues to perform, teach dance, and choreograph.
ABBY FLOWERS Aerial Instructor
was a founding member of Open Dance Project and former Aerial Program Director of Hunter Dance Center. Her aerial training includes Aerial Teacher Training at VauLt Houston, The Irish Aerial Dance Festival, and Frequent Flyers’ Aerial Dance Festival where she was the recipient of the Glenn P. Davis Scholarship for Emerging Aerial Dance Choreographers. She received her BFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University where she studied under and performed the works of Andy and Dionne Noble, Dana Nicolay, Jennifer Pontius, and countless guest artists, teachers, and other students. In addition to her time performing with Open Dance Project, she also performed works by Laura Harrell, Lori Yuill, as a guest artist with Frame Dance Productions and NobleMotion Dance, and in her own aerial dance choreography at Dance Source Houston’s Mind the Gap.
Abby is now a mom of three wonderful boys and having completed her Masters in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies from Florida State University, she works full-time as an instructional designer where she gets to flex her creative design muscles. This year, she is excited to jump back in as an aerial instructor and be a part of such an incredible community of teachers and artists again!
FIRAT KAZBEK ÖZSOY Dance Instructor (Ballet)
was born into a family of artists and started studying ballet at Hacettepe University National Conservatory in Ankara, Turkey. He is a graduate of the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest Hungary. He graduated with honors and moved to the United States at 19 years old. He danced with Delta Festival Ballet and worked with Fernando Bujones at Texas Christian University. He was invited to join the Houston Ballet under the direction of Ben Stevenson and Stanton Welch where he performed the roles of Ptolomy in Cleopatra, Jester in Cinderella, Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Gopak in Nutcracker, Duet in Five Poems, Rooster in La Fille Mal Gardee, John in Peter Pan, Dr. Suess in Touched, Coyote in Tales of Texas, Pas de Cinq in Suite en Blanc, Jaguar in Fire Bird, Soloist in Ketubah, Soloist in Miraculous Mandarin. His repertoire includes roles in Dracula, Sleeping Beauty, Snow Maiden, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Peer Gynt, and Romeo and Juliet, Manon, Gloria, Second Before the Ground, The Shadow, Madame Butterfly, Divergence, Giselle, La Sylphide, Merry Widow, Etudes and Graduation Ball. Mr. Özsoy teaches ballet to students and professionals at the University of Houston and guest teaches nationally and internationally. Fırat is a Professional Audio Engineer and Sound Designer working in theatre, dance, live concerts and film.
SAVANNAH RICHARD Assistant Aerial Instructor
Savannah is a Houston native who has been dancing since the age of three. She has performed with Open Dance Project 2 and Noble Motion 2. She has been training at Hunter since its opening in 2015 when she first found her love of aerial dance!
LORI RUTLEDGE Aerial Instructor
Lori started teaching in the pole community with Sheila Kelley’s S Factor in 2009, then started taking aerial classes in early 2010 at Gyrotonic Houston. She received formal teacher training in aerial fabric levels 1, 2, 3, and hammock in January 2012 through the course of the year at Vault Houston (formally Gyrotonic Houston). Additionally, she received formal training in lyra and trapeze for level one. The following year Lori received formal teacher training for intermediate/advanced aerial fabric and taught all fabric and hammock levels at Vault Houston through December 2016. She began teaching at Hunter Dance Center in December 2016 and The Artz (formally Vault Houston) in 2017 where she was assistant director for The Artz adult program and teacher trainer. She has performed in local shows including performances with the Houston Grand Opera from 2014-2018. Lori received formal teacher training with Paper Doll Militia for level 1 fabric in 2021 and level 2 fabric in 2022. In May 2021, she began training in aerial straps at Cai Circus and received formal teacher training with Aaron Koz in January 2022. Lori taught intermediate/advanced aerial fabric and beginner straps at Cai Circus until June 2025.
JAIME GARCIA VERGARA* Dance Instructor (Modern, Aerial, Circus Arts, Musical Theater Jazz)
is a dancer from Cali, Colombia. Jaime began his dance journey with a Colombian folkloric company in 2010 where he studied various dance styles such as Salsa, Paso Doble, and Rumba. From 2013-2015 Jaime became a member of FrenetiCore Dance Company where he began to receive his introduction to Ballet and Modern dance techniques. During this time Jaime was also able to work with many incredibly talented choreographers including Jane Weiner, Jennifer Salter, Rebecca French, Laura Harrell, Ashley Horn, and Annie Arnoult. While at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) Jaime had the opportunity to work with Erin Reck, Jennifer Mabus, Dionne Noble and Joshua Peugh amongst other great choreographers. Jaime has a BFA in Dance and a Pilates Certification, teaches Latin, Modern, and Aerial at Hunter Dance Center and is in his seventh season with Open Dance Project.
SPENCER GAVIN HERING Dance Instructor (Int/Adv Adult Ballet)
born in Munich, Germany, is the son of two professional ballet dancers. With a life immersed in the arts, Spencer eventually, at the age of 16, began training with his mother Cecilia Hering in Redlands, California. After two years at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, he joined Ballet Pacifica in Irvine, California and has since danced as a principal artist with Maximum Dance Company/Ballet Gamonet, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Miami Contemporary Dance Company, Island Moving Co., State Street Ballet as a Principal and Hope Stone Dance Company as a company member. Mr. Hering is a Co-Founding Director of iMEE, established 2009, where he danced as a principal artist for eight seasons. His repertory includes principal roles by acclaimed choreographers that are both current and iconic: David Allan, George Balanchine, Maurice Causey, Anne Marie DeAngelo, Jimmy Gamonet, Choo-San Goh, Paola Georgudis, Jamie Hampton, Emily Johnson, Molly Lynch, Stephanie Martinez, Rick McCullough, Lindsey McGill, Michele Merola, Stephen Mills, Miki Ohlsen, Jerry Opdenaker, David Palmer, Yanis Pikieris, Peter Pucci, Andrea Dawn Shelley, William Soleau, Ray Sullivan, Robert Sund, Paul Vasterling, Raymond Van Mason, Dominic Walsh and Jane Weiner.
Mr. Hering served as Island Moving Company’s (IMC) Associate Artistic Director, Resident Choreographer and Ballet Master for two seasons in Newport, Rhode Island. During his time with IMC, Hering created eight original works including Brom Bones, a evening length, site-specific work based on Washington Irving’s classic tale, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” featuring an original score created in collaboration with Lewis Patzner & Sascha Jacobsen. Mr. Hering was a Co-Founding member of the five week, summer dance festival, the Houston Dance Festival: HERE & NOW alongside Light Designer, Jeremy Choate and the directors of Hope Stone Dance, NobleMotion Dance and iMEE. iMEE Co-Directors, Hering & Shelley, produced and presented soMi DANCE FEST & soMi Master Class Series, a contemporary dance festival featuring Pioneer Winter Dance Collective, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami and iMEE, in South Miami, Florida. Hering and Shelley also served as the Co-Directors of the young artist & open class programs at Mandelstam DANCE in South Miami, Florida. This opportunity provided iMEE Co-Directors the platform to share their love of ballet & movement with dance artists of all ages, as well as, provide the South Florida dance community with Master Classes/Workshops and ‘blank | SLATE’ workshops for local emergent & established choreographers. ‘blank | SLATE’ established 2017, is currently in its third season and has presented over twenty three choreographers in Miami, Florida and Houston, Texas. Mr. Hering most recently served as Ballet Master for Vitacca Vocational School for Dance in Houston, TX 2018-2020 where he continued his passion for training and mentoring young artists.
As a choreographer Mr. Hering has created original works for professional dance companies and festivals such as: State Street Ballet, E.magine Dance Ensemble, O Dance, Houston Met Dance, FestOval of Dance, Triple Focus, palcoscenico danza, Island Moving Co., the black box INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL THEATRE & DANCE, Festival Ballet Providence, Austinmer Dance Theatre (AU) and iMEE in Santa Barbara, CA, Irvine, CA, Houston, TX, New York, NY, Newport, RI, South Miami, FL, Turin, Italy and Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He has participated in Residencies and created original works for the dance programs at Sam Houston State University and Salve Regina University (SRU.) His work Schone was presented by SRU at the American College Dance Association in Providence, RI and received much praise from a distinguished panel of adjudicators. Mr. Hering has received many accolades for his dancing and choreography; including winning the “Outstanding Choreographer Award” for his work, Dichotomy at the Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition in Los Angeles, CA, awarded as a “Finalist” in the 17th Annual Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, CA for his works Elliptical Capture & Fibonacci and winning “Second Place” in the 17th Annual Choreography Festival for his work, Fibonacci with dance artist Jack Wolff. Spencer draws inspiration from limitless possibilities, as well as, boundaries. To bring curiosity, to cause wonderment and to provoke different thought – is his arts’ purpose. To share his love, his voice and his interpretation of the world, is ultimately what he wishes to reveal. Through his life experiences as a dancer, Spencer has found infinite inspiration from time shared with other dancers, choreographers and directors. Mr. Hering is currently a faculty teacher at Houston Ballet Academy.
“We dance to actively engage, and inspire the audience’s mental perspective, to grow and evolve. The art of dance is primal, universal and can be voiced through an unlimited amount of movement… Infinite Movement Ever Evolving.” -S.G.Hering
GAGE SELF Dance Instructor
graduated from the HSPVA Dance Program in 2011 and continued on to the Ailey/Fordham BFA program receiving a degree in Dance Performance with a concentration in Choreography in 2015. While attending The Ailey School, he performed repertory works by Alvin Ailey (Memoria), William Forsythe (Limb’s Theorem), Martha Graham (Acts of Light), Robyn Mineko (Recall), Jessica Lang, Nicholas Villenueve, Hope Boykin, Bryan Arias, and Sylvain Émard. In 2015, he was featured as a dancer in an episode of ABC’s American Crime. Throughout his professional career, he has danced with Shen Wei Dance Arts, Francesca Harper Project, Hope Stone Dance Company, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, and starred in Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More.
CAROL SMITHERMAN ANGLIN Dance Instructor
is a renowned ballet and modern teacher, choreographer, and adjudicator with 40 years of experience. She was the founding Artistic Director of the Louisiana Dance Foundation and resident dance company, Louisiana Dance Theatre, an Honor Company and 25-year member of Regional Dance America/SW, which performed throughout America, in Russia, Europe, and Canada. From 1982-2016, Carol produced 600 master classes, dance festivals, and performances in Shreveport and north Louisiana.
Ms. Anglin received her MFA from University of Oklahoma’s School of Dance in 2019 where she was a Graduate Teaching Foundation Fellow. As a Ballet and Modern teaching artist, Carol has taught globally in Russia, Europe, and Canada. She was one of 18 international teachers accepted to New York University to train with Mme. Claude Bessy and Serge Golovine, Director & Faculty of the Paris Opera Ballet School. She completed the Intermediate and Advanced Horton Pedagogy Courses at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York (2011, 2017, 2020, 2023), the National Dance Educator Organization’s Annual Conferences in Miami (2019) and virtually (2020, 2021), and USA/International Ballet Competition Teacher Courses.
A SRAC Artist Fellow, Carol’s choreography has been selected for Regional Dance America Gala Performances, Austria’s Tanzsommer Galas, in Russia, and Jazz Dance World Congresses in Chicago and Washington, D.C. where she received awards at Northwestern and DePaul Universities, Chicago’s Harris Theatre; and the Kennedy Center. For 34 years, Carol choreographed for Shreveport’s Symphony and Opera. Oscar and Emmy Award recipient, William Joyce (Children’s Author/Illustrator), selected Carol to choreograph the World Premiere of The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Carol received the 2004 Stream Award for outstanding artistic direction and commitment to the RDA movement. In 2006, Carol was Adjudicator for Western Canada’s largest dance festival and has served as Regional Dance America Adjudicator since 2019 adjudicating 27 companies in 20 states in the RDA/SE and RDA/NE regions. In 2025, she served as guest faculty and juror for 3 of 5 Regional Dance America Festivals.
For 34 years, Carol taught 40 classes per week to students from all socio-economic backgrounds in studios, public schools, colleges, and universities. Many of Carol’s students have pursued professional careers. Her studio, Carol Anglin Dancenter, Inc., played a pivotal role in nurturing dancers, teachers, choreographers, composers, while fostering a vibrant dance community in Shreveport. Carol currently teaches at Hunter Dance Center, University of Houston, Houston Ballet Academy, Bayou City Ballet, Dance du Coeur, while also teaching company classes for Ad Deum Dance Company.
“I am thrilled to have relocated to Houston and enjoy teaching within this vibrant dance community! I am honored to serve on Hunter Dance Center’s faculty and remain inspired teaching ballet and modern to the bright and talented dancers at Hunter!”
JOSEPH STEVENS Dance Instructor
born in Corpus Christi, TX graduated from the University of North Texas earning a Bachelor of Art degree in Dance, with a minor in Spanish and Communications. He has worked with numerous dance companies such as Open Dance Project, NobleMotion Dance Company, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, Heidi Duckler Dance Company, Black Label Movement, MetDance Company, B.B Moves Dance Company, among others. He serves as a dance educator for various studios and educational residencies with Open Dance Project (HTX) and Heidi Duckler Dance (LA).
*Open Dance Project Company Members/Apprentices photos by Lynn Lane.