ARTISTS
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Annie Arnoult (Executive Artistic Director) is the founding artistic director of Open Dance Project where she directs the company’s professional performance season and oversees the company’s extensive dance education work. Arnoult returned to her native Houston from Chicago where she was the artistic director of Chicago’s Striding Lion Performance Group, garnering acclaim for the company as a “new center of gravity for indie dance in Chicago.” Arnoult was named one of “25 to Watch 2018” by Dance Magazine and was a 2017 recipient of Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant for the development of the critically acclaimed ‘Bout a Stranger, deemed one of the “most fully realized pieces to come out of Houston in decades,” by Nancy Wozny in Dance Magazine.
Arnoult’s creative work is deeply informed and influenced by her 25 years as an artist teacher and integrated arts education advocate in Chicago Public Schools, HISD, and surrounding districts. Arnoult is the director of Hunter Dance Center in the Heights and has been a guest artist/teacher at universities, festivals, conferences, and institutes throughout the U.S. Arnoult is a Certified Cecchetti Ballet teacher and a member of the National Dance Education Organization. Her research and choreography has been presented regionally and internationally. She has served on the dance faculty of Northwestern University and The School of Theatre and Dance at University of Houston.
In addition to performing in her own work, Arnoult is a member of Houston’s Transitory Sound and Movement Collective, under the direction of Lynn Lane, and has danced for Meghan Durham, Ashley Thorndike-Youssef, XSIGHT! Performance Group, Lucky Plush Productions, Peter Carpenter, Asimina Chremos, and Billy Siegenfeld’s Jump Rhythm Jazz Project.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Joshua de Alba has been dancing and choreographing in Houston, Texas for nearly 7 years. Originally a native of Central Florida, Joshua received his Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Northwestern State University in 2016. While his training focused largely on classical modern, ballet, and jazz. Joshua has also worked as a choreographer, actor, singer, musician, aerialist, stage combatant, and even as an event coordinator. Joshua’s choreography has received awards at the American Dance Festival, and he has had the distinct pleasure of teaching 8 different nationally competitive programs across the country. Recent professional credits include Houston Grand Opera, Cirque la Vie, The Theatre Under the Stars, Hope Stone Inc., and NobleMotion Dance. Joshua is thrilled to be back for his fifth season with Open Dance Project!
Sonia Engman is a choreographer, performer, educator and certified personal trainer. Modern dance, ballet, and street and styles are the basis of her movement knowledge. Sonia received her B. A. in Dance and Arts Management in 2016 from the University of New Mexico. She has performed in productions like the Young Choreographer’s Showcase in NYC, in principle roles in productions like Shira Greenberg’s Nutcracker on the Rocks, Amazon Prime’s Nutcracker Party and ensemble work including a multidisciplinary work in the Alps of Austria. Sonia has taught dance in KC, TX, NM, MT, AZ, and MO. She has choreographed for the University of New Mexico and e2 Dance Company in Kansas City. Sonia relocated to Houston in 2019 to begin an adventure in search of opportunity and growth. Sonia is now a company member with Open Dance Project and Hip Hop and House dance crews, Assorted Flavas and The Lockin’ Keez.
Atticus Griffin started dancing at age 18 in his hometown of Burleson, Texas at Studio C Dance. 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 he was in college 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 is a rehearsal director and choreographer for Open Dance Project 2 (ODP2), which was featured in Wonka! and Peter and Wendy. He was also a featured choreographer for recent ODP production Shortcuts. This is his second season as an artist with Open Dance Project.
Madelyn Manlove 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 second season with Open Dance Project and Hunter Dance Center. In addition, she is also an Advanced Lagree Fitness trainer and teaches at FORM Lagree.
Cameo Reneé, born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, received her BFA in Dance and Performance at the University of Missouri – Kansas City graduating with a double emphasis in ballet and modern. While there she was given the opportunity to work with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Störling Dance Theater, and many more guest artists. Since relocating to Houston, Cameo has performed with Urban Souls Dance Company, been a Black Angel for Tobe Nwigwe, as well as co-directing for The Lockin Keez Dance Company. She is now entering her 4th season with Open Dance Project.
Jaime Garcia Vergara 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 fifth season with Open Dance Project.
Brenden Winkfield began his career on Long Island, New York. He began formal training of Tap, Jazz and Ballet at local studios before settling into the well known competitive studio, David Sanders Dance Dynamics. There he broadened his studies into modern, lyrical, hip hop and contemporary. He also gained the opportunity to perform in multiple large-scale shows like The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. After eight years of intense competition in New York, he moved to Houston, Texas where he now resides. Brenden was then hired by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Princess Cruise Lines as a dancer and performer on their entertainment fleets. He went on to perform as a tap soloist in Tokyo Disney’s Big Band Beat in Japan, and was a top Academy finalist on season 14 of SYTYCD before settling down back here in Houston to direct The Lockin Keez Dance Company. He is in his 2nd season with Open Dance Project.