OUR TEAM
Maia Wirth
Artistic Director
Company Co-Director
Brave Fearless Friends Co-Creator
Dance Instructor
Maia has been teaching music and dance for more than fifteen years as both a private dance and music instructor and a public school educator, and was a semi-finalist for the Wake County Public School System's Teacher of the Year Award in 2011. Maia earned her B.A. in Dance and B.S. in Music Education from Elon University where she studied as a N.C. Teaching Fellow and Presser Music Scholar. She is fully trained in Facilitative Leadership and Positive Behavior Intervention & Support and is always working to learn more about how to effectively manage her classroom and business for the success of all involved. Maia has also trained extensively in the A+ Schools Program, an arts-integration and multiple intelligences based approach to teaching, learning, and school reform.
A dedicated yoga practitioner in her own life, Maia completed her Children’s Yoga Instructor Certification at the Asheville Yoga Center in 2013. She has performed as a vocalist and dancer throughout Europe and the United States and has shared the stage with the N.C. Symphony, Ben Folds, David Dorfman, Springs Dance Company, elan Vocal Jazz, and many more. When she is not teaching, dancing, or bending, Maia serves as a board member for Pawfect Match Rescue & Rehabilitation, and served on the leadership team for the Morrisville Innovation Foundation’s East Meets West Festival from 2014-2020. She has a passion for service and giving back to the community and loves sharing this passion, along with her love for teaching and the arts, with her students and the Morrisville community.
Maia's most favorite role in life is being "Mama" to her son, Gunnar, who you'll often see hanging out at the studio either drawing, climbing on something, or interrupting all of her conversations.
Caitlyn Van Houten
Assistant Director
Company Co-Director
Dance Instructor
Caitlyn began her dance journey at the age of 2, studying under several talented instructors including Open Arts’ very own Ms. Maia. As a student she dreamed of teaching and choreographing for students of her own one day. That dream came true when she became a part of the Open Arts Instructor Family in 2016.
Caitlyn has worked with many different age groups since becoming a dance teacher, offering classes in ballet, tap, jazz, modern and acro dance . She has extensive training in Early Childhood Dance Education and holds certifications as an Acrobatic Arts Instructor, Once Upon A Ballet Instructor and as an Intellidance Method Instructor. She strives to maintain a positive and encouraging atmosphere in all of her classes where students feel confident in their individual power to succeed. Her main goal as a dance educator is to meet each student where they are and teach her students about the power of movement and how it impacts the world around them.
With a passion to dance and perform herself, Caitlyn has studied alongside So You Think You Can Dance finalist, Katheryn McCormick, and some of Walt Disney’s master choreographers and performers.
If you find Caitlyn outside of the studio, she will most likely be just that: outside! She enjoys being outdoors on a hike or walk and loves spending time with her sweet fur babies Leo and Mowgli. She also enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and on the art canvas.
Jenica Davidson
Director of Customer Delight
Jenni has a background in education and counseling and a lifelong passion for the arts that probably started with spending sick days as a kid watching hours of musical theater VHS tapes. After being a dance mom at Open Arts for a few years (to her two girls Emme & Juliet), joining the team in a support role just felt natural. She also works from home as an academic editor for graduate students and faculty, loves to paint with watercolors and modern calligraphy, and is always reading at least two fiction books at a time.
Morgan Arcoraci
Dance Instructor
Morgan was born and raised in Raleigh NC and has been dancing in the Triangle since she was 2 years old. Morgan graduated from Ohio University with her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography in 2022. During her time in college, Morgan taught, choreographed and performed for many organizations on campus, as well as professional companies in her summers off of school like David Dorfman, Benny Simon, and Brian Brooks. Her studies were focused in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, African, Pointe, and Improvisation. She also obtained her Pilates Mat Certification and likes to practice in her free time.
Outside of the dance studio, you could find Ms. Morgan gaming on her PC or catching concerts downtown. Morgan is so excited to start teaching again post- grad and can’t wait to meet the movers of Open Arts!
Layla Ballinger
Dance Instructor, SHINE Co-Director
Layla is an Open Arts alum and so excited to be returning as a teacher! She joined Open Arts in 2015 and was an OAPC member for 7 years, a Disney choreography captain in 2022, and an ET for middle school modern in the 2022-2023 season. She loves modern and jazz but will always be a ballet girl at heart! She is a big fan of improv and loves getting to know her students as dancers and people. Outside of teaching, she works as a CNA and is a sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill pursing a nursing degree. In her free time, she loves to crochet, take naps, and make Spotify playlists.
D'Amani Hillman
Dance Instructor
D’Amani began her dance training at 3 years old, loving the stage while tap dancing to “Animal Crackers”. She loved tap and wanted to learn more styles. She started Jazz and ballet and continued her education in tap and jazz. She learned about other forms of dance including acrobatics, hip hop, cheerleading-pom dance and zumba dance fitness. She continued her dance education and training throughout high school into college. In college she was exposed to modern styles such as Horton and Graham, as well as fusions of other modern dance styles. She was able to participate in workshops that introduced her to African dance styles. D’Amani continues to look for new and innovative styles and loves to watch creative choreography for inspiration. D’Amani developed a love and deeper understanding for ballet and dance theory as well as the essential fundamentals of dance training. D’Amani is very excited to work with the families at Open Arts and watch the dancers grow into strong and confident people who love to dance!
Micaela Deadwyler
Dance Instructor
​Micaela is a senior at Meredith College this year double majoring in Dance and Theatre with a musical concentration. She is ecstatic to be teaching at Open Arts and to share her love and passion for dance with others to help them be the best they can be! Micaela took dance, musical theatre, and acting classes at Field of Dreams Performing Arts in high school, where she discovered her passion and decided she wanted to pursue performance art. She has done numerous shows during her time at Meredith, her most recent roles being a featured dancer in No, No, Nanette and Nina the robot in Nuclear Family. Micaela loves performing and she hopes to work professionally in the theatre industry. Her favorite dance styles are tap and musical theatre, but she also trains in jazz, modern, ballet, and contemporary. When she's not in school, rehearsing, or teaching, you can find Micaela relaxing at her apartment with her partner, dog, and her two leopard geckos.
Darius Anthony
Dance Instructor
University of North Carolina at Greensboro class of 2023 alumni Darius Anthony is a Teacher, Choreographer, and Filmmaker. He received his BFA in Choreography and Performance with a K-12 Teaching license. Originally from Kannapolis NC, he has over 10 years of dance experience with more than 5 years of teaching experience. He specializes in Contemporary but also has experience teaching Ballet and Jazz. With his love for dance education and film, he plans to learn, teach, grow, and inspire others with his many talents. Currently the Dance Director at Millbrook Magnet High school in Raleigh NC, Mr. Anthony strives to create a safe and inclusive environment where students can freely express themselves, be challenged while continuing with a growth mindset, and be held accountable for their own learning.
Laina Cleaton
Dance Instructor, SHINE Co-Director
Laina is a Senior Honors Scholar Student at Meredith College pursuing a Mathematics major with minors in Dance, Data Science, and Economics. She is involved with several dance clubs at Meredith, including Meredith Dance Theatre and Meredith College Improv Group. She started dancing at four years old, and while she has studied a variety of styles over 13 years, ballet is her favorite. Laina auditioned and was accepted into the Carolina Ballet Summer Intensive for two years. During this time she studied under New York City Ballet principal dancer Megan Fairchild, Carolina Ballet master Pablo Javier Perez, and Carolina Ballet principal dancers Jan Burkhard and Margaret Severin-Hansen. Laina called Open Arts home for seven wonderful years where she studied pointe, ballet, modern and jazz. She was the recipient of the Hilda Sakaniwa Scholarship in 2018 and the Performance Company Member of the Year Award in 2019. Open Arts gave her the opportunity to perform at various local events and parades, on a NYC Broadway stage, in Times Square, and down Main Street USA in Disney World. Her many responsibilities at Open Arts included working the front desk, being a Teacher Assistant, Emerging Teacher, co-leader of Intensive Track Training, and a choreographer for the OAPC Gala. She loves being a part of the Open Arts family, and enjoyed celebrating ten years of Open Arts as a choreographer and performer in Hawaii. Laina is very excited for her fourth year at Open Arts as a dance teacher. Dance has been a great passion and light in her life, and she’s delighted to share, teach, and encourage that passion.
Madison Morgan
Dance Instructor
Madison began her dance journey at the age of 2 at Carolina Dance Center in Raleigh, NC, where she trained in jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and lyrical for 12 years. She attended Millbrook High School, where she was a 2-year member of the dance team and a 4-year member of the cheerleading team, serving as Captain her senior year. Madison's love for teaching dance grew in her sophomore year of high school, and she has since taught guest classes at various Wake County high schools and small studios in Raleigh.
Madison's passion is teaching hip hop, and she hopes to share that love with her students. Her biggest personal goal is to become a backup dancer for Beyonce, who is her idol. As a dance educator, her goal is to make all her students feel appreciated and confident, molding them into the fantastic dancers she knows they can be!
Her classes are fast-paced and energetic, offering a challenging but fun atmosphere. Outside of Open Arts, Madison is the Head Coach/Director of the Millbrook High School Dance Team and the Assistant Coach of the Millbrook High School Cheerleading Team. She enjoys baking, catching up on true-crime documentaries, and spending time with her dogs, Oreo and Angel, and her nephew dog, Milo! Madison is beyond excited to continue teaching at Open Arts for her 4th season!
Sydney Sirkin
Dance Instructor
Sydney began dancing in her home state of Connecticut, where she enjoyed training in various styles and dancing in musicals. She graduated from Elon University with a BA in Arts Administration and attended the American Dance Festival’s 2022 Summer Dance Intensive as a costume apprentice and student. She has worked in technical theatre and arts administration for organizations across the country such as the American Dance Festival, Connecticut Repertory Theater, The Ogunquit Playhouse, Wonderbound, Dance Project, Parsons Dance, and more. When she’s not in the dance studio, you can find her enjoying the outdoors, reading, or hanging out with her miniature poodle, Toby. She is thrilled to join Open Arts this season!
Ollie Asselin
Emerging Teacher
Ollie is a Senior in High School and this is their 6th year serving as a Teacher Assistant, 2nd year serving as an Emerging Teacher, and 13th year dancing here at Open Arts. Outside of dance, Ollie also coaches gymnastics and loves teaching kids. They also love to crochet and skateboard!
Makenna Barefoot
Emerging Teacher
Makenna is excited to become an Emerging Teacher this season. This is her 11th year dancing at Open Arts and her 5th year as a Teacher Assistant. She is also a proud member of both the Leadership Team and the Open Arts Performance Company. Her favorite styles of dance are modern and musical theater but she truly enjoys every style she's had the chance to explore. Makenna is a Junior in High School where she also studies dance. Outside of the studio, Makenna is a big music person and she likes to spend her time singing or listening to something on repeat. She loves her Open Arts family and can't wait to start this new chapter as an Emerging Teacher.
Audrey Cheng
Emerging Teacher
Audrey is excited to be an Emerging Teacher at Open Arts! This will be her 9th year dancing at Open Arts and this will be her 3rd year as a TA. Audrey is also a part of the Open Arts Performance Company and Leadership Team. She loves all styles of dance, but her favorites are tap and modern. Audrey is a junior in high school, and outside of dance, she tends to spend her time with her dog, swimming, and participating in theater productions. Audrey cannot wait to share her love of dance with others!
Charlotte Hague
Front Desk Staff
Charlotte is a senior in high school, and she loves reading and playing with her cats in her free time. She danced at Open Arts for eight years, and her favorite style was modern. She enjoys being at Open Arts because it’s more than just dance, you make new friends and family along the way. She is looking forward to seeing everyone’s smiling faces in the lobby!
Laura Parker
Front Desk Staff
Laura has been an Open Arts Super Fan since 2014! Over the past 10 years, she has volunteered and staffed events such as Holiday Shows, Parades, and Showcases along with behind-the-scenes efforts like video production and costume inventory. She has assisted in the classroom with our younger dancers learning ballet, tap, jazz, and musical theater. At the front desk, Laura loves interacting with families and dancers to make sure their Open Arts experience is the best that it can be! Out of all of her roles at Open Arts, Laura's favorite has been as Dance Mom to her two daughters! With a background as a prosecutor of crimes against children, Laura is passionate about empowering children and youth to be kind and loving to themselves and others. She finds much joy and fulfillment at Open Arts and is grateful to be a part of this amazing studio! She also enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and snuggling with her two cats.
Gabby Fekete
Brave Fearless Friends Co-Creator & Director
Gabby is our resident "Love Your Body" Queen here at Open Arts although you may also find her wrangling baby dancers at Showcase, keeping us organized at Costume time, and building all the props that require a glue gun. She's also the Co-Creator and Director of our Brave Fearless Friends Program. She is passionate about helping young people grow up feeling good about their bodies and all they can accomplish after losing her beloved sister to an eating disorder. She is a low-key expert of all things Juvenile and Young Adult Fiction & she loves mentoring young people through the stickiest parts of life.
Gabby is the proud mom of former Open Arts Dancer Olive and her son Evan and everyone's favorite furry studio greeter, Ruby!