Open Sky Arts Collective
“Since 2014 Open Sky Arts Collective has existed to share the love of God with underserved and often unseen people groups on the fringes of society. We are a missional arts organization using dance to share the Kingdom of God. We believe art can impact people and atmospheres with love, value, honor, and healing.”
Fellowship School of Creative Arts is thrilled to welcome Open Sky Arts Collective back our studio. The Contemporary Workshop led by Open Sky guest faculty is a student favorite! Below, we invite you to meet the faculty who will be joining us this summer.
Jeanna Vance
Jeanna Vance founded Open Sky Arts Collective in 2014 with a mission to use the arts to bring the Kingdom of God to the lost and hurting among us. She received her ballet training from The Grand Rapids Ballet, under the direction of Charthel Arthur, the Houston Ballet Academy with Clara Cravey and Steve Brule, and American Academy of Dance with Angela Jackson. She has been privileged to work with Ad Deum Dance Co., Sandra Organ’s Dance Co., Suchu Dance, Hopestone Inc., and Psophonia Dance Co. Her acting work has included commercial television as well as 5 seasons with Interactive Childrens Theatre in Houston, Tx. As part of faculty for Dance Revolution dance convention, Jeanna served for 12 years traveling the United States teaching dance, performing, and sharing her journey of faith and art with thousands of students and teachers. She and her husband reside happily in Hurst, TX with their two daughters.
Executive Director, Open Sky Arts Collective
Grace Miller
Executive Administrator, Open Sky Arts Collective
Grace has been sharing her love for the Lord through dance since she was tiny. Growing up in Cookeville, TN she was proud to train under Andrea Camacho and many others who poured into, challenged and encouraged her to pursue dance further. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Belhaven University in 2017, where she grew in her technique and artistic expression. While at Belhaven, Grace had the honor of working with many outstanding choreographers including: Elisabeth Dishman, Caleb Mitchell, Dr Emily Wright, Laura Morton, Ryan Corristion, Henry Danton, and Sung Yong Kim. She has performed on various stages in South Korea at the Guangdong Dance Festival, as well as the National American College Dance Association, and The John F. Kennedy Center.
Post college, Grace had two years of teaching and choreographing experience in Cookeville and Nashville. These years led to a reconnection with Jeanna Vance, executive director and founder of Open Sky Arts Collective, and soon after a move to Texas! Grace has been assisting Jeanna with all things administrative in the home base of Open Sky since 2020. She is looking forward to the things that are ahead and eager to see how God moves through the organization.
Paiter van Yperen of Deep River CT, company member with Open Sky Arts Collective. Studied, in his beginning years, at the Ekklesia School of Ballet under the leadership of Elisa Schroth. Later he accepted his first professional contract as a founding member and company artist with Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet in 2013. During his seven years with Ekklesia he served as Company Artist, Principal Dancer, resident choreographer,and Assistant Director.
van Yperen is a Certificate graduate of the Ailey School in New York and is thankful for the years of artistic and technical training, and life giving friendship of his mentors Randall Flinn, Steve Rooks, Matthew Rushing, and Freddie Moore.
Professionally he has performed, taught, and choreographed, nationally and internationally with Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet, Ad Deum Dance Company, Open Sky Arts Collective, Inlet Dance Theater, Freddie Moore’s Footprints, Ballet Hartford, The Ailey School, and the Alvin Ailey America Dance Theater.
van Yperen is passionate about how embodied art "moves", tells story, and innately creates space and opportunity for the deepening of every kind of relationship. In recent years he has worked closely with artists, theologians, and scholars such as Dr. Ellen Davis, Makoto Fujimura, Andrew Nemr, Morley van Yperen, and otheres from Duke Divinity School and Duke Chapel to explore the intersection of movement, art, humanity, and faith. How our embodied experience reveals God and Re-members His body.
Paiter van Yperen