BOOT Dance Project Announces Featured Artists for 2026 Break-In Dance Fest

MEDIA CONTACT:
JESSIE FERGUSON
JESSIE@BOOTDANCEPROJECT.ORG

HOUSTON, TX — {June 4, 2026} — BOOT Dance Project is proud to announce the featured artists selected for the 2026 Break-In Dance Fest, taking place August 6–7 at The Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH).

Now in its second year, Break-In Dance Fest continues its mission of creating meaningful opportunities for choreographers while connecting audiences with new voices in dance. Expanding to two evenings of performance in 2026, the festival will feature nine choreographic works selected from more than 60 applications submitted by artists from across Texas.

This year’s featured artists include Macy Watts & Emersyn Hansen, Alec Marianek, Voices of Arts Central (Karina González), Jen Passios & Jacob Regan, Dillon Bell, Loam Dance Co. (Faith Magee & Hannah Staton), Spaces of Fontana (Evelyn Joy Hoelscher), Drew Phipps, and BOOT Dance Project founder Jessie Ferguson.

Together, these artists represent a wide range of experiences and perspectives within today’s dance landscape. The festival roster includes current university artists, emerging choreographers, established independent dance companies, educators, and professional performers whose credits span Houston Ballet, Dallas Indie Dance Fest, American College Dance Association, Barnstorm Dance Fest, Mind The Gap, and national and international performance venues.

“One of the most exciting things about Break-In Dance Fest is bringing artists at different stages of their careers into the same space,” said Jessie Ferguson, Founder and Artistic Director of BOOT Dance Project. “The festival is designed to help artists build connections, gain visibility, and share their work with new audiences while strengthening the dance community across Texas.”

Among this year’s featured artists is former Houston Ballet Principal Dancer Karina González, founder of Voices of Arts Central, whose distinguished career includes performances with Houston Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Caracas, and guest appearances around the world. The festival also welcomes Austin-based contemporary dance company Spaces of Fontana, Dallas-based Loam Dance Co., collaborative artists Jen Passios and Jacob Regan, and a strong cohort of emerging artists from universities and independent dance communities throughout Texas.

Featured works explore themes of identity, partnership, vulnerability, connection, memory, and the evolving human experience through a variety of contemporary movement practices.

In addition to presenting work onstage, select festival choreographers will teach during BOOT Camp, BOOT Dance Project’s annual summer workshop held July 31–August 2 at Dance du Coeur in Sugar Land. Through classes, repertory, and creative exploration, participants will have the opportunity to learn directly from artists featured in the festival.

Following each evening’s performance, audience members will have opportunities to engage with choreographers and performers, furthering Break-In Dance Fest’s commitment to community-building and artistic exchange.

As BOOT Dance Project continues to expand its programming, Break-In Dance Fest remains central to the organization’s mission of creating opportunities for Texas-based dance artists through performance, education, and meaningful artistic connection.

FEATURED ARTISTS

Macy Watts & Emersyn Hansen (Houston, TX)
Houston-based artists and Sam Houston State University dance students presenting original collaborative work. Watts has performed internationally at the Real Collegio Summer Festival in Italy and throughout Texas, while Hansen makes her choreographic debut at Break-In Dance Fest.

Alec Marianek (Dallas, TX)
Dance artist and choreographer whose work has been presented at Dallas Indie Dance Fest and NewDANCEFest, with commissions from Houston Contemporary 2 and Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy.

Karina González / Voices of Arts Central (Houston, TX)
Former Houston Ballet Principal Dancer and internationally recognized artist whose distinguished career spans major ballet companies and stages worldwide.

Jen Passios & Jacob Regan (Houston, TX)
Longtime artistic collaborators whose work centers partnership, improvisation, and co-authorship through performance, teaching, and choreography.

Dillon Bell (Houston, TX)
Performer and choreographer whose work has been recognized through ACDA nominations and Dance Source Houston’s Mind The Gap, with professional performance credits across Texas and beyond.

Loam Dance Co. (Dallas, TX)
Co-directed by Faith Magee and Hannah Staton, Loam Dance Co. investigates ease, release, and continual falling as foundations for contemporary movement.

Spaces of Fontana (Austin, TX)
Founded by Evelyn Joy Hoelscher, this contemporary dance project creates work rooted in hope, connection, and the shared human experience.

Drew Phipps (Houston, TX)
Recent University of Texas graduate whose choreography has been featured at ACDA, Break-In Dance Fest, and the University of Texas Presidential Inauguration.

Jessie Ferguson (Houston, TX)
Founder of BOOT Dance Project and Houston-based choreographer whose work has been presented throughout Texas and centers collaboration, storytelling, and contemporary movement.

EVENT DETAILS

Break-In Dance Fest
August 6–7, 2026
The MATCH (Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston)
3400 Main Street, Houston, TX

Tickets available this June. 

BOOT Camp
July 31–August 2, 2026
Dance du Coeur
Sugar Land, Texas

Register today at www.bootdanceproject.org/boot-camp

ABOUT BOOT DANCE PROJECT

BOOT Dance Project (Building Opportunities for Outstanding Texas Dancers) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Texas dance artists through performances, educational initiatives, and community-centered programming. Through projects such as Break-In Dance Fest and BOOT Camp, BOOT Dance Project works to create meaningful opportunities for artists while strengthening the dance ecosystem across Texas.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

BOOT Dance Project is funded in part by Dance Source Houston’s Groundwork Grant program.