Founded by Kyle Garrison Shawel is the emerging Jazz Dance Company in Charlotte, North Carolina. Th
Kyle Garrison Shawell
Is a multi-talented performer, choreographer, and educator, who received his training at the University of the Arts, Theatre West Virginia, Winthrop University and the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts. His training includes the dance styles of Lester Horton, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor and jazz taught by renowned teachers such as Ruth Adrien, Ronen Koresh, Pat Thomas and Milt
05/14/2026
Come Experience the Rhythms!
Feel the pulse.
Move through the music.
Celebrate the legacy.
Join us for The Horton Experience: Celebrating Rhythm & Blues — an electrifying journey through movement, culture, rhythm, and expression inspired by the Horton technique and the soul of R&B music.
Join me for the Horton Experience at Open Door Studios — the only Horton Technique class in the Carolinas! Discover the beauty, strength, and power of this legendary modern dance technique.
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There is something deeply meaningful about witnessing dancers not only learn movement, but begin to understand the lineage behind it.
Guiding my adult dancers through Horton Technique at Open Door Studios has been such a fulfilling journey. As they develop strength, clarity, and intention, they are also connecting to a codified technique rooted in history, discipline, and expression.
Being able to offer Horton Technique—especially as the only studio in the tri-state doing so—is something I do not take lightly. This work carries legacy, and these dancers are honoring it with their commitment and growth.
I am incredibly proud of each of you.
Thank you to Open Door Studios for creating space for this technique and this community.
ahortondancerisastrongdancer
02/18/2026
The Invitation
This Black History Month, we’re offering a workshop that centers jazz dance as cultural history—not just technique.
An embodied exploration of lineage through Horton Technique, Giordano, and vernacular jazz traditions, woven into one powerful experience.
This is about lineage, not just lines.
This space is for dancers who want more than choreography.
More meaning.
More connection.
More history.
Join us for Lineage in Motion: Horton Technique, Giordano, & Vernacular Jazz—where movement honors those who came before and carries their stories forward.
Spots are limited—register now. https://opendoorstudios.com/workshops/adult-workshops/
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02/11/2026
Join me for the Horton Experience tomorrow night at Open Door Studios!
02/11/2026
Lineage in Motion: Horton Technique, Giordano & Vernacular Jazz
A Black History Month Dance Experience
Rooted in Black vernacular traditions, this workshop explores Horton technique, Giordano jazz, and jazz dance as a living lineage. Dancers will move through strength, groove, and theatrical expression while honoring Black cultural innovation and embodied history.
Features:
Horton technique foundations
Giordano jazz movement language
Vernacular jazz groove
Improvisation & embodiment
Cultural context + lineage
All levels welcome | Celebrating Black History Month through Movement
embodiedhistory alvinailey hortontechnique giordanotechnique vernacularjazz opendoorstudios thegarrisonexperience
02/07/2026
Jazz dance is history in motion.
This Black History Month, we’re offering a one-of-a-kind 2-hour workshop that blends Horton technique, Giordano jazz, and Black vernacular roots—not as separate styles, but as living lineage.
Lineage in Motion is not a technique sampler.
It is an embodied experience grounded in strength, groove, context, and purpose.
This workshop centers jazz as cultural inheritance—where movement carries memory, technique carries history, and the body becomes the archive.
Register:
https://opendoorstudios.com/workshops/adult-workshops/
⌚2 hours
💷$30
Come move with context.
Come move with purpose.
Two hours. One space. One chance to move with history.
Jazz dance is history in motion.
This Black History Month, we’re offering a one-of-a-kind 2-hour workshop blending Horton technique, Giordano jazz, and Vernacular Jazz roots—centered on strength, groove, and lineage.
This is not a technique sampler.
This is an embodied experience.
Lineage in Motion
2 hours
$30 Come move with context.
Come move with purpose.
Two hours. One space. One chance to move with history.
The Horton Experience is a dynamic class rooted in Horton technique that builds strength, flexibility, and expressive clarity. Dancers explore powerful shapes, grounded movement, and musicality while connecting technique to intention and performance.
# moderndance
01/10/2026
Beginning / Intermediate Horton builds strength, flexibility, and coordination through foundational Horton technique. Dancers explore classic exercises with an emphasis on alignment, musicality, and expressive movement in an accessible and supportive environment.