Staff

Cathy’s dance & performing arts journey began in middle school, where she first started cheerleading in her hometown of Willow Glen. It was during various cheerleading camps and conventions that she was introduced to dance—a love affair that’s lasted a lifetime. When she first came to work for Action Day Primary Plus in August 1993, she became involved in the company’s extensive Dance Program. After obtaining her BS from San Jose State University, she accepted the position of Director of Human Resources. She took a break from teaching while raising her two daughters, whom she enjoyed watching perform on stage. When her oldest daughter was in fourth grade, she noticed that she was very serious about pursuing the passion of dance and desired to be part of a team. It was at this point she began to examine the possibility of founding a dance team with her own talented instructors and students. A performance and competitive dance team was founded titled the West Valley Dance Cats in September 2009, and the Company has since continued to expand and thrive. Cathy has provided support and wisdom to all of the performance/competition team coaches, as well as her creative vision. It is with her guidance that West Valley Dance Company continues to blossom into the large, close-knit dance “family” it is today. Currently, Cathy is a Partner of ADPP and the Executive Director of the Dance Program.

Shannon quite literally grew up on stage. She began performing and competing at the age of five—and instantly fell in love with the environment. In her early years, she was featured on “Star Search,” where she met other talented choreographers and dancers who remain very active in the dance community to this day. She has also danced on several middle school, high school, and studio teams and won numerous awards and scholarships. She has taught and choreographed at various studios since 2002, and came to teach for Action Day’s Dance & Performing Arts Program in the fall of 2005. At the time, she taught mostly preschool and young child dance classes. Her experience and love of dance were soon recognized and paved the way of her filling the role of Assistant Director of the Dance Program and Director of the West Valley Dance Cats. In 2015, she became the Studio Director of West Valley Dance Company. Her ever-pervading goal for the dance family she directs is to create a fun, professional environment where she is able to share her passion with the children and young adults she teaches.

Rebecca has been performing and dancing on stage since childhood and danced and sang with her main dance school for over 20 years. She joins us from the UK where she achieved 10 years experience running and teaching in her own dance and drama school for ages 18 months to adult and gained many qualifications. Rebecca holds her Acrobatic Arts certifications and has attained the highest level certification in the Alixa Flexibility program. She is also fully qualified with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) in Tap, Modern Jazz, Imperial Classical Ballet and Street & Hip Hop, as well as being certified with the iD Company in Contemporary. In addition to being qualified in dance teaching, Rebecca also holds a Masters degree in Acting from a top London drama school, a Bachelors degree in Theater and several drama teaching certifications. We are indeed fortunate to have the expertise of Rebecca as a part of WVDC!

Julie’s passion for dance began at the age of 4 and her love of teaching soon followed. She celebrates her 40^th year as a dance instructor and her 5^th year here at WVDC!

She has taught various styles of dance and technique including jazz, ballet, tap and musical theater at several studios, elementary schools, community theaters and summer academies on both the recreational and competitive levels.

Julie earned her BS in Elementary Education with a specialization in early childhood from the University of NE at Omaha. During the day, she teaches Kindergarten and First Grade at Pinewood school. Julie is pleased to be a part of the WVDC team!

Sabine started dancing in 2005 after her mom watched the first season of “Dancing with the Stars” and enrolled her in dance lessons. She was hooked instantly and knew that one day she would become a professional dancer. Since then, she has won several titles, including United States Ballroom Amateur Champion, International Grand Ball Rising Star Smooth Champion, and Ballroom Blackpool Pro/Am Champion. Sabine loves competing, but her true passion lies in teaching, as she hopes to inspire young dancers the same way she was inspired when she started her dance journey.

Anna Buonomo is an Italian-born contemporary choreographer who has worked in the UK as a dance artist, performer and teacher. Her works have been performed in UK, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland gaining audience and critic acclaim. Alongside her artistic career, she has taught since the age of 16. She has 18 years of experience teaching ballet and music/dance to 2-5 year-olds, 5 years of teaching dance and hip hop in Elementary Schools, 6 years of lecturing students for BA: Urban Dance Practice at University of East London and many years of teaching young dancers, professionals and adults.

Traci has been a teaching artist in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Growing up dancing with the Recreation Programs in the City of Newark and Fremont, Traci was active in many style including tap, ballet and pointe, jazz, lyrical, musical theatre, and a taste of hip hop. With an extensive background working at elementary schools as the school librarian and classroom instructional assistant, she has always loved tying in her love of reading, books, and storytelling into her dance and performance classes. Traci spends her summers teaching Musical Theatre Camps in San Francisco, sharing her love for dance, performance, and theatre. A musical theatre performer and choreographer herself, she continues to work with with local community theatre companies such as Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre, Tri-Valley Young Performers Academy and Stage 1 Theatre (where she is currently a Board Member and Director of Education). Traci will be completing her B.S. in Psychology with an emphasis in Sports and Performance from Grand Canyon University in the Spring of 2023. Teaching performing arts in the discipline of dance to people of all ages and levels and encouraging her students to perform from their heart is what makes Traci’s dancing heart the happiest!

Dosya gained a love for dance at the early age of four. She trained at Vision dance studio where she was taught various styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, acro, contemporary and lyrical. After graduating high school she became a part of faculty and started her teaching career. Dosya competed from the ages of twelve to eighteen with Vision Dance Company, as well as Vision Dance All Stars.  In 2015, she was able to be a part of Vision Dance All Stars and won National Champions, as well as getting second in the nation as a soloist. She also had the amazing opportunity to be a dancer in the Superbowl 50 halftime show with Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars. In 2017 she gained the title of senior Miss Showbiz. Dosya was also a United Spirit Association All American recipient, which gave her the opportunity to be a United States representative in London for the New Year’s Day parade. She is currently at San Jose State University working towards her BFA in dance. While at San Jose State she has trained in Ballet, Jazz, African, various Modern techniques such as Limon, Graham and Gaga technique. At San Jose State she is a third year returning member of a pre professional dance company called University Dance Theater. Through this company she has been able to work with many amazing companies and choreographers from New York, such as Mike Esperanza, Kyle Abraham and his company Abraham in Motion, as well as Gallim created and directed by Andrea Miller. Dosya is very excited to be a part of the West Valley Dance Company team and can’t wait for the new season ahead!

Krista has been dancing for over 30 years in the styles of ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, modern and tumbling. Years in the studio led her to join her high school dance team, the Fremont Featherettes. Krista attended UC Riverside where she received a BA in dance with a focus in modern dance and choreography. Over the years she’s had the opportunities to study with several dance masters including Gloria Mohr, Fred Strickler and Keith Banks. She has been teaching for 8 years now and continues to take studio classes. She’s excited to bring her knowledge and style to WVDC.

A dancer since the age of three, Hope has been teaching and directing dancers for over ten years. She has received extensive training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, and musical theater. Upon her graduation from UC Berkeley, Hope received The Mask and Dagger Memorial Prize for Extraordinary Contributions to Theater, Dance and Performance Studies. Hope has received awards for her artistry and choreography as a competitive coach; her dancers have earned regional titles, been selected for collegiate dance teams, and worked as assistants at conventions. Additionally, Hope holds certifications in Progressing Ballet Technique, and Ballet Barre Fitness. Hope strives to help her students reach their fullest potential whilst nurturing a life-long love of dance.

Emerald has been dancing with the Action Day Schools family since she was 2 years old. Her love for dance has lead her here to start teaching young students and to help foster their passion for dance. Emerald has participated in dozens of Action Day Schools annual productions and also was an original WVDC Dance Cat and has some competition dance since age 9. Emerald is attending Mission College, studying kinesiology with the hopes to become a sports trainer. Emerald is excited for the opportunity to continue sharing her love for dance with the WVDC team!

Lydia has been dancing with WVDC nearly her entire life and is thrilled to now be a part of the WVDC team as a teacher. She started dancing at the age of two and discovered her love of performing. Lydia danced danced both recreationally and competitively at WVDC, eventually diving into the world of musical theatre. Having studied in many different styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, Lydia is currently continuing her dance journey at San Jose State University where she is pursuing her degree in Theater Arts. Lydia is excited for this new chapter in her WVDC journey and can’t wait to share her love of dance with all of her students!

Gianna literally grew up dancing, beginning her career at “Dance Action” over 17 years ago.  She was instrumental in the origin of Action Day Primary Plus’ competition team in 2010, being one of the 20 original Dance Cats that started WVDC.  Gianna has danced competitively for the majority of her life, excelling in all genres of dance: lyrical, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, tap, ballet, modern, and acrobatics. She has danced for Ballet San Jose, Children’s Musical Theater, participated in 9 years of dance conventions, regional and national competitions, and performances; as well as danced her way into multiple leading roles for WVDC in our annual dance productions at the Center for Performing Arts, most recently playing Belle in the Beauty and the Beast.  Gianna graduated from Presentation High School where she was part of their Nationally ranked dance team, trained by award-winning choreographers over her 4 years while there. During this time, her team brought home 3 National Titles! She has competed in both regional and national competitions with WVDC and earned many titles; has performed all over the country, attended numerous dance conventions, worked with many specialists such as Franco De Vita. Currently, Gianna attends Santa Clara University where she is a member of their elite Dance Team.  She will graduate in June of 2022, and we are so pleased to have her join our elite group of dance instructors.

Malena started dancing when she was 2 years old while attending Action Day Primary Plus at Moorpark.  Her love of dance continued to grow throughout her time at Action Day Primary Plus. She began dancing at our Bascom Studio at the age of 10 when the studio first opened and has been an integral member of WVDC’s Competition Team since the age of 8.  Malena discovered her passion for working with children when she started teaching dance classes at our Action Day Campbell location at the age of 15.  She is now in her third season balancing both her commitments to the WVDC Competition Team and her teaching schedule with her academic load as a high school senior at Presentation High School.  Malena plans to major in Child Development in college next year and she has dance to thank for confirming this career path is right for her. While in college, Malena plans to continue her dance career by joining her college dance team and continuing her journey as a competitive dancer.  We are so thankful for the energy and passion that Malena brings to our next generation of dancers.

Ali has been teaching and choreographing in the San Francisco Bay Area for 22 years. Most recently as Owner/Director of Coastal Vibe Dance Company in Santa Cruz, California. Her dancers have been accepted into the nations top dance programs such as Chapman University, the Boston Conservatory, the Alvin Ailey School, Loyola Marymount University of Manhattan, Alonzo Kings Lines, UT Austin, UC Irvine, Julliard, and USC. Ali’s students have gone on to perform on FOX’S So You Think You Can Dance, The Ellen Show, and Holland America Cruz Lines to name a few.

Grace trained in Chinese Classical Dance at the FeiTian Academy of Art. She performed as a Principal Chinese dancer in various world-class theaters around the world. Miss Lu has been teaching Chinese classical dance and tumbling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Many of her students have won 1st and 2nd place awards in competitions, due to Miss Lu’s unique teaching methods and experience.

Kim has acquired over 30 years of dance training and experience since she first developed her passion for dance. She had the opportunity to train under the direction of Jackie Sleight, Dave Carter, and Liz Imperio in her early years. Aside from competitive dancing, Kim also danced on Independence High School’s Dance Team where she was a student choreographer and director. She has since coached Oak Grove High School’s successful competitive cheer and dance team which included an NFL Pro Bowl half-time performance in Hawaii. Kim began working for ADPP/WVDC in 2007 as a dance instructor with a wealth of dance knowledge. Currently, she keeps herself on her toes as a mother to her own tiny dancers and continues to teach for WVDC.

Dallas started his dance journey in the 4th grade while dancing in his church Easter production and he has enjoyed performing ever since! Having continued to perform in numerous productions in his youth, Dallas continued his dance study at San Jose State University. Dallas began teaching at a martial arts studio as well as serving as the head choreographer for the dance ministry at his church. While Dallas loves performing and choreography, teaching is what holds a special place in his heart, along with the belief that anyone can learn to move, groove & dance! We are ecstatic to have Dallas as a part of our WVDC faculty!

A recent Spartan alumna with an immense passion for dance and the performing arts, Chiara is a product of the San Diego Civic Dance Arts’ parks & recreation program.  Born to Brazilian Italian immigrant parents who wholeheartedly believed in the power of languages, dance was one of the most athletic and expressive forms. Chiara continued her dance education through the Creative Arts Department at San Jose State University and both the official university and club competition dance teams. Her favorite styles of dance are jazz and lyrical, and she is so excited to share that zeal with the WVDC family!

Vaness’s love of dance began in early childhood while a competitive baton twirler. With choreography and teaching experience spanning 30 years, Vanessa was a dance team member for the San Jose State dance team Sparta Gold as well as the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. While obtaining her bachelors degree in Public Relations, Vanessa was also a staff member for Universal Dance Association teaching high school/college dance team camps across the country and judging the National Dance Team Championship as televised on ESPN. Currently, Vanessa is an adjudicator for various dance competitions as well as a member of the audition panel for the Golden State Warriors entertainment teams. Vanessa’s unique delivery of hip hop along with music & historical theory  give her students a challenging yet fun experience they can enjoy.

Isabelle’s dance journey began at the age of three at Action Day Schools Allen campus, where her passion for movement took root. At just seven years old, Isabelle became a proud member of the West Valley Dance Cats, where she honed her skills and deepened her love for dance. Isabelle’s journey continued through high school as a member of the Presentation High School Dance Team, where she experienced the joy of teamwork and performance. At 15, Isabelle took on the role of Teacher’s Assistant at West Valley Dance Company, where she discovered her passion for teaching. In college, Isabelle joined Danceworks at Hofstra University, further expanding her dance education and experience. During college breaks, she began substituting classes, which led Isabelle to step into the role of a teacher, sharing her love for dance with the next generation. We are thrilled for Isabelle to continue her legacy at WVDC!

Nikhita began dancing as a young girl twirling around to her favorite Bollywood music! Classically trained in Bharatnatyam, Nikhita completed her solo Arangetram (a two-and-a-half-hour-long graduation dance recital) in 2017. Having worked as a choreographer and technique assistant teacher, Nikhita has also studied, performed, and choreographed various Indian folk dances. Crowned Junior Miss Asia Oklahoma (2018-2019), Nikhita choreographed her own piece that played a part in winning title, a platform she used to advocate for the importance of passion and individualization in education. Nikhita is currently a Junior at Santa Clara University, where she is majoring in English with a minor in Creative Writing and Theatre. An ardent reader, musician, singer, and songwriter, Nikhita is the incoming Editor in Chief of SCU’s global literary magazine, the Santa Clara Review. She is so excited and grateful to be sharing the joy of Bollywood dance with WVDC!

Janice has been with the ADPP family since 2009 as a teacher in our infant centers, preschools, and Jr. Kindergarten program.  She joined the WVDC family during the summer of 2021 where she is putting all of her child development experience to work in our Acro program as a teacher and program manager.  She brings with her more than 12 years of experience working with children and a love of her students and the community of ADPP/WVDC. She believes there isn’t a price tag that can be put on the experiences, knowledge, and friendships she has gained at ADPP/WVDC as both a staff member and a parent. Janice’s children are all enrolled in our academic programs as well as West Valley Dance Company.  We are excited to have Janice’s dedication and experience on our team!

Marcello began his dance journey at the age of nine when he took part in WVDC’s first open house at the Bascom Studio. He went on to become a part of the Tom Cats Performance Team and the WVDC Competition Team. His love for dance grew and he began to take classes in all dance styles available to him. As he continued to grow as a dancer, he was asked to help as an assistant in Jazz Technique Classes where he was first introduced to teaching.  Now, a junior at Archbishop Mitty High School, Marcello dances and choreographs for the Mitty Royals Dance Team, dances on the WVDC Competition Team, and teaches classes at WVDC as well.  We love having teachers who had grown up dancing with the WVDC family and can’t want to see what is next for Marcello!

Rose joined the WVDC family in March, 2019 and she currently works at the Willow Glen and Mountain View studios as well as the boutique. She is the friendly face and helpful person you first see at the desk at the studio and boutique! Rose has a love of dance that began when she was a child.  And although she never took dance herself, and when her own daughter (our very own Ms. Melissa) was 3, Rose signed her up for a dance class. Dance had a profound effect on her family and the positive impact of dance on her daughter became quickly evident!  Rose was involved as a team mom backstage for recitals and competitions and spent many late nights and weekends sewing and rhinestoning costumes!  Rose loves working at the boutique and seeing the children’s faces when they put on their first pair of tap or ballet shoes!  We are fortunate to have Rose as a dedicated member of our dance family!

Katie is excited to join WVDC and brings with her nearly 20 years of dance teaching experience, including 14 years as a Studio Owner and Director in Campbell. Katie holds a BA in Dance from San Jose State University where she was an honored member of their advanced performance company, University Dance Theatre. Katie grew up in Montana training at the Bitterroot Academy of Dance, a premier ballet school. She also competed heavily in both dance and gymnastics at the local, state, and national championship levels. Katie has studied at Ballet West Conservatory, Ballet San Jose, Montana Dance Arts Associations, Western Ballet, and Broadway Dance Center. Since moving to San Jose Katie has danced professionally for companies and organizations such as Radio Disney, Great America, Jeff Nuss Productions, and M Production Company. Katie is passionate about fostering a love of dance within all of her students through energetic, positive, and engaging dance classes that balance technical development with performance artistry and expression.

Nada moved to California in August 2018. She grew up dancing in Michigan; taking ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, modern, contemporary, and hiphop. She immediately fell in love with dance and started competing shortly after that. She was on her high school’s dance team all 4 years and became captain her senior year. Nada choreographed her own solo during her last year of high school and received many special awards for it. She had the opportunity of dancing with the Detroit Pistons Dance Team at their halftime show. Nada graduated with a bachelors degree in dance education from Wayne State University. At Wayne, she focused on ballet, modern, and improvisation. She also got the chance to attend master classes led by amazing choreographers like Sonya Tayeh, Ray Mercer, and many more. After graduating, she started teaching at various dance studios around Michigan as well as coaching a high school pom/dance team. She attended many local competitions with her students and won a great deal of awards. Nada is very excited to be in California and be a part of the WVDC team. Nada has a special place in her heart for hiphop and she can’t wait to share her love of dance with the upcoming generation!

Emma began dancing at the age of three at South Bay Dance Center.  There, Emma trained in all styles of dance offered including ballet, pointe, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and tap.  She was a member of the ballet performing company, South Bay Ballet Arts, performing in 8 full length story ballets.  Additionally, Emma was a member of Pure Dance Production, a jazz and tap performance company affiliated with SBDC. With Pure Dance, Emma performed for San Jose State athletics, the Harlem Globetrotters, Great America and Disneyland.  Emma was also a member and volunteer of Dance Masters of California. During her high school years at Presentation, Emma found a love of teaching and taught several classes at SBDC and worked as an assistant on all productions affiliated with the studio.   Emma is excited to join the WVDC family and continue to share her love of dance.

Brittany first discovered her love for dance performing in musical theatre productions. Some of her favorite productions she has been a part of are Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls, and most recently, Singin’ in the Rain. Through performing in live theatre on stage, her love for dance grew. From teaching classes to choreographing, Brittany has had a wide variety of professional dance experience. She began her journey with WVDC in 2016, since then Brittany has creatively produced Peter Pan, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Frozen and Wonka! Her passion grows through helping dancers of all ages discover their talents in dance/theatre and she looks forward to working with the performer’s of WVDC’s 2024 production of the Little Mermaid.

Lyndsey’s dance journey began at just 2 years old and she has loved it ever since! Having trained in various styles such as jazz, hip-Hop, ballet, contemporary, modern, tap & more, Lyndsey grew up on stage competing and sharing her passion through what she loved most. Throughout the many years, Lyndsey has received various scholarships including The Joffrey Ballet School, Elite traveling teams, Alvin Ailey Summer intensive, and AMDA College of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles . After training for 16 years at her home studio, Lyndsey was accepted into one of the most prestigious companies in her senior year and chose to continue her training in Los Angeles. During her time in Los Angeles, Lyndsey has worked on various video projects, shows, and workshopping with some of the most well known choreographers in the industry. While continuing to pursue her professional dance career, Lyndsey is excited and eager to be back in the Bay Area to share her love and knowledge for dance as part of the WVDC family!

Shiyo has been dancing since the early age of three.  She has extensive training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, contemporary, hip hop, modern, tumbling, and Chinese dance. Shiyo began competing at the age of seven and has received numerous titles and scholarships. Along with competitions, she has performed for many organizations and events including Tesla Auto Show, Hollywood Vibe, Disneyland Anaheim, Beijing Summer Concert, Bellarmine Fashion Show, Sacramento Kings, and much more. Currently, Shiyo coaches Homestead High School’s Equestriettes Dance Team and travels around the states as a choreographer for United Spirited Association.  In addition, she works with elementary and middle school musical theatre programs directing and choreographing Disney Jr. Stage Productions.  Shiyo enjoys the art of dance and can’t wait to share it with talented and dedicated dancers!