Castro Valley Performing Arts Staff

Laura Dougherty

Specializing in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Stretch n' Strengthen, and Musical Theatre

Laura has been dancing since the age of 13 with most of her training under Janet Nordgren-Taddie and Rob Perry. She has also trained at Berkeley Ballet Theatre, San Jose State University and is a graduate of the Theatre Arts Intensive at San Jose’s American Musical Theatre. She is also a 4-year veteran of San Jose State’s Musical Theatre Company One directed by Janie Scott. Along with her training, she has performed in professional and community theatre musicals throughout the Bay Area. Some of her favorites include Singin’ In The Rain at AMT; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at AMT, where she was received the Ginny Award for Best Dancer; West Side Story at Cabrillo Stage; and Chorus Line at Ohlone College playing the role as Cassie. Laura believes that ballet technique is one of the most important things in dance as it not only teaches discipline and strength, but a sense of grace and body awareness. Her classes are challenging, yet fun and exciting.

Kristina Dresen

Specializing in Children's Classes, Tap, Jazz, and Pre-Ballet

Kristina's been dancing since the age of five. She has also been actively involved in local theater productions, her favorite being "Charlie Brown". Kristina is currently teaching and choreographing numbers for theater classes at the Douglas Morrison Theater summer program as well as teaching a large number of children's classes at Castro Valley Performing Arts. She loves working with children and is currently taking classes at Las Positas Community College to further her career in liberal studies and child development. Her classes are both fun and challenging. Kristina's classes encourage the young dancer to explore their creativity while building self-confidence. She has a large following of tiny dancers who adore her - appropriately calling her the "the little old lady who lives in the shoe" - tap shoe that is!!

Jazon Escultura

Specializing in Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz and also Zumba

Jazon Escultura holds a B.A. in dance from San Jose State University, where he trained in Modern, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, and Tap. He has performed throughout the bay area with companies such as University Dance Theatre and Visual Rhythm Dance. He has been at The American Dance Festival in Sacramento and San Francisco and has performed at Dancin' Downtown in San Jose. Jazon has also been an ensemble member for Cabrillo Stage’s production of Guy’s and Dolls and Kiss Me Kate. He was also sanctioned to perform a famous work by Donald McKayle , "Shaker Life" at De Anza College. He loves to dance and share his experiences with those around him to help dance become a universal language.

Amy Green

Specializing in Tumbling

Amy comes to Castro Valley Performing Arts with extensive gymnastics training. Hailing from Connecticut, she was a competitive gymnast until her focus turned towards coaching. Along with coaching at the varsity level, she developed a tumbling program for tiny tots. Upon moving to California, she began an intramural gymnastics program for the San Mateo YMCA specializing in gymnastic choreography for dancers. With a focus on building strength and agility, she brings her wealth of knowledge to our students in a fun but disciplined environment.

Jacquie Hatton

Specializing in Tap, Jazz, and Children's Ballet

Jacquie Hatton has been dancing since the age of three. She is a Castro Valley Performing Arts Alumni. She has extensive training in tap, jazz, ballet and hip hop. Jacquie’s professional experience includes being a member of the Golden State Warriors Junior Jam hip-hop squad; being a featured tap dancer in the opening number of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City; being a featured performer for a benefit performance of Dancer’s Responding to Aids in Bryant Park, New York City; and being a featured dancer on the Miss California Pageant. She has held national titles for Dance Educators of America and Starbound National Talent Competition. Jacquie was also the recipient of the Stanley Kahn award for Excellent Tap Technique from Dance Masters of California. While Jacquie's forte is tap, student's in Jacquie's classes find her to be both motivating as well as challenging in all forms of dance. Jacquie's choregraphy is creative and fresh and has won top awards in many local and national competitions.

Kristi Kaady

Specializing in "Mommy and Me" Classes

Kristi Kaady is the director of the Castro Valley Performing Arts “Mommy and Me” program. She also oversees CVPA’s “Mommy and Me” classes offered through the Hayward Area Recreation Department and through Dublin City Parks and Recreation Department. Kristi has studied ballet and jazz from various teachers throughout the Bay Area and has studied “early childhood development”. Kristi’s classes are designed to enhance basic motor skills and introduce students to a classroom environment. Students in her classes explore dance and movement through the use of beanbags, scarves, balls, parachutes and more. Her classes encourage imagination and creativity and are lots of fun for both the young dancer and the parent.

Min Kahng

Specializing in Voice and Musical Theatre

Min Kahng received his BA from UC Berkeley’s School of Music and has provided vocal direction for local productions including Annie (ACLO), Beauty and the Beast (TVRep), Urinetown (TVRep) and Little Shop of Horrors (SRCT). Min’s on-stage credits include Jesus in Godspell (Chanticleers), Rameses in Prince of Egypt (Neighborhood), Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Millie (TV Rep) and The Cat in HONK! (CCCT). He teaches voice and aspires to write his own musical someday.

Tyler Knowlin

Specializing in Tap

Hailing from Connecticut and representing the East Coast. Tyler has been tap dancing since the age of 5. He has danced with some of the best tap dancers of all times, including Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Tony Waag and Brenda Bufalino, just to name a few. He performed at the New York Tap Festival from 2001-2003 and participated in the Harlem Tap Challenge in 2002. He has also appeared on stage in productions of, among other, My Show, A Choreographer's Story, 42nd Street, and Oklahoma. In 2002, he was featured in a YM Magazine article featuring young male tap dancers. He has appeared in two independent movies, Zero Day (2001) and Exposure (2007). Tyler studied Drama at The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts in Hartford, Connecticut. While in the Bay Area, he has performed at the Palace of Fine Arts and Dancing in the Park with John Kloss and also performed at the Bay Area Rhythm Exchange Festival. Tyler continues his life-long study of tap dancing and enjoys passing that knowledge onto others to keep the art form alive.

Megan Lo

Specializing in Hip-Hop and Tap

Megan is a Castro Valley Performing Arts Alumni. She has extensive training in jazz, tap, and hip hop and is a well-sought after hip-hop instructor. In addition to teaching classes at CVPA, Megan oversees our hip-hop and tap classes offered by Castro Valley Performing Arts for the Castro Valley Adult Education program as well as CVPA’s hip hop classes offered thru the Dublin City Parks and Recreation Department. Megan’s performing credits include being a guest dancer at the Miss California Pageant and the Golden State Warrior’s basketball games. She is currently a member of the national award-winning Castro Valley Performing Arts Hip Hop Crew. Megan encourages her students as they learn to truly feel the music from the inside and outwardly express what they feel both emotionally and physically using dance as the language. Megan is at ease teaching classes to both children and adults and is a popular teacher with both the young and the young at heart.

Megan Marieiro

Specializing in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Tap, Children's Ballet, and Children's Classes

Megan has been dancing almost as long as she has been walking. She has had extensive training in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and lyrical. She is a Castro Valley Performing Arts Alumni. Her professional credits include performing with the Alan Tam Show at the Oracle Arena, a featured dancer at the Miss California Pageant, and many local industrials. Megan is currently attending Diablo Valley College where she is studying Early Childhood Development. Megan’s classes are both fun and energetic yet challenging to the young dancer. Students in Megan classes not only learn to dance but are also encouraged to explore their own creativity through dance movement. Megan believes that there is a “dancer” inside everyone just waiting for the chance to explore their possibilities. Megan’s classes provide a wonderful venue for the “dancer inside” to flourish.

Jennifer Yee

Specializing in Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Children's Classes

Jennifer Yee has over 20 years of dance experience in tap, jazz, hip-hop, and ballet. She is a bay area native and trained under the direction of Janet Taddie at Castro Valley Performing Arts. In 1998, Jennifer attended UCLA as a dance major, where she was also Artistic Director for the Los Angeles based, international hip-hop organization, Culture Shock. In 2003, Jennifer moved to New York City to attend Columbia University, where she later performed with Culture Shock New York and founded the New York City based Future Shock performance company.

Jennifer currently resides in San Francisco and teaches tap, jazz, and hip-hop classes. Her classes are upbeat, fun, and provide a unique urban flair for all ages!