Leadership.
Matthew McCoy
Studio Manager
Matthew McCoy is a passion-driven artist; having produced, directed, designed and managed large scale musicals, black-box plays, solo cabarets, high-end galas and magic production shows. With over 10+ years in Entertainment. McCoy has worked professionally in regional theaters across the country and overseas; San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Florida, New Hampshire, Ohio, London, and Shanghai, China.
Matthew brings an extensive arts background having received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Coastal Carolina University. Matthew has served in different capacities after relocating to San Francisco in 2012. Casting Director and Associate Artistic Director at Berkeley Playhouse, Performance Manager for the San Francisco Dungeon (themed entertainment), performing arts educator, proven track record of successful live events, managed lucrative fundraising campaigns, as well as directed and choreographed for Berkeley Playhouse, The Performing Arts Academy of Marin, 6th Street Playhouse, Altarena Playhouse, and CMT San Jose.
Matthew was the Founder and served as Artistic Director for Bay Area Musicals until 2020. Bay Area Musicals was an award-winning musical theater company that served over 30,000 patrons a year since opening in 2015 in San Francisco. Matthew is a freelance consultant and director for entertainment productions, shows, themed experiences, immersive attractions, musicals, reviews and things yet to be imagined. The passion of the arts bleeds into his style of leadership and management, inspiring those around while creating an exciting, inclusive, diverse, safe, and fun environment to work and excel in.
Katlin Vagelatos
Theater Arts Director & Production Manager
Katlin is a Bay Area native and descendant of a long family history of actors, performers and musicians. She spent her childhood deeply involved in performing arts, beginning ballet as a toddler with Miss Tilly at the Rayna Allen School of Dancing in San Francisco and continuing on to dance and musical theater with Marilyn Izdebski Productions in San Anselmo. Through middle and high school, Katlin took voice lessons with award winning opera singer Marian Marsh. Katlin attended Terra Linda High School for her freshman and sophomore years, then completed her junior and senior years and graduated from San Domenico School. Katlin received her BA in Music from Sonoma State University, where her studies focused on recording production and vocal performance. Throughout college she performed as a member of several choral groups including the Sonoma State Chamber Choir and the MiraCosta Jazz Ensemble. During this time, Katlin was a coach for the Sebastopol Sea Serpents and taught swimming lessons at Ann Curtis School of Swimming. Following college, Katlin spent time in the San Diego radio industry, working for both Finest City Broadcasting and Clear Channel Communications in production and scheduling. Her voice could often be heard on popular stations such as Rock 105.3 and 91X. In 2009, she moved on to music booking at The Rosebud Agency in San Francisco, representing Grammy winning artists such as Mavis Staples and JJ Cale. Coming on board in June 2012 with a renewed passion for dance and theater, Katlin found her home at PAAM and is delighted to continue building her career in the performing arts as Theater Arts Director and Production Manager.
Alicia Cardoza
Co-Director, BAYPAC Dance Company
Originally from Danville, California, Alicia began studying dance at the age of four at The Ballet School Performing Arts in Walnut Creek, where she studied classical ballet under the direction of Lareen Fender over the next 14 years. Throughout high school, she was heavily involved in her school’s competitive dance and cheer programs, where she performed in Disneyland, went to dance conventions, competed at the National level, and won the Student Director’s Award for her choreography in her senior year. She went on to Arizona State University, where she studied contemporary ballet and modern dance. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned her BFA in Dance Choreography in 2008. At age 19, she began teaching ballet and jazz at a local dance studio, and over the course of the next 9 years she built her career throughout the Phoenix Metro Valley as a highly regarded competitive dance instructor/choreographer, guest artist and AZ Certified Dance Educator. In 2011, she was recruited to be a founding member and principal dancer of Phoenix’s contemporary jazz company, MarioCo Dance, which she performed and choreographed with over the next two years. By the end of her tenure in Arizona she was a master teacher for all ages and levels of ballet, jazz, contemporary and acro, with numerous award-winning pieces from prestigious national dance competitions, and had trained many students who eventually went on to dance in college or have successful professional dance careers themselves. In 2014 she moved back to the Bay Area and immediately began working at the Performing Arts Academy of Marin (PAAM). She has been one of the main dance faculty members since her arrival, teaching ballet, jazz, contemporary/lyrical, and helped build PAAM’s acro program. She has also been a main choreographer and rehearsal director for PAAM’s competitive dance company (now called BAYPAC Dance Company), and eventually being promoted to Co-Director of BAYPAC Dance Company. She continues to choreograph and teach at PAAM full time, as well as be a recurring guest artist/choreographer for Napa High School Spiritleaders. She loves to call PAAM her second home, watching her students grow up and thrive in the arts, and looks forward to many more years to come!
Ashley Haddock
Studio Coordinator & Client Experience Ambassador
Ashley came to California 2 years ago after growing up in Tennessee. She moved out west to be closer to family and she is the newest member of the PAAM administrative staff. Her love for dance, theater, and helping others have followed her all the way out west where she continues to learn and grow in the artistic community. She fell in love with the Bay Area for it’s art, live music, comedy, and wonderful people. When she’s not working you can find her exploring a beach, painting, listening to records or joking with her closest friends.
She has previous experience in dance, theater and improv/comedy and attended a university for Theater and Communications.
She has 13 years in customer service, with a background in retail and office administration.
Being a part of a creative community, such as PAAM, where people are driven, caring and highly skilled at their role is truly inspiring to her.
Ashley is sociable and likes to provide an optimistic atmosphere to the people around her to benefit their experiences.
Her passion for the Arts and success with positive people interactions have landed her the exciting new role of Studio Coordinator & Client Ambassador.
Faculty.
Aushi Oskarsdottir
Originally from Reykjavik, Iceland, and a graduate of UC Berkeley, Aushi Oskarsdottir started her professional dance career at the age of 13 with video, television and commercial work. She attended Alvin Ailey American Dance Center’s Summer Intensive for two years, and also trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and with Savage Jazz. In addition to being the Assistant Director of Dance Fusion Company in Walnut Creek and founding the Dance Program at SOCAPA (School of Creative and Performing Arts) in New York, Aushi has had the privilege of working all throughout the U.S. and abroad. Some of her recent work includes creating an ensemble piece for Mark Foehringer’s CCDA, teaching master classes in Costa Rica (where she also did her Pilates training), Nicaragua, Mexico and Iceland, and choreographing for the premiere of Pixar's Toy Story 3. As one of the founding faculty members of Jazz Dance Fest in Costa Rica, she has taught alongside and collaborated with some of the dance world's biggest names. Prior to her concentration on dance education, Aushi performed and traveled extensively, working with Santana, Deborah Cox, MC Hammer, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bebe, Apple, Oracle, E*Trade, Microsoft, and Bill Graham Presents, among others. Additionally, she has worked as a stylist for Nautica Jeans, Cosmopolitan and NY Fashion Week, and as a producer for Q-Tip's interview show Artist to Artist. While teaching remains her passion, Aushi has also delved into dance video and audio production, and she has a collection of her work on SOCAPA’s YouTube channel. This is her fourth year at the Performing Arts Academy of Marin, where she has had the pleasure of choreographing for, and training the BAYPAC dancers.
Liam Robertson
Liam Robertson (he/him) has had a varied career in the theatre as an actor, musician, director, and theatrical designer. He’s a multi-instrumentalist in Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Guitar, and Piano among other instruments and has been practicing martial arts such as Aikido, Karate, and Tai Chi for about a dozen years. In addition to playing and teaching music since he was in high school, he’s spent time performing in the bay area at Berkeley Rep, SF Playhouse, Berkeley Playhouse, Cal Shakes, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, and the Curran among others. A former Director of Education at Marin Theatre Company, and a teacher of music and theatre in Marin County since 2008, he has worked with Performing Arts Academy of Marin since 2017 and loves the supportive atmosphere of the faculty and administration at PAAM in bringing quality arts education to all of its students. Some of his greatest joys in teaching are cultivating and affirming the unique expressions of every student, while helping them along their way to grow as better human beings.
Sarah Jones
Sarah grew up in the Bay Area, started dancing at age 2. She was accepted into the Cal Arts dance program in Southern California where she studied under many acclaimed teachers including Debbie Allen and Mia Michaels. She has been involved in multiple dance companies including Body Language, Culture Shock Oakland, and Soul Force San Francisco. She completed her 500 hour yoga training with YogaWorks in 2014 in addition to another 200 hour yoga alliance certification in Ashtanga yoga at Its Yoga San Francisco in 2007. Sarah started teaching kids in 2002, spending several years as a dance teacher & choreographer with the Mount Tamalpais School Theatre Department. In 2009 she started teaching at PAAM and has been ever since. Sarah’s hip hop classes are energetic, fun, and educational. Sarah is a well-loved teacher at PAAM.
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Kimana Gray
Kimana Gray, Hip Hop & Jazz, has been dancing and acting since the age of 5. She has danced and acted all throughout school, practicing tap, jazz, Modern, salsa, bachata, Capoeira, Bollywood, bellydancing, Indian dance, hip-hop, Hansberry, and Shakespeare. Ms. Gray started choreographing in high school, studying under Ms. Carr at Berkeley High. She's trained at numerous dance studios, such as, new style motherlode, fallout Studios, Into the groove, and have also volunteered and subbed at numerous middle schools and elementary schools. Dancing has always been a big part of Kimana's life and is something that she is very passionate about. She's extremely excited to share her experience and knowledge with others so that they can reach their goals and dreams as she has.
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Sammy Bruce
Sammy Bruce (she/her), Hip Hop/Contemporary/Progressions, is originally from Portland, Oregon, and currently resides in San Francisco, California. Growing up she was a student at All Star Dance Academy and later MVP Dance Elite in Beaverton, Oregon where she trained in many styles of dance including; contemporary, hip hop, ballet, jazz, & musical theater. She has been dancing since the age of 6 and competitively from elementary school through high school receiving various awards. She has danced with pre-professional teams; DisOrder, a contemporary team under the direction of Jennifer McClary. Kaleido, a jazz/contemporary team under the direction of Lorena Aranda, and RAW a hip hop team under the direction of Alexis Jean Jackson, Charlie Chheath, and Jason Wickett of which she placed 1st at World of Dance Seattle 2016 as a member of this team. In 2018 she danced with Madison Beer for Velocity Dance Convention Nationals. She later attended the University of San Francisco and joined the on campus dance clubs Vitality and Varcity for contemporary and hip hop. She held various executive board positions for these clubs throughout her four years at the university including; Social Media Chair, Junior Varcity Team Director, Vice President, & President. She has choreographed many pieces both in contemporary and hip hop styles. As a recent graduate she has taught classes at Rae Studios in downtown San Francisco. Sammy is very excited to continue her teaching journey here with the PAAM family and share her passion for dance with her students
Leilana Majri
Leilana Majri (ballet) is a dancer and choreographer based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Leilana graduated summa cum laude with her BFA in Dance from Dominican University of California's program with Alonzo King LINES Ballet. She has extensive training in ballet, modern (Graham, Cunningham, and Horton techniques), contemporary, and jazz. She has trained and performed in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Leilana loves sharing her dance experiences with dancers of all ages, and is excited to be a part of PAAM faculty!
Lisa Shields
Lisa Moore Shields has been dancing since she could walk. Her early ballet training was with Le Studio and Pasadena Dance Theater. Later, she went on to earn a BFA in dance and a BA in literature from UC Santa Barbara as well as a Masters in Performance Art. Over the years, she has danced professionally in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in concert dance, film, and television. She has choreographed and produced shows extensively as well. Concurrently, she has taught pilates, GYROTONIC, hatha yoga, and weight training at some of the finest sports and health clubs in the world. Her areas of expertise are in injury prevention and post rehabilitation as well as fitness and technique. Recently, she earned her K-12 multiple subjects teaching credential from Dominican University of California. When Lisa is not at PAAM, she teaches elementary school.
KT Tesch
Ms. KT began her dance journey with ballet at 7 and went on to expand her performance repertoire over the years to include jazz, modern dance, fire dancing, and musical theatre. After graduating with a BFA in dance from UW-Milwaukee she moved west to the Bay Area in 2006 where she performed with a wide variety of companies and created her own works for modern dance concerts, vaudeville, and fire performances. Later in her career her passion turned to teaching. She specializes in young children and with over 20 years of experience instructs everything from ballet to parkour. She is dedicated to laying foundations for the next generation of dancers and movers to be confident and compassionate on and off stage. Ms. KT originally began teaching with PAAM in 2015 and, after a two year break to care for her parents, she is excited to be back, continuing to hold high standards for building smart minds and strong hearts.
Andrio Jordan Fong
Andrio Jordan Fong is a versatile performer who has extensive dance experience in Hip Hop, Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Tap, and Modern. Trained in dancing, singing, and acting, he graduated with a BA in 2023 in Dance and a BS in Business from Saint Mary’s College of California. He has performed internationally such as Beijing, Manila, Auckland, California, Arizona, and Oregon. He has won the Triple Threat Award from his university which honors his virtuosity in dance, vocal music, jazz instrumental, theatre, and production design. His professional debut was for 13 Reasons Why (Netflix) as a Senior High Student and Dancer. Past credits include Cabaret (Center Repertory Company) as Herman/Sailor and Evita (San Francisco Playhouse) as a chorus swing. He has also won Gold for the World Choir Games in Auckland Summer 2024. Andrio is continuing to grow his career into musical theatre and screen dance.
Guest Faculty.
Doug Baum
Doug Baum began his dance training in Maryland at Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts before graduating from the Baltimore School for the Arts in 2006. In 2010, Doug received his B.F.A. from Fordham University in collaboration with The Ailey School, where he apprenticed with Ailey II. Since graduating, he has performed with Rock the Ballet, Compagnie Flak, Les Ballets Jazz and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Doug has completed three seasons with Zhukov Dance Theater in addition to guesting with Peridance, Ezdanza, Thang Dao, and Company XIV. Most recently Doug finished his last tour with LA Dance Project under the direction of Benjamin Millepied & is now an adjunct instructor at USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Doug has also taught for numerous dance institutions including Chapman University, The Joffrey Ballet School, The Baltimore School for the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, Mather Dance Company, & Performing Arts Academy of Marin.
Ricky Maalouf
Ricky Maalouf started dancing at a late age while at Arizona State University. While starting out dancing at ASU and with various NBA and WNBA teams in Arizona, he also danced with recording artist Yasmeen, who opened for Omarion. He danced for the professional dance company Automatic Response who were featured on Americas Best Dance Crew, opening for My Chemical Romance and Fergie while they also did shows with the Jabbawockeez. However, he quickly developed a true passion for teaching. His teaching has helped with several of his students having danced with artists such as Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Missy Elliot, Billie Eilish, Tate Mcrae and more. In addition, they have been showcased on shows including So You Think You Can Dance, World Of Dance, Dancing with the Stars, Dancing with the Stars Junior, Ellen, Dance Moms, Disney’s Shake It Up, Americas Got Talent and also on Broadway, the Rockettes and in the Super Bowl. His choreography has been seen on the Cheer live tour as well having worked with NBA and NFL in addition to several fantastic dance companies, conventions, organizations and Universities. Having worked with countless fantastic choreographers, teachers and students, his work has also resulted in winning Best Hip Hop studio on several occasions amongst other national accolades. Currently on faculty with JUMP dance convention, Ricky spends most of his time trying to inspire and educate at studios around the country and believes in a high-energy class in which the students work hard while enjoying the process and looks forward to jumping around in class at every opportunity.
Lisa Donmall-Reeve
Lisa was born in the UK, lived in London, New York and now in Los Angeles. She trained at The London Studio Centre, The Conservatoire de Paris (with Matt Mattox) and Martha Graham, NYC. West End credits: Velma Kelly in Chicago, 1st u/s Ulla in The Producers (original co) Sweet Charity, Crazy For You (u/s Polly) My Fair Lady (original co) Once in a Lifetime (National Theatre). NYC/ International touring and regional; A Chorus Line, The Opera Show, The Rat Pack, 42nd St, Anything Goes, Crazy for You, Cats, Mary Poppins, Sweet Charity, Pride and Prejudice. Numerous choreography and assistant chore/dir credits including Matilda, 42nd Street, Crazy For You, Cats and Peter Pan. Lisa was a faculty member at the Joffrey Ballet School NY/Miami/LA for 8 years, she has also taught jazz dance at UCI, Dmitri Kulev Ballet School in Irvine and has choreographed and taught at The Marlboro School in Los Angeles. In London at Millennium Performing Arts, London Studio Center, Mountview, AMTA (Now ICMT) and The Urdang Academy. Lisa launched LDR Creative LLC in 2016 with the objective to build creative teams that inspire, and to produce product that makes a difference. Her first short film, ‘Early Mourning’, was screened at over 20 film festivals, winning 5 awards including the Audience Award at the Soho International Film Festival 2017 in NYC. The follow-up short film, ‘Free’ is distributed on both Shorts TV and Amazon Prime, and ‘Double Exposure’ has had a very successful run on the film festival circuit. Lisa’s first feature length documentary, Uprooted - The Journey of Jazz Dance; enjoyed a world premiere at the Lincoln Centers Dance on Camera Film Festival in NYC, winning the Best of Fest Feature Award in 2020 and then continued to take the festival circuit by storm winning eighteen further awards including Best Musical Documentary at The Rhode Island International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Documentary during its International Premiere at Raindance Film Festival. Uprooted is currently streaming on HBOMax in the US. LDR Creative has her second feature documentary ‘Susan Feniger. FORKED on the film festival circuit, two short films also enjoying their festival journey and two narrative features in pre-production.
For more information www.ldrcreative.com IMDB
Alex Blitstein
Born a fourth generation San Franciscan, raised in Walnut Creek, Alex Blitstein's dance career began following a decade of competitive gymnastics training. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Science from San Diego State University. Just two years after graduating he was invited back to receive the prestigious “SDSU Alumni to Watch Award” for his growing record of professional accomplishments and promise for future contribution in the arts. His passion for dance education paired with a strong technical background has granted him wonderful opportunities to spread his knowledge, love of dance, and choreography around the world.
Alex's credits include: Jennifer Lopez, Glee, American Idol’s Jessica Sanchez, Disney Channel, FOX networks "Mobbed", America's Got Talent and dancing in national commercials and industrials for FIAT, Esteé Lauder, Adidas, Genetech, Flash Mob America, and more. Alex has been a faculty member for some of the largest dance conventions in the world that reach 300,000+ dancers annually (24Seven, Jump, Nuvo, Hollywood Connection and Titans of Dance). He is also currently the Executive Director of Marketing for Showbiz National Dance Competition, which is celebrating its 30th season! As an educator and award-winning choreographer, Alex has traveled the world teaching at universities, competitive studios, and with professional companies. Most recently, Alex was in Europe where he was the assistant choreographer for the new production of Robinson Club's entertainment sector. Prior to that he was contracted by Japan’s top talent agency, Johnny’s and Associates, where he was working with Japan’s most well-known boy bands and solo artists. Alex has also worked at the World Arena Olympic Training Center, teaching off ice movement development and private lessons for members of the US Figure Skating Team.
Giving back plays a huge role in Alex’s life as both an educator and a performer. He is a board member of “The Meraki Project”, a Colorado based dance event that brings together hundreds of dancers to partake in a weekend of dance intensive classes, scholarship auditions and a showcase. All of the proceeds are donated to various charities. One of the highlights of Alex’s career was being invited to perform, guest teach and choreograph the opening number for a TRUTH 365 event in Houston Texas. The Truth 365 is the Emmy Award-Winning grass-roots documentary film and social media campaign that gives a voice to all children fighting all forms of cancer.
Alex feels very strongly about higher education and seeing his students continue their love of dance beyond high school. Whether it be as a dance major/minor, being on a collegiate dance team, pursuing a commercial career or just taking class for fun. He had the privilege and pleasure of teaching at the American College Dance Festival for two years in a row and has been a guest artist and choreographer at Yale University, UCLA, Western Michigan University, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Rosa Junior College, Jacksonville University, University of Illinois, University of Missouri and University of Colorado Boulder. Alex has also instructed classes at the esteemed Broadway Dance Center in NYC, as well as the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles.
Logan Prince
Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Logan has immersed herself inside the dance studio 6-7 days a week since she was 7 years old. Throughout her younger days, Logan competed and performed with multiple conventions and has been assisting lead choreographers from JUMP, Nuvo, Tremaine and NYCDA. She graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Biological Sciences and danced on the ASU Spirit Squad as well as toured with various dance conventions, was named Cheerleader Of The Year with Sports Illustrated in 2010 and 2011, and placed 5th at the UDA/ UCA National Dance Competition for the first time in college history. In 2014, Logan became a New York Radio City Rockette where she performed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular for five years. Logan has performed for Michael Bublé, Ariana Grande, The Today Show, The Wendy Williams Show, Live with Kelly and Michael, The Chew, Rockefeller Tree Lighting, and “kicked” numerous years in the legendary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Logan now lives in Carlsbad, California with her husband, and two little daughters Goldie and Poppy. Logan currently continues to share her love for dance and fitness through teaching, choreographing and instructing Barre at Studio Barre in the Southern California area.
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