Board of Directors

Ann Timoney

President

Ann Timoney began ballet training at age 7 in New Albany, Indiana, and performed with the Louisville Civic Ballet in Louisville, Kentucky until age 17. She also studied ballet in New York at the Joffrey school and in Philadelphia at the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet in the summers. After graduation from high school, she attended the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem, NC, and earned her BA in Dance. After settling in San Jose, she taught ballet at the Los Gatos Academy of Dance and performed with SJDT with a small professional group of dancers.

Ann is a Certified Financial Planner and Mortgage Advisor with Opes Advisors, a Division of Flagstar Bank. Her office is in Los Gatos, CA. She lives in San Jose with her husband, Howard.

Marji Karlgaard

Vice President

Marji joined the San Jose Dance Theatre Board in 2015 after studying ballet with Linda Hurkmans, and performing in the 2014 Nutcracker. A life long lover of ballet, she has a degree in Nutrition Science from UC Davis, and a background in sales and marketing, banking, and dietetics. She has served on the governing board of her 3,500 member church and on numerous committees for schools and non-profit organizations, including Silicon Valley Board of Realtors. The joy of dance for all ages, and the opportunity to educate the next generation of dancers with quality art and performing opportunities drives her board participation at San Jose Dance Theatre.

Elizabeth Sweeney

Secretary

Elizabeth began her dance training under the Royal Academy of Dance. She then began training under Paul Curtis and Shawn Stuart at San Jose Dance Theatre. With their guidance she performed in their Nutcracker from the age of eight to seventeen. While dancing at San Jose Dance Theatre under Robert Kelleys’ direction she was given the opportunity to participate in Regional Dance America. She then danced at the former San Jose Cleveland Ballet School under the direction of Denis Nahat before continuing to University. Elizabeth Graduated from California State University Long Beach with a BA in Dance. She is grateful to her professors Keith Johnson, Susan McLain, and Doug Neilsen for introducing her to the world of modern dance. Elizabeth feels privileged to be invited to be a board member with San Jose Dance Theatre and hopes her contribution will help inspire future dancers to reach their dreams. Elizabeth will be helping regularly behind the scenes as well as guest teaching at San Jose Dance Theatre in Modern dance and Choreography.

Lee Forbes

Board Member

Lee has been a parent volunteer for San Jose Dance Theatre since 1996, when two of his sons, Danny and Chris, asked to be in the performance after watching this amazing production of The Nutcracker for the first time. His son, Danny, went on to compete in ice skating and found his dance training and performing with San Jose Dance Theatre very valuable. His paying job over the past 40 years is in the design and engineering of high-tech printed circuit boards here in Silicon Valley. Lee’s personal goal for San Jose Dance Theatre is to keep the legacy of this beautiful production alive, so that his grandchildren can also “Experience the Magic!”

Stino Tapia

Board Member

After having both of his daughters perform for several years in the San Jose Dance Theatre’s Nutcracker back in 1996, he became passionate about the art of dance and providing dance opportunities to bay area youth. Both daughters attended the San Jose Dance Theatre academy where they received excellent training in Ballet. In 1997, Stino began helping with the backstage productions that the SJDT studio produced and later joined the board of directors. Stino works at a high-tech software company here in the San Francisco Silicon Valley managing an IT department. When spending 50+ hours a week in technology, it is a welcome change to be involved with something totally different and inspiring, the art form of ballet.

Renee Forbes

Treasurer & Costume Director

Renee has been involved with San Jose Dance Theatre since 1996. When her son Danny was 3 years old, the Forbes family saw The Nutcracker for the first time, and Danny said he wanted to be in the Nutcracker. Renee volunteered for the costume committee and has been working on San Jose Dance Theatre costumes ever since. Renee is currently in charge of costumes for all of our productions. Renee stays involved with SJDT because it opens doors for children to perform that otherwise would not have that opportunity. Though her children are now grown, Renee would like to see the opportunities at San Jose Dance Theatre continue for future generations.

Charlotte Cattivera

Board Member

Charlotte began her serious ballet training at San Jose Dance Theatre, previously Los Gatos Academy of Dance, with Paul E. Curtis and Shawn Stuart. She has been volunteering with San Jose Dance Theatre through the course of both of her daughters taking ballet and performing in ‘The Nutcracker’. Charlotte hopes to bring her passion of ballet and theatre experience, as well as, being the liaison between parents and board members to help continue the legacy of San Jose Dance Theatre.

Questions or comments?
Feel free to contact our board at [email protected].

Special Thanks

San Jose Dance Theatre would like to sincerely thank former board members Brian Dougherty, Phylis Dougherty, Miriam Watson, Jennifer Joyce Watson, Michelle Yasuda, Willard Roit, Bronweyn Coleman, and all other former board members for their time, enormous talent, and devotion to keeping our legacy alive!