A Complete Person Approach to Arts Education
Scripps Performing Arts Academy’s faculty has been carefully selected to meet the needs of our students, technically as artists, and emotionally as young people. Consisting of current and former Professionals, students of Dance Pedagogy and Academy Alumni, students receive top tier instruction.
SPAA rivals the top ballet schools across the country in their ability to teach quality ballet technique and artistry to their students. It is so special to have a local ballet school right here in San Diego that can provide both a nurturing atmosphere and at the same time prepare dancers to compete on the national level. The added plus is the individual attention each student receives celebrating their strengths and addressing their weaknesses that really sets SPAA apart from other schools.
-Parent of SPAA 10 year, Year-Round and Summer Intensive Alum who danced with San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet and Semperoper Ballet in Dresden. Photo by Rachel Neville
If you are looking for a pre-professional ballet program that values education and self-discipline, then SPAA is the place for your child. This summer she is off to New York to train at Juilliard. She has taken classes from the best and feels that the classes at SPAA have not only prepared her well for other programs but are on par with the level of instruction.
-Parent of SPAA 5 year Year-Round and Summer Intensive Alum who currently dancing with Estonian National Ballet, formerly Houston Ballet II.
I danced at Scripps Performing Arts Academy my entire life, and they helped me grow as a dancer and as a person. Everything is very professional, but in a very nurturing environment which is rare to find at a ballet studio. The teachers here are not only great dance teachers, but also great mentors who are more than willing to help any student with any problems they have.
-SPAA 12 year Alum who went on to achieve a BFA in Dance from Boston Conservatory, danced professionally and now is a Soul Aligned Business Coach and Strategist
Miah Nwosu made sure I had all the tools I needed to create a strong foundation for the dance career I wanted. Not only have I received superb training through the Academy but I have been given myriads of performance opportunities through the youth company in residence. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for being well rounded in dance styles, technique, and performing abilities which is such an important part of sharing the art and passion of ballet.
– SPAA 15 year, Year-Round and Summer Intensive Alum who received a contract with Nevada Ballet Theatre immediately after graduation from SPAA.
Leadership Team
Angela Amoroso
Founder & Executive Director
Miah Nwosu
Artistic Director
Drew Skinner
Director of Operations
Miah Nwosu began seriously studying ballet at age eight at The Scripps Performing Arts Academy shortly after participating in a Miramar Ranch Elementary After School Program. That June she performed in her first production with the SPAC, “Earthkalah.” She trained at Scripps Performing Arts for seven years, primarily under Lili Griffths, former Soloist dancer of the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, continuing her studies at City Ballet of San Diego in the highest level of their pre-professional division. She performed with the company in the Nutcracker, their company premiere of “Don Quixote,” and various other productions and spent a summer training at The Ailey School in New York City. Miah later attended Fordham University in New York City, training at The Ailey School, Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center.Upon her return to San Diego, Miah joined C. Anthony Cole Repertory Theatre and later La Diego Dance Theatre for its inaugural season.
Drew is a talented musician, accomplished craftsman and professional wood worker. He spent 9 years performing as Mother Ginger in San Diego City Ballet’s Nutcracker before meeting Angela and joining her at SPAA. Drew is multi-talented, managing and maintaining our facilities, greeting families from behind the desk while also building and designing sets and props for our musical theatre and dance departments. 
Gina Amparan
Audrey began dancing at the age of 4 ½ studying ballet, jazz and modern. She quickly rose to higher levels and was accepted into the Junior Company and performed in many productions.Audrey continued her dance training at Academy of Performing Arts & at Mesa College performing with their dance company around the southern California area. She was also a member of Unity Dance Ensemble and Unity II under the direction of Tessandra Chavez.In 2007 she moved to San Francisco and trained at SF Dance Center, ODC School and Shawl-Anderson Dance Center. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from SFSU also performing & touring with their dance company. While studying in SF, she found her love for Pilates which encouraged her to receive her certification. Audrey found her passion in teaching dance in 2000 and has been teaching all over San Diego and the Bay Area ever since. Her students have been accepted into many prestigious summer intensives around the world and have been accepted into collegiate and professional dance programs. She currently is a guest instructor teaching dance courses at Mesa College.She wants her students to thrive not only as dancers but as unique individuals. “Dance is not just about technique; it’s about how we feel when we dance or when we witness the heart and soul of movement and music and it’s just magical.”
Ana fell in love with dance when she was in high school. She trained at the Academy of Performing Arts, Edge Performing Arts Center and Millennium Dance Complex. At a young age she began putting choreography together for dance teams, parades, and musicals in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas. She has had the pleasure of working with Bill Virchis, Kevin Patterson, Liam Harney, Tiffany Billings, and Joelle Martinec, just to name a few. Ana’s exceptional teaching skills have brought her to Scripps Performing Arts Academy! She is an exciting dance teacher with original choreography that can’t wait to share her passion with her students.
Melissa Laidlaw has been a passionate dance teacher for the last 16 years. After growing up in San Diego and dancing from age 3, she earned her BA in Dance at California State University, Fullerton. While at Fullerton she performed and choreographed pieces in many dance productions, while teaching Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and ‘Parent and me’ classes in a popular Fullerton dance studio. Having completed her BA in Dance, Melissa moved to Las Vegas and continued teaching, cementing her joy in children’s ballet which led to her becoming a certified American Ballet Theatre Curriculum Instructor. Whilst living in the UK for two years, Melissa took her love for creating dance movement to a new level and attained her MA in Choreography from the University of Lincoln. This experience has hugely helped to enrich her classes in creative ways by incorporating play and imagination into the fundamentals of ballet. As a mom of two young children, she is constantly learning and creating different ways to ignite their imagination to aid their learning and overall development, and they remain a key inspiration in her creative approaches to teaching children. Melissa is excited and grateful to be part of the SPAA faculty and is looking forward to continue bringing the joy of dance to the children of San Diego!
Joy Newbegin is an artist born and raised in sunny San Diego. She has a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Theatre from the University of California, Irvine. Joy has performed professionally throughout San Diego for 15+ years. She has performed at The Old Globe, The La Jolla Playhouse, with The San Diego Opera and has toured the nation singing and dancing. She has found joy in leading children to their inner confidence and inspiring a love for the performing arts. “Thank you for singing and dancing with me! You are a gift!”
Becca Newton, originally from Sacramento, CA, is a graduate from CSU Long Beach where she obtained her BFA in dance. As a teen, Becca trained with a pre-professional dance company under the direction of Jen Bradford where she had the opportunity to perform at venues such as the Royan Festival of France, and The Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Becca also trained extensively in classical ballet under the direction of Theodore Constant, and through attending summer intensives/workshops, she has received training from educators such as Lillian Barbeito, Sidra Bell, Troy Ogilvie, Drew Jacoby, and much more. Becca discovered her passion for choreography early on, and her work has been presented in a collaborative show with Backhausdance Company, at the CSULB’s Contemporary Dance Concert, and took first at the Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival, Palm Desert. Her repertoire includes works by choreographers such as LeeWei Chow, Jenny Backhaus, Sidra Bell, Ben Levy, Lorin Johnson, Alex Ketley, Rebecca Lemme, Keith Johnson, and Rebecca Bryant.
Ms. Centurion began training in her native Argentina at the Northeast University Ballet School and graduated from the School of Ballet Contemporaneo del Teatro San Martin in Buenos Aires. She has performed ballet, modern, jazz, gymnastics and folkloric dance and tango throughout Argentina and abroad. She had an extensive career within the contemporary arts; teaching and performing professionally for over 20 years, working with well recognized choreographers and directors from South America, Italy and the United States, performing in great theaters, important venues and festivals across the aforementioned countries as well. In USA, Ms. Sole joined Miami Contemporary Dance Co & School as a Company Dancer, Ballet Mistress and Assistant Artistic Director in Miami, FL where she spent almost a decade. After spending a few years back in Argentina, working with the Ballet Contemporaneo del Chaco as performer, teacher and assistant director; she relocated to Chicago,IL, where she worked as a member of the Ballet faculty at Foster Dance Studios and Outreach Facilitator of COCODACO dance Project, in collaboration with Youth & Opportunity United, teaching underprivileged children at local public schools. Ms. Centurion also dedicated her career to promoting Argentine culture, music and dance. Working together with her husband Richard Scofano, a professional Musician, Bandoneon Player and Composer, they travelled around the world teaching and performing their artistic work. Ms. Centurion strives to incorporate an inextricable relationship between different dance techniques and styles into a multi-disciplinary art to widen her work to all possibilities.
Kiona Daelyn began moving in Tucson, AZ and performed with Funhouse Movement Theatre and O-T-O Dance as a dancer and aerialist. Kiona holds a B.F.A in Dance Education from University of the Arts in Philadelphia where they performed works by Silvana Cardell, Curt Haworth, and Martha Graham; studied dance pedagogy under Connie Michaels and Donna Faye Burchfield ; and studied modern dnace and improvisation with Curt Haworth, Jennifer Binford-Johnson, Brian Sanders, Manfred Fischbeck, Kim Bears-Bailey, and Zane Booker. While living in Philadelphia they taught dance, yoga, and meditation to all ages. Since moving to San Diego in late 2011, Kiona has performed with several choreographers including Angel Arambula, John Diaz, Jean Isaacs, Regina Klenjoski, Zaquia Mahler-Salinas, John Malashock, Michael Mizerany, Spencer Powell, Khamla Somphanh, Henry Torres, and Jeanne Travers. Kiona is a founding company dancer and aerialist with Astraeus Aerial Dance Theatre, where they also serve as sound editor. They also perform and choreograph dance and aerial arts as a freelance artist. Kiona is currently teaching dance, yoga, and aerial classes to children and adults in various studios throughout San Diego county