The Scripps Performing Arts Academy (SPAA) has two locations in San Diego, California. For this article, we interviewed Miah Nwosu, the Academy Principal of SPAA and the Artistic Director of their Youth Company in Residence, Scripps Ballet Theatre, the Academy. Miah describes SPAA as a training facility that places equal value on technical, artistic and whole person development of each and every student that walks through their doors, regardless of the student’s long term goals.
Scripps provides strong, diverse training in a familial atmosphere where students feel comfortable to explore their boundaries and receive positive feedback. They care about their students as individuals and tailor their schedules and training programs to their needs. They recognize that each dancer is an individual and an invaluable part of their studio family.
According to Miah, it is very hard for her to narrow her proudest moments as a coach down to just one moment. In the class or rehearsal sense, she says it has to be when she sees a student working on applying a correction, artistic or technical instruction, have that moment where it clicks. It is a wonderful thing to see them recognize that their hard work has paid off! In the long-term sense, it has to be seeing their students succeed in a variety of fields after graduating; to see dancers earn ballet company contracts right out of high school, get into their first choice college dance program or be accepted in their first choice college academic program. Scripps has students getting ready to graduate with jobs in big banks on Wall Street, working as Art brokers, teachers and more. Seeing them utilize the skills they obtained in ballet and dance class – work ethic, discipline, focus, goal setting – to achieve their goals outside the studio is a fulfilling and rewarding thing.
In Miah’s opinion, the three biggest mistakes she sees dancers make are focusing on the bigger, flashy steps, rather than the foundational steps to the movement, not using their eyes to complete their overall line and not fully realizing the importance of good, meticulous, ballet technique. First, as far as flashy steps, connecting steps must be executed so purely that they almost disappear and that takes practice – slow, methodical practice with a detail oriented teacher. Second, the placement of the eyes can make or break a line in any style. Miah had 
a teacher that used to say that dancers need to know where their right eyeball was going to be on “4” of the 3rd 8-count. Having a plan for each part of your body allows everything to work in unison and ultimately gives you freedom to express yourself. Using the eyes can also improve balance and spot. Third, Ballet technique is not immediately flashy and builds very slowly over time. Although Ballet is not always as immediately rewarding as some commercial dance styles, the strength, focus and control developed make for versatile, beautiful commercial dancers and people.
Scripps’ goals are the same every year – to provide the best training and performing opportunities possible to their students, while providing their local community with a broader understanding of the benefits and beauty of the performing arts.
Angela Amoroso, Executive Director and Founder of the Scripps Performing Arts Academy, grew up in New York. It was Angela’s desire to inspire children to love ballet that prompted her to open her first school on Long Island. Although she was Musical Theatre student she realized that ballet was the foundation for all the performing arts. Miah believes that Ballet has gotten a “bad rep” for not being fun without the complete knowledge of the overall value. Ballet is a necessary tool for personal excellence and benefits everyone. Providing a syllabus that slowly and gently prods the dancer forward is an extraordinary method that with time, practiced self-discipline and guidance, there is more to be had than fun to be had – the personal fulfillment is indescribable.
Scripps offers a full program for toddlers through 18 years of age in Ballet with corresponding cross training in tap, hip hop, several styles of jazz, pilates, musical theatre, voice, piano and beautiful performing opportunities. They feel that the most important thing for students is to become the best that they can be and not focus on being better than someone else. It is just not an effective use of time. Because so many students have a difficult time participating in competitions without letting that the green eye of envy creep in and competitions can sometimes limit the creativity of choreographers, they choose not to participate in competitions. They offer three major ballet productions each year, one tap and jazz production and a variety of musical theatre workshops, theatre productions and musical concerts for students who choose to develop their performance skills. They rehearse for productions outside of class time so that the full year’s class time can be utilized to develop and strengthen technique and artistry.
Among the many humanitarian programs that Scripps supports are “Isabella’s Giraffe Club” and “Sienna’s PlayGarden.” Isabella’s Giraffe Club is a non-profit organization committed to providing educational and emotional support for parents with infants in a Neonatal Intensive 
Care Unit. Sienna’s PlayGarden is a playground renovation project created by the Palkovic Family in memory and out of their immense love for Sienna Marie Palkovic who passed away unexpectedly at the age of sixteen months. The goal of Sienna’s PlayGarden is to rejuvenate Sienna’s favorite neighborhood playground and turn it into a memorable, safe and fun nature themed playground. Scripps also supports families who have to live with the unimaginable loss of a child from SUDC – Sudden and Unexpected Death in Childhood or the loss of a baby caused by SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Their grief programs recognize that mourning is unique and they welcome anyone who is dealing with any kind of loss to join their nurturing community.
SPAA has trained students who have been accepted to programs with San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The American Ballet Theater, Houston Ballet, the Kirov Academy, Boston Ballet, The Ailey School, Harid Conservatory, The Rock School, The Joffrey Ballet School, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, New York, Chicago and several other prestigious and well-respected programs across the country. They have also had students go on to successful academic careers at Vassar College, Yale University, Boston Conservatory, New York University, Boston University, Fordham University, Northwestern University, Stanford University, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna, Elon University, UCSD, UCLA, University of California and more!
If you would like more information about the Scripps Performing Arts Academy, visit their website at scrippsperformingarts.com, call the Scripps Ranch studio at 858-586-7332 or the Torrey Hills studio at 858-509-2624 or email them at info@scrippsperformingarts.com. You can also “Like” them on Facebook and view them on YouTube.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Miah Nwosu of The Scripps Performing Arts Academy.
