Scripps Performing Arts Centre

Nothing but good things to say about our experience at SPAA. About six years ago when we were looking for a new ballet studio for our daughter Erin (10 years old at the time), Ms Miah and SPAA were recommended to us as a top notch non-competition ballet focused studio. Erin chose SPAA over other studios we visited due to her interactions with Ms Miah and what she felt she could learn from her. Six years later and my daughter and her passion for ballet is thriving at SPAA, under the guidance of Ms Miah and her other teachers. Over the years she has progressed to pointe and moved from beginning to intermediate to advanced class levels when she was physically and emotionally ready. She has also expanded her love of ballet to include jazz, modern, contemporary, lyrical and tap. SPAA considers each child individually and nurtures the whole child, not just the dancer. She has also made incredible friends with her fellow dancers, including both younger and older dancers that took her under their wings and have been her biggest cheerleaders as she takes on more challenging roles in performances including the Nutcracker and the spring and June shows. It was so great to be back in the theater and see the kids dance again for the Nutcracker earlier this month. Erin has attended multiple winter and summer intensives at SPAA and, with Ms Miah's guidance and support, has also auditioned and got in to multiple summer programs with ballet companies and attended a 5 week program at Ballet West in Salt Lake during 2021 and will attend Boston Ballet's 5 week summer program in 2022. I could go on but the bottom line is that SPAA is an excellent dance studio family that supports the whole child, whether the child wants to dance for fun or is seeking a professional career in dance...it's always about the child and helping them be the best dancer they can be! Ballet has been the constant for my daughter over the last few years with the pandemic and it has taught her that dedication and commitment will help her excel in all areas of her life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Jennifer Brown
Jan 2nd, 2022

My daughter attended since she was 4 years old and had a wonderful experience which gave her a great group of supportive ballet friends and teachers. They prepared her for college, giving her not only the ballet experience, but the confidence and discipline to manage her dance classes, rehearsals and schoolwork. No doubt their positive influence with performance opportunities and non competition atmosphere shaped my daughter’s mindset to always do your best and look for opportunities for her improvement.
Oct 3rd, 2021

My daughter has been attending SPAA since she was in first grade. She graduated from high school last year and through the years, she found her passion in dance. The staff and instructors all have extensive professional experience in the classes they teach. SPAA is truly a multi-discipline performing arts academy, where they offer many genre of dance, such as ballet, modern, jcontemporary, jazz, tap, hip-hop, and more. They also have a music theater side for students who love to act, sing, and dance. Some of the other girls also have the chance to choreograph dance pieces and teach younger dancers. One of the great features of SPAA, is the amount of performances the students have options to perform in. My daughter and most of the students love to be on stage! During the years at SPAA, my daughter made life-long friendships and I want to mention this place is not "clicky" like you may think. Each girl is supportive of each other, no matter which dance role they are casted, or which summer intensive program they were accepted to. We attribute these good values of support and respect to the SPAA instructors and staff. In addition, with my daughter's committment to dance, she dance over 20 hours a week but learned to manage her time with homework before and between dance classes. Younger dancers looking up to the older dancers and learning to be committed to dance and school work at the same time. We love SPAA not only for teaching the beauty of dance to my daughter, but for the many wonderful life lessons being a better human being.
May 25th, 2021

What a wonderful online program we discovered at SCRIPPS! My 3 young grandkids were thrilled we found fun, entertaining and even educational programs that were a "reward" for the tedium while they were remotely learning. So very creative! Thank you Miss Angela, Mr. Drew and Miss Miah for making the quarantine less painful. You are a gift to the community. And the fact the ABC Dance With Me is available online, we can participate anywhere in the world! Fabulous and ingenious!
May 4th, 2021

10 Billion Stars. PLEASE READ THIS! YOU WILL LEARN ALOT IF YOU ARE A NEW TO DANCE STUDIOS OR LOOKING FOR A NEW DANCE/THEATRE HOME. In the beginning, my daughter and I went around to about 5 local dance studios to see where our best fit was and to sort of "interview" them. I have no dance background or perspective on what a dance studio could be, should be or even what we wanted. But boy did we learn that fast. We have watched our daughter dance here from age 6 ish and is now almost 12, still going strong. The ballet program for the littles is adorable and right on - no spray tans, lashes or inappropriate costumes - it's sweet. And no competitions. No pressure. All of her teachers were so loving and when I learned of their own professional dance backgrounds, I was AMAZED. Your little one will learn ballet technique (you won't believe what they can do so young!) and have fun and be nurtured and loved on. Now at a higher level - wow - I trusted the studio and her teachers for her transition into every level. You can trust these people. They aren't going to rush your child up the dance ladder. And, they aren't going to hold them back, unless there's a good reason. I've learned to be patient and so has my daughter who wanted to move up faster and have bigger roles in performances. It's been a fascinating, learning lesson - trust them, trust the process, learn patience, AND teach your children to do the same. Huge life lessons in expectations. A word about Miss Miah for the higher levels. One cool cat. A NYC Ballet background. Heart of gold. She has instinct with dancer ability and potential. She responds quickly to every email or text. She's thoughtful and deliberate. She's a real pro. If you have a question just ask her. I've needed "perspective" a few times. And she's so helpful. My daughter has the perfect amount of fear (in a coaching healthy way), respect, admiration and love for Miss Miah. Recently my daughter was invited to be "en pointe." Miss Miah recommended an x-ray to be sure her bones were ready for this. She does not advance a whole class, they aren't cookie cutters - she looks at each, individual student for when and how they can advance. She is cautious and careful. I also know that she works around the clock to make everything just right. A word about Miss Angela. We made an appointment to meet her like we did at all studios when interviewing, looking for our dance studio. She was the only one who led us away from the busy area and sat down to talk to us. No other studio owner did this. Then she asked my little to stand and show her certain positions. She looked at my daughter's legs and feet - at only 6 years old! We talked a long time about the dance industry, what it's become (mostly money-making competitions), their goal of keeping children children, maintaining the innocence and having HEALTHY bodies. This resonated with me. I didn't want HOOCHIE outfits, make up or music. She gave us big picture, she shared their studio philosophy. The other studios were all about "here's the schedule and pricing." Miss Angela will show up for you a million times over. She works her heart out to protect her studio, and our children. YOU CAN TRUST HER. A note about Musical Theatre and Jazz - our daughter is mainly in Ballet but she does take a jazz class with Miss Audrey and has an absolute blast. It's good for these ballerina's to move in a different way. She has also taken a Musical Theatre class (Highschool Musical) and it was a HUGE success. Non stop singing and dancing at home. We have all the DVD's, she learned so much - memorizing lines, staging, how to manage nerves, supporting her fellow performers, putting on a show, was fantastic!! You will love this studio!! (I cross posted this review to their Carmel Valley location too)
May 14th, 2021