Kaila Schippani, SJCCA Dance Director
(pronouns: she, her, hers)
Ms. Schippani grew up in Oxford, Connecticut and started dancing at the young age of 2. She received her training in ballet, jazz, and tap at Kicks Dance Center in Shelton, CT. When Ms. Schippani entered high school, she joined her school’s dance team where she fell in love with hip hop. Her competitive dance team competed with the Universal Dance Association (UDA) in hip hop, jazz, and pom in both local and national competitions. Her team won state titles in Large Varsity Hip Hop and Small Varsity Jazz in 2007.
She followed this dance team tradition into her college years when she danced for, then coached the Keene State College Dance Team in Keene, NH. In her second year as head coach of this team (2011), Ms. Schippani worked hard to qualify her dancers to compete in their first UDA national competition in Orlando, FL. She then graduated with two bachelor’s degrees; Education and Wellness and Movement (a collaboration of Health Science and Dance). At Keene State, Kaila had the opportunity to train under Marcia Murdock, William Seigh, Celine Perron, and attended workshops held by the acclaimed dance theater organization, Pilobolus.
Since her move to Saint Augustine in 2011, she has taught at various schools and studios throughout St. Johns and Flagler counties. Ms. Schippani continues to teach dance at Mia Bella Academy of Dance in Palm Coast, FL.
She is thrilled to be the director of the St. John’s County Center for the Arts dance program at St. Augustine High School since 2014. Some of Ms. Schippani’s students have been accepted into dance programs at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), Elon University, New School of Florida, Nova Southeastern University, University of Florida, and The University of the Arts. She is also a member of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) as well as the National Dance Coaches Association (NDCA) with which she is a certified Level 1 judge.
Her love for dance has given her many opportunities that she is very grateful for. She has been honored to attend classes and workshops in New York, Los Angeles, and all over Florida. Her choreography has won awards at Artists Simply Human as well as American All-Star Dance Championships. She has also been hired to choreograph many musical theatre productions during her tenure at St. Augustine High School including; Urinetown (2016), Legally Blonde (2017), Mamma Mia! (2018), Mary Poppins (2019), Bright Star (2020), Pippin (2021), and Cinderella (2022).
Ms. Schippani was the head coach of the St. Augustine High School Dance Team from 2015-2018. During this time, the team won multiple regional competitions including winning a state championship in Small Varsity Jazz in 2018. After this accomplishment, Ms. Schippani and her honors students created an elite competition team; The Collective. This team, established in 2018, were named champions in Varsity Hip Hop at American All-Star Dance Nationals in 2019 and Varsity Hip Hop, Jazz, and Open in 2020. The Collective won the Varsity Hip Hop category at Stage 8 in 2021 and is working toward a state title in the next few years. In 2022, The Collective was pleasantly surprised to become national finalists in both jazz and hip hop at the Dance Team Union Championship in 2022 and place 6thin Small Varsity Hip Hop. This is the first time in St. Augustine High School's history for a competitive dance team to make it to "finals" at a national competition!
Ms Schippani will be pursuing many additional certifications and judging credentials while continuing to teach full time. She cannot wait to see what she learns from her students this year and all that they can accomplish.
She followed this dance team tradition into her college years when she danced for, then coached the Keene State College Dance Team in Keene, NH. In her second year as head coach of this team (2011), Ms. Schippani worked hard to qualify her dancers to compete in their first UDA national competition in Orlando, FL. She then graduated with two bachelor’s degrees; Education and Wellness and Movement (a collaboration of Health Science and Dance). At Keene State, Kaila had the opportunity to train under Marcia Murdock, William Seigh, Celine Perron, and attended workshops held by the acclaimed dance theater organization, Pilobolus.
Since her move to Saint Augustine in 2011, she has taught at various schools and studios throughout St. Johns and Flagler counties. Ms. Schippani continues to teach dance at Mia Bella Academy of Dance in Palm Coast, FL.
She is thrilled to be the director of the St. John’s County Center for the Arts dance program at St. Augustine High School since 2014. Some of Ms. Schippani’s students have been accepted into dance programs at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), Elon University, New School of Florida, Nova Southeastern University, University of Florida, and The University of the Arts. She is also a member of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) as well as the National Dance Coaches Association (NDCA) with which she is a certified Level 1 judge.
Her love for dance has given her many opportunities that she is very grateful for. She has been honored to attend classes and workshops in New York, Los Angeles, and all over Florida. Her choreography has won awards at Artists Simply Human as well as American All-Star Dance Championships. She has also been hired to choreograph many musical theatre productions during her tenure at St. Augustine High School including; Urinetown (2016), Legally Blonde (2017), Mamma Mia! (2018), Mary Poppins (2019), Bright Star (2020), Pippin (2021), and Cinderella (2022).
Ms. Schippani was the head coach of the St. Augustine High School Dance Team from 2015-2018. During this time, the team won multiple regional competitions including winning a state championship in Small Varsity Jazz in 2018. After this accomplishment, Ms. Schippani and her honors students created an elite competition team; The Collective. This team, established in 2018, were named champions in Varsity Hip Hop at American All-Star Dance Nationals in 2019 and Varsity Hip Hop, Jazz, and Open in 2020. The Collective won the Varsity Hip Hop category at Stage 8 in 2021 and is working toward a state title in the next few years. In 2022, The Collective was pleasantly surprised to become national finalists in both jazz and hip hop at the Dance Team Union Championship in 2022 and place 6thin Small Varsity Hip Hop. This is the first time in St. Augustine High School's history for a competitive dance team to make it to "finals" at a national competition!
Ms Schippani will be pursuing many additional certifications and judging credentials while continuing to teach full time. She cannot wait to see what she learns from her students this year and all that they can accomplish.