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About Us

Mission

Our mission is to provide the community with multiple performing arts experiences. The organization's vision is to preserve and enhance the arts thought quality theatre education and performances in the community. 


OPAI will strive to achieve this through the following activities:
1. providing quality public performances at an affordable price.
2. providing quality performance education
3. broadening the awareness of the arts in our community

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Ballet Mistress

                            Amy D. Davidge began her formal training at the                                  age  of nine. She received her Bachelor’s Degree

                            in Dance Education from Bowling Green State                                        University and has studied with D. Scot Davidge,                                    Shari Jerome, Deborah Tell, and Kathleen Cleary.

                            She has also studied  in New York City with                                              renowned teacher Finis Jhung. An avid performer, Ms. Davidge has performed in and choreographed several productions for OPAI and co-founded the Springfield Ballet Theatre. She has performed in many productions including the roles of “Clara” & “The Sugar Plum Fairy” in The Nutcracker, Seussical, Carousel, The Wiz, The Pirates of Penzance, Cabaret, Grease, Pippin, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, Damn Yankees, Bye Bye Birdie, Sweeney Todd, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Addams Family, A Grand Night for Singing and Anything Goes.

Ms. Davidge has instructed ballet at Clark State Community College

and OPAI.

Founded in 1985 by D. Scot Davidge, OPAI offers a wide range of professionally instructed performing arts classes in a friendly, family environment as well as public performances throughout 

Springfield, Ohio and the surrounding community. 

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Artistic Director/Founder​

                           D. Scot Davidge, a native of California, started

                           dancing at the age of five.  Mr. Davidge  graduated

                           from the United States International University

                           School of Performing and Visual Arts in San Diego,                               with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master’s                                       degree in Fine Arts.  His Broadway  career includes                               shows such as Grease, Pippin, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, 42nd Street, The Tap Dance Kid, No No Nanette, Twelfth Night, and A Chorus Line. Davidge originated the part of “Benjamin” in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers on Broadway and toured with that production as well. Mr. Davidge discovered the Miami Valley while on tour with the Kenley Players.  Upon moving

to Springfield, Davidge choreographed several shows for the Springfield Arts Council’s Summer Arts Festival, South High School, and Wittenberg University.  He has been a guest teacher at Wittenberg and Wright State Universities and at Antioch College. Davidge’s love for the performing arts and teaching inspired him to start a program for formal dance and theatre education in Springfield that evolved into OPAI.  He is also the co-founder of the Springfield Ballet Theatre which debuted in 2005.

                          Kaitlin Musick is a dance and theatre major at 

                          Wittenberg University. She has been a dancer at Ohio

                          Performing Arts Institute for more than thirteen years

                          now. She has performed in many musicals, Springfield

                          Ballet Theatre concerts and nutcrackers, including her

                          role as Clara Stahlbum and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Kaitlin has always wanted to be a dance and acting instructor and is thankful to be living out her dream. Her next aspiration is to own her own studio. 

Kaitlin headshot.jpg

                          Jay Hale an Indianapolis native, started singing and                                playing piano at years 8 years old. He was heavily                                    involved in church choirs and programs where his                                    passion for music grew through his high school                                        years. He attended Bob Jones University as a double                              performance major under the instruction of Dr. Bill McCauley and Pam Dunbar (voice) with help of Dr. Megan McCauley, Mr. Tom Grimble (piano), and Dr. Beth Eubank (conducting) before he transferred to Northland International University to complete his B.S. in Vocal and Choral Pedagogy, under Mr. Chris Metras and Brett and Debbie Habing. He was a regional finalist in the Junior men category of SCNATS singing competition in 2011. His singing performance credits include: Chorus member in Verdi’s  Rigoletto and Saint-Saen’s Samson et Dalilah, Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief, and various student productions. His musical direction credits include: Singin’ In the Rain, Fiddler on the Roof, Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz, as well as The Addams Family, A Grand Night for Singing and Anything Goes with OPAI, and is the director of OPAI’s Holiday Carolers. Jay has been with OPAI for over a year now and enjoys his time teaching music and learning to dance. He currently resides in Beavercreek where he also works as a Pampered Chef consultant and part time volleyball coach.

                           Jennifer Vito began dancing at the age of seven,                                   when she entered Ohio Performing Arts Institute                                   (then known as Fancy Dancer). While at OPAI, she                                 performed in many productions of The Nutcracker,                               as well as dance company concerts, musicals, and                                 outreach programs. Jennifer attended Wittenberg University, where she was a member of The Wittenberg Dance Company. She graduated with a degree is Psychology and minors

in Dance and Sociology. Following Wittenberg, Jennifer returned

to OPAI to perform again in The Nutcracker, musicals, and with Springfield Ballet Theatre. She also attended The Ohio State University where she obtained her Master's in Speech and

Hearing Science. She is currently employed as a Speech Language Pathologist for Tecumseh Schools. She has been teaching Modern/Contemporary Dance classes at OPAI since 2013. She

lives in New Carlisle with her husband, Joe, and two children, Madeline and Dominic. 

                           Stephanie Jenkins has a BA in Musical Theatre                                     from Point Park University’s Conservatory of                                           Performing Arts. Professional credits include:                                         Tommy (Sally Simpson), The Rocky Horror Puppet                                 Show (Columbia), Peter Pan (Tootles) and The                                         Fantastic Mr Fox. She has also appeared locally in OPAI’s productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy), West Side Story (Maria), Grease (Frenchy), Pippin and Jesus Christ Superstar. She has also appeared in Summer Arts Festival productions of Anything Goes (Erma), and Annie Get Your Gun (Annie Oakley) and in the SCT production of The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet Van De Graff). Stephanie has also worked behind the scenes choreographing for both Kenton Ridge (High School Musical, Godspell, Shrek, and Guys & Dolls) & Northeastern (Once Upon a Mattress, The Little Mermaid , The Drowsy Chaperone), and the Springfield Arts Council’s production of Footloose. Stephanie is also a 4th grade teacher at New Carlisle Elementary School.

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