VPAA Instructors

Katie Flint

Education: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. (Magna Cum Laude) Minor in Exercise Science.

Experience: Dancer: George Mason University Dance Company, Teacher/Choreographer: Adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College, Director of Hunter’s Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences’ dance department, and over 17 years of teaching in private dance studios. Dance Masters of America member. National Dance Education Organization member. Serves on the Academy Curriculum Committee 2015 – present.

Bio: Katie Flint is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a Frank W. Cox High School graduate. Mrs. Flint attended George Mason University where she enjoyed dancing under Susan Sheilds, Elizabeth Price, Dan Joyce, Linda Miller, Jim Lepore, Michelle Lees, and Karen Studd. She was also a dancer and choreographer for the GMU Dance Company. While at Mason, Mrs. Flint served as Vice President and President of the Dance Company. Mrs. Flint earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts Degree in Dance with a Minor in Exercise Science. Mrs. Flint has taught at many private dance studios in both Northern Virginia and the Tidewater area. She was an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College for six semesters, instructing ballet, modern, and jazz. Mrs. Flint also ran the dance department at Hunter’s Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences for a year. Katie Flint is currently an active member of Dance Masters of America, passing her DMA exams in ballet, jazz, and modern. Mrs. Flint enjoys teaching ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern, jazz, and Zumba. Her favorite style to teach, however, is modern because it is a style that relies heavily on the dancers’ emotions and creativity. She has been privileged to see many of her students continue dancing in a college setting and a few in the professional world. Mrs. Flint has been working in Virginia public schools since 2009.

Patricia Statkiewicz

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Business Administration, Muhlenberg College; Master of Education in Dance Education, Rutgers University

Experience: 10 years teaching dance in K-12 schools, studios, and recreational programs

Bio: Patricia (Tricia) Statkiewicz has been teaching dance for 10 years in K-12 schools, studios, and recreational programs across the East Coast and California. Tricia holds an Ed.M. in Dance Education from Rutgers University and a B.A. in Dance and Business Administration from Muhlenberg College. She has been trained in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Dance course work and recently developed and implemented an IB Dance Curriculum for grades 9-12 at St. Timothy's School in Stevensville, Maryland. Tricia is an ABT^® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT^® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT^® National Training Curriculum. While in San Diego, Tricia trained with San Diego Dance Theater and danced professionally with H2O Dance Company. She lives at home with her partner, Tom and their rescue Dalmatian Marshall. In her free time, Tricia enjoys taking dance classes, practicing Pilates, running, and sewing.

David Boone

Education: David C. Boone holds a Bachelor of Music from Old Dominion University, an Oboe Performance degree from Butler University, and a Gifted Education Endorsement from the University of Virginia. He has over 30 years of professional musical experience as a music performer, recording musician, composer/arranger, and educator.

Experience: As a performing musician, David won an audition with the United States Air Force Band where he served as principal oboist for more than 25 years. While with the United States Air Force Band, he toured the world performing and conducting ensembles in the United States, Europe, Australia, Russia, and the Far East including Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Singapore. Of the many opportunities as a soloist, David was invited to perform as a soloist with the Netherlands Wind Ensemble when they appeared at the International Double Reed Convention in Madison Wisconsin. He can be heard on sixteen compact disc recordings as a performer and soloist. David wrote several instrumental and vocal arrangements for Woodwind Quintet and Voice, in addition to composing an original composition for solo English Horn and Clarinet Quartet. Additionally, David held the position as Pipe Major for the United States Air Force Reserve Pipe Band and harpist/piper with United States Air Force Heritage Air Celtic Ensemble.

Bio: Mr. Boone has had the honor of performing at the White House and has performed for five sitting Presidents – Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Additionally, he has performed with the St. Louis Philharmonic, Macon Symphony, and Columbus Symphony. He continues to be an active performer as a freelance musician in the Tidewater area, and has performed with the Virginia Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Symphonicity of Virginia Beach, Williamsburg Handel Chamber Orchestra, Chesapeake Bay Wind ensemble, Virginia Wind Symphony, York River Symphony and many other chamber groups.

David obtained his teaching credentials from Old Dominion University and began his teaching career with Virginia Beach City Public Schools in 2010.

Corbin Pinto

Corbin Pinto is a 2004 graduate of James Madison University and holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree. She also earned a Master of Music degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011. Corbin studied under Robynne Redmon, Emily Stauch, and Dr. John Little. Corbin has taught choral music in the Virginia Beach City Schools since 2004, with tenure at Tallwood High School (2004-2019) and Bayside High School (2014-2019) before becoming the lead vocal teacher for the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School in Virginia Beach. Her choirs have performed at Carnegie Hall and with the Virginia Choral Society, Virginia Beach Chorale, and Virginia Symphony. A long-time member of VMEA and NAfME, Corbin has served as District 2 Chair, Choral Rep for District 2, served on state committees, and has chaired All-Virginia choral auditions for her district. She became a National Board Certified Teacher in 2017. She teaches private voice lessons and is a frequent adjudicator for choral assessments and auditions.

Steven Harders

Education: MFA Directing--secondary emphases in acting, voice, and dramatic literature, Virginia Commonwealth University; BA Theatre Arts, Marycrest University.

Experience: Professor of Theatre & Speech, Chowan University (Murfreesboro, NC), 2003-2024. Artistic Director, Generic Theater (Norfolk, VA), 1996-2003. Artistic Director & Founder, Ah-MuZe Theatre Company. Served on Board of Directors: Gallery Theatre (Ahoskie, NC), Loveland Community Theatre (Loveland, CO), and Foothills Community Theatre (Fort Collins, CO). Administrative & Box Office experience, Lincoln Center (Fort Collins, CO). Numerous directing, acting (stage/screen), stage design, and playwriting credits. Excellence in Teaching Award (Chowan University), Distinguished Artistic Direction Award (Generic Theater).

Christa Vogt

Education: BA in Theatre Arts and Speech Communication, Old Dominion University, MA in Theatre Production and Design, Southern Oregon University.

Experience: Over 20 years local Acting and Directing experience; served on Board of Directors, Little Theatre Norfolk and Generic Theater; over 15 Virginia High School League theatre awards; 4 Virginia Theatre Association awards; 2011-present Academy Curriculum Committee; 2008-2009 Fine Arts Curriculum Committee; 2007 OLHS Teacher of the Year. 2021 Salem High School Teacher of the Year, 2021 VBCPS Teacher of the Year Finalist

Erin Richburg (Department Chair)

Education: 2004 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, Minor in Art History from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va. (Magna Cum Laude), 2007 Licensure in Art Education ODU, 2007 Meritorious New Teacher Candidate, MARTP and ODU, 2013 National Board Certification - Art - Early Adolescence through Young Adult.

Bio: Erin Richburg is the current Lead Visual Arts Teacher at Salem High School, and is currently an active member of the NAEA/VAEA and VSTE. Erin’s artwork has been displayed in various locations such as the Hygienic Art Gallery in New London Connecticut, VaMOCA in Virginia Beach, and H. Taylor Arts Center in Hampton Va. In 2013 She received her National Board Certification in Visual Arts Early Adolescence through Young Adult. Her desire to foster a love of learning and a deep respect for art to people of all ages has been a driving force in her studies and continues to influence her own art-making. She credits her love of art to her parents who never flinched when she announced she would study visual arts in college and her Art Education professors and mentors for fostering her passion and teaching her how to pass her love of art and learning on to her students.

Melissa Schappell

Education: 2012 Bachelor of Fine Arts: Drawing Concentration and 2012 Bachelor of Science: Art Education, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Kutztown University, Kutztown Pa, Magna Cum Laude. 2020 Master of Fine Art: Studio Art, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Radford University, Radford Va, Summa Cum Laude

Bio: Melissa Schappell was raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and attended Kutztown University of Pennsylvania where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art with a concentration in Drawing and a Bachelor of Science Art Education. Drawing as a concentration gave her flexibility to work with a variety of media and formats, which suited her natural inclination to work with wet and dry media in non-traditional ways. After graduating in 2012 she received an offer to teach at the Visual and Performing Arts Academy of Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia where she worked with these gifted art students for 5 years. She recently received her Master of Fine Art Degree in Studio Art from Radford University where she also served as Professor of Record for Art Appreciation courses. She has since returned to Salem VPAA to pursue her passion for educating and mentoring young artists while also continuing to exhibit and sell her work through her business Melissa Schappell Art, llc. Her work explores the spaces between art, psychology, and the semiotics of metaphor, storytelling, and symbolism. The pieces have been shown at a variety of established academic institutions, museums, fine art galleries, and art centers, with recent solo exhibitions at Stravitz Sculpture and Fine Art Galleries and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art Community Gallery. She has also been awarded in juried exhibitions and festivals, including a Best of Show at d’Art Center's National Juried Exhibition, an Award of Excellence in the Virginia Artist Juried Exhibition at Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center, the Museum Purchase Award Winner at Radford University Art Museum’s Juried Student Art Exhibition, and the “Virginia’s Finest” award at Virginia MOCA’S 2019 Boardwalk Art Show.