Mrs. Jennifer Caponi

She has taught theater arts classes at Walt Disney World as part of their Youth Education Series as well as for their Camp Disney theater arts programs for grades K-12. She also has taught professionally in the public school system at the elementary level.

Besides teaching the arts, Mrs.Caponi loves being a part of it as well. She has performed on stage in Clermont in the musical “Annie” and the comedic play “Lend Me A Tenor.” (Along with Mr.Caponi!) Before moving to Clermont, she performed on Long Island, New York in the musicals “Baby”, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, “My Fair Lady”, “As Bees In Honey Drown”, and “The Butler Did It”.

She has been trained professionally, is currently represented and is regularly auditioning for commercials and print work. She has done commercials for Universal, Disney, Sea World, and local markets.  She recently was cast as the principal mom for a Discovery Cove campaign, and was able to swim with a dolphin!

She hopes to bring her love of theater and the arts to all her students. She believes that learning acting techniques helps students become more confident in themselves and more expressive in their lives!

 

 

 

Mr. Angelo Caponi

Angelo Caponi is a K-5 music teacher with fifteen years experience in Lake County, Florida. He has produced over 60 children’s musicals at his current elementary school! In 2009 he received Teacher of the Year by his peers. A graduate from the University of Central Florida, he has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education K-6 in addition to a K-12 Music Certification. He has a background in theater and singing performance, and is currently singing in an 18 piece professional jazz ensemble.

Mr. Caponi’s students have sung at Downtown Clermont First Friday, The Orlando Magic, The Atlanta Braves, The Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, Walt Disney World, America’s Got Talent, just to name a few. His classes have also been featured performing on News 13 🙂

Mr. Caponi has always loved to sing, and he has learned that sharing his love of singing with children has brought much joy to their lives.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Caponi have found that children that have been a part of their programs continue to talk and reminisce about them for years to come. Being a part of the performing arts is a memorable experience which helps build confidence, friendships, and a positive attitude!

Wendy Webber- Instructor/Choreographer

Wendy Webber has been dancing since she could walk and performed in musicals as often as possible in high school and college.  Wendy and her husband performed with a local theater group in Pennsylvania before starting their family.  Wendy actually gave birth to her first born Jacob just hours after finishing a tap number to “Putting on the Ritz”. With a degree in Respiratory Therapy she has worked at over ten hospitals around the US and in Japan.  Dance and theater have always been her first passion which is why when she first moved to Lake County she began working as a DJ, choreographer, and trainer for Radio Disney in the promotions team.  At Radio Disney she was able to host promotional events all over Central Florida including the Justin Bieber concert in Celebration at the beginning of his career.   After nine years with Radio Disney Wendy decided to go back to her other passion which is health care and is now the Supervisor of the Respiratory Therapy Department at LRMC.  Wendy also works with local schools in Lake County to help with their theater productions.  This help ranges from costume creation, stage directing, to choreography and more.  After being with the Caponis for over five years Wendy has said “It has been wonderful watching my children and others learn and grow in theater and dance, what a wonderful experience I have been blessed to have”.    “It has been Awesome to work with the Caponis and I love every experience I get to have with them”.  Wendy is looking forward to doing many more productions in the future with Caponis and hopefully to open many more hearts and minds to the theater.

Kellie Lawton- Instructor/Choregrapher

Kellie Lawton has been dancing and performing for over 30 years and danced and modeled as a young child. She performed in fashion shows in various areas around Orlando and appeared on national television with Julie Andrews at age 7.  She was a performer at the Walt Disney Resort for over 15 years and danced in such shows as Disney World is Your World and America the Musical. She has also performed numerous roles in such parades as 15 Years of Magic and Fantasy on Parade.

Kellie toured the country with The Disney World Series and performed shows in such venues as Yankee Stadium, the Houston Astrodome and in Washington DC at the Washington Monument.  Kellie created, directed and choreographed Lido Isle Meet and Smile  at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, a show featuring the world famous Disney characters. She also performed with the Flower Street Players theater group in Glendale,CA and appeared in The Lucky Stiff and choreographed the group’s production of Little Shop of Horrors.  Kellie currently works for Walt Disney Creative Entertainment as a production manager and has worked on projects such as Super Soap Weekend, The American Idol Press Event, and Magic Kingdom New Fantasyland.

Kelli has been working with The Caponi’s Cannolis School of the Arts since 2013 and is excited to see what the future holds!

Amanda Dierking: Instructor/ Costumes

Mrs. Dierking is currently a kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school. She has been teaching for fifteen years ranging in ages from prekindergarten to fifth grade While in highschool and college, Mrs. Dierking both performed and was assistant director in various musical productions and straight plays, competed on improv teams, and took several theater training courses. She is originally from New Jersey where she directed, choreographed, and designed sets and costumes for an elementary theater program that she developed. Since moving to Florida several years ago, she was nominated as Teacher of the Year by her peers. She has a passion and a love for musical theater that is at her core. Last summer, Mrs. Dierking started volunteering with the Caponi’s Cannolis to help with costuming. She is thrilled to be a part of the team and looks forward to teaching and inspiring young children to have an innate joy for theater.