Valerie Salstrom

Select members of her Junior Jitterbugs will be traveling with her to the Boston Tea Party this year to showcase the work she has done to mentor and teach them not only the joy of dance, but how to navigate  a sometimes difficult path to success as young people growing up in a city with limited resources.

Valerie has been dancing Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and multiple forms of Shag since the early 1990s and has been a consistent favorite on the national and international teaching and judging scene for nearly twenty years.  Her playful and encouraging approach to teaching is appreciated by students of all ages, levels, and abilities.  She has a keen interest in the exploration and preservation of the history of swing dance and feels honored to have studied with some of the original masters of Lindy, Balboa, and Shag.  Valerie enjoys the thrill of competing and has won numerous Balboa and Lindy titles.  Valerie is a key member of the founding and organizing team of the original event dedicated solely to Balboa; the All Balboa Weekend which has occurred every year in Cleveland, Ohio since 2001.  

Valerie is adamant about sharing her knowledge and love for swing dance to the next generation and in 2007 Valerie founded the Cleveland Junior Jitterbugs after-school swing dance program. The Cleveland Junior Jitterbugs program teaches youth in the Cleveland area about a variety of forms of swing dance and also helps them develop their skills in leadership, teamwork, communications, creative thinking and more.