Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Salgado.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve danced my whole life and spent 14 years doing it professionally in New York City. I relocated to San Diego a few years ago to be a little closer to my family who is in the LA area and to dive headfirst into an interest I had developed over the years while teaching movement classes to individuals with disabilities. I enrolled in a Master’s program at San Diego State University to study Special Education with an emphasis in Autism and decided to also pursue a teaching credential. I now have graduated with my Master and am a special education teacher at a school called Children’s Workshop. Typing this out makes it sound so simple. But of course, it was challenging for dance to take a back seat after a lifetime of always putting it first. Dance has been, and always will be a part of my identity. It also has also been a vehicle for connecting with my students. It’s given me the knowledge to better read nonverbal signals with my students who may struggle to communicate verbally. The pandemic has made it difficult to make connections in San Diego. But dance and theatre have been what’s helped me connect to others in my community. I am a board member of “Teatro San Diego,” the director of “Dance Lab New York’s Broadway Choreography Intensive”, and a dance instructor at “Dance and Company.” If there is a door, I walk through it. I keep busy! And I love nerding out about the science of behavior. I’m a proud mamma to my cat “Ramona” and my dog “Winnie.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been challenging making meaningful social connections in a new city. The pandemic made it even harder.
While I subscribe to going against the grain, there have been times when it has been hard to walk a path that isn’t typical.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Special Education Teacher at Children’s Workshop. I’d say I’m known for being the one who is singing and dancing with my students on the playground. I’m proud of my ability to build rapport with kids and trust from the families I serve. I’m proud of helping my students learn life skills, to climb to the top of the playground equipment, and of my ability to make them laugh. I also think my ability to lose my inhibition serves me well. For anyone who has ever taken improv before, I’ve got a “YES, AND” mentality.
I like to think about what makes my connection to dance so special and try to share the experience with my students. I’ve got some wheels turning and am dreaming up bigger ways of connecting my love of dance with my love of working with individuals with disabilities.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
When I was 20, I co-founded a youth basketball league called “Foothill Hoops” that is still in existence today. At 5’3″, I had everyone convinced that I played guard on my college team.
Contact Info:
- Email: valerie@valeriesalgado.com
- Website: www.valeriesalgado.com
- Instagram: @galvalsal
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valerie.salgado.5
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
