06/09/2020
Ms. Valerie began dancing at the age of 3 in Portugal. Her father was in the military and she was able to travel to many places, dancing everywhere she went. Her family made roots in Tuscaloosa in 1996 and Ms. Valerie joined Tuscaloosa Community Dancers. She danced locally and eventually earned her B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Alabama. She moved away to Colorado, New Mexico, and California, teaching and performing in each state, and earned her M.F.A in Elementary Education. She has danced many lead roles in ballets including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, and others. She began teaching dance at the age of 15 with Leigh Murphree at Under the Willow Dance Productions where she was taught to appreciate the gift of dance that God had instilled in her life. She has taught for 22 years as a dance instructor, and 10 years as a teacher in elementary education. She joined Riverwood Classical School in 2017 as a teacher and as the dance director/instructor.
