Valerie is a native of Hammond, La. where she trained in various dance disciplines for more than 20 years. She is classically trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop. Valerie attended Southeastern Louisiana University and was a four-year member of the nationally-ranked Lionette Dance Team. She graduated in 2014 with a degree in Communications before making Lafayette her home.

Since then, she’s become a wife and a mother to two fur babies who not-so-coincidentally share names with historic theaters in New Orleans: Saenger and Mahalia Jackson (M.J.). In May of 2021, Valerie joined the team at Wonderland. She’s excited to share her love of dance with her students, to keep learning alongside them, to help them grow as artists-and as good humans.