Vanessa Salgado is a Professional Dancer and Illustrator based out of New York City and is a graduate of the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University BFA Program at Lincoln Center.

She has taught many young dancers across Manhattan as part of the faculties of the Joffrey Ballet School, School at Steps on Broadway, Ailey School, Ballet Hispanico School, and Broadway Dance Center. She holds a certification from the Dance Education Laboratory, has completed Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Teacher Training and has worked as an Associate for the Education Department at NY City Center.

After teaching children's dance classes for a number of years, she always encountered the same question from parents: what can we practice at home to make my child a better dancer? Her answer: don't practice the classroom exercises at home – instead, expose your child to the arts, encourage them to play, and share with them a love of dance. Eventually, after realizing that parents needed a little help doing just that, Vanessa created Crafterina, a storybook and dance education brand for the whole family.

A few of the resources available on the Crafterina website are:

• Dance themed Storybooks, Alphabet Books, and Coloring & Craft Books
• Printable crafts (purchase, download, and print instantly!)
• Resources for parents, including a dance glossary, and a craft archive.

Learn about our newest collaboration with Crafterina and an awesome GIVEAWAY! Share on X