Instructor Bios
Matt Mitchell
Since 1998, Matt has been honing his dance skills; starting with East Coast, he quickly moved into Lindy Hop and other Swing-era dances--with a very short detour into Ballroom. He's been heavily influenced by Kevin St. Laurent, Marty Lau, and Peter Strom; has studied under Steven Mitchell, Frankie Manning, Carla Heiney and Valerie Salstrom. In addition to teaching for Valerie for the past two years, he's helped choreograph Hustle and award winning Swing routines. He strives to bring solid fundamentals and just-the-right amount of connection to Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Blues while creating room for musicality and follows to play. Matt has been a guest instructor at Boogie By The Bay and the Eastern Balboa Championships and he competes regularly in Balboa. He was also a stand-in for Kevin Bacon in Footloose.
Valerie Salestrom
One of America's busiest Lindy and Balboa teachers, Valerie has a reputation for her finesse on the dance floor. She emphasizes musicality and connection regardless of the style of swing. Since 2002 Valerie has taken home the 2003 National Jitterbug Championships (NJC) Grand Slam Championship, became both the 2004 NJC Balboa Champions and the 2004 American Lindy Hop Championships (ALHC) American Showcase Champions and most recently, (in 2005) she returned to ALHC to place 2nd in the same competition.