AWESOME organization. Excellent classes. Fun dances. Wonderful people. Come to anything organized by Valerie/Get Hep Swing and you will walk away with at least one new friend and some sweet new dance moves. Details...
I was surprised to see that there aren't more reviews for Get Hep Swing (Valerie Salstrom) on Yelp. Everything that was said in the 2010 review by Jennifer R. still holds true. Get Hep Swing has dances on the 2nd Fridays (Lakewood) and last Saturdays (Collinwood) of each month, with a 1 hour beginner-oriented lesson at the start and dancing to a live band that follows. Valerie regularly holds 5-week classes in East Coast Swing/Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, Balboa throughout the year at Brecksville Center for the Arts, with the addition of miscellaneous special workshops on other dances, such as Charleston, Shim Sham or other dances by request. Class language and approach are very gender neutral, and it is not uncommon to see men learning following roles, and women learning leading roles on occasion. Partners are never required and there are discounts for retaking a 5-week session, which many people take advantage of.
Other noteworthy events/programs through Get Hep Swing: Valerie organizes and promotes, All Balboa Weekend, which is a world-class weekend event here in Cleveland that draws international attendance. In addition, she runs a free after-school swing dance program in Brooklyn Centre for elementary school students. If that doesn't excite you, Valerie also brings in nationally and internationally known professional dancers/instructors to teach or assist with her workshops and regular classes, which brings new ideas and approaches to the scene.
My experience: I have been attending Get Hep Swing's monthly dances sporadically for about a year and a half and took my first 5-week class in Fall 2013, so I am still relatively new to the Get Hep Swing scene. However, I have to say that Valerie and the community of dancers she has built here in Cleveland is one of a kind. Valerie is enthusiastic, energetic, funny and makes dancing fun and easy to learn. She makes an effort to get to know every dancer at her events and classes. Not only is she an amazing instructor and dancer, but she has fostered a community of dancers that are inclusive, friendly and welcoming of new people. The advanced dancers make an effort to reach out to new people and dance with beginners. As a follower, I can attest that the more experienced leaders are all very patient and willing to give gentle feedback if you are open to it. Although Valerie and her Get Hep Swing classes/events hooked me, she and the awesome people in the dance community, along with the innovative workshops, are what will keep me around for a long time. read more