The Story behind Crafterina!
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After teaching children's dance classes across New York City for a number of years, professional dancer and visual artist Vanessa Salgado always encountered the same question from parents: what can we practice at home to make my child a better dancer? Vanessa's answer always surprised them: 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 bit of help doing just that, Vanessa created Crafterina®,
a storybook and dance education brand for the whole family.
About Crafterina!
​​The Crafterina storybook describes the day-to-day life of a young dancer who uses her savvy crafting skills to create a world of ballet at home. Crafterina's tale illustrates the essence of the creative experience: a self-inspired, hands-on process of bringing ideas imagined to life. Complementing the story, the Crafterina ETSY shop has easy Instant Download crafts designed to spark imagination, artistry, and movement. Crafterina is fun and educational, while sending a message that inspires. Get young minds reading, creating, and dancing, by spreading the message: #CreateYourDream.

Meet the Creator of Crafterina!
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Vanessa Salgado is a Professional Dancer and Visual Artist based out of New York City.

Vanessa has taught many little dancers through out Manhattan, concentrating primarily at the School at STEPS on Broadway, and the Joffrey Ballet School. She has also worked for the Education Department at New York City Center. She can be seen performing with CONTINUUM Contemporary/Ballet.

Vanessa is a graduate of the Alvin Ailey/Fordham University BFA Program at Lincoln Center. She also holds a Certification in Dance Education from the Dance Education Laboratory at the NY 92nd St. Y Harkness Dance Center. Her work has been featured in Dance Teacher Magazine, Dance Spirit, Dance Informa, METRO US Newspaper, National Museum of Dance, and Walt Disney Family Museum, among others.

Her earliest memories involve story time with her dad, creating with her mom after school, and attending weekend ballet class alongside her sister, Donna.
Her interests in visual art revealed themselves wholeheartedly in high school as she simultaneously trained for the professional dance world. As she transitioned into her college days and into her professional life, her incessant doodles and crafting have remained a source of wonder for all those around her.
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For more information about Vanessa, please visit www.VanessaSalgado.com.
Photo by Corey Melton