Valerie Barreiro Advisory Board

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ms. Barreiro began her dance training at the Julián Blanco School of the Arts and later trained with Ballet Concierto and Danza Jazz Company. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from New World School of the Arts on a full-tuition scholarship in 1999. She is also a certified K–12 dance teacher through the Florida Department of Education.

As a professional performer, Ms. Barreiro toured Taiwan with New World School of the Arts and Argentina for Fey’s album release tour. Her performance credits include the International Ballet Festival, International Hispanic Festival, Florida Dance Festival, and Disney’s Tia Pow Wow shows. Her commercial and television career included productions with Univision and Telemundo, as well as music videos for artists such as Jerry Rivera, Patricia Manterola, Pilar Montenegro, Thalía, Lucero, and Alexander Pires. She has also performed at the MTV Video Music Awards, Latin Billboard Awards, and Premio Lo Nuestro.  Ms. Barreiro danced professionally with Brazarte Dance Company and was a member of the Miami Heat Dancers during the 2003–2004 season.

As an educator, Ms. Barreiro began her teaching career at local dance studios throughout Miami and with the Kids in Creative Arts Program, where she taught students from low-income families. She later served as President of the Dade Association of Dance Educators of Miami-Dade County. In 2006, she was honored with a nomination for Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and was the recipient of the Spot Success Award, presented by the Superintendent of Schools and her principal at South Miami Senior High School, where she served as Dance Director for 10 years.

Ms. Barreiro has served as an adjudicator and consultant for dance programs in Lee County, Florida. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Florida Dance Education Organization (FDEO) for over 13 years, holding several leadership positions, including President, Vice President, and Conference Chair. Her teaching experience also extends internationally, including Ballet Metropolitano de Medellín in Colombia and Dance Tellez in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. In addition, Ms. Barreiro served as a guest teacher for the Miami City Ballet Summer Dance Intensive Program for six years.

In 2009, Ms. Barreiro founded and developed the dance department at Miami Arts Charter School. She served as Dance Director for nearly 10 years, where she dedicated herself to developing dancers into powerful, expressive, and confident artists. She later transitioned into school administration and is currently part of the administrative team as the Assistant Principal for Admissions and Arts Programs. She is excited to join the Advisory Board of Dance NOW! Miami, and organization that she has supported for many years.