Testimonials
“Most dance schools seem to be filled with little girls, young and mature ladies. However more than 25 years ago I enrolled my 2 sons and 2 nephews to learn Tap and some other dances with Valerie McNellen. The boys who were at first reluctant quickly embraced and thoroughly enjoyed going to the classes and participating in the recitals. Due to unrelated circumstances all but one of my sons had to give up their dance lessons. However, the one son that remained did so for 17 years on an ongoing basis and then whenever commitments would allow him. Valerie is not only an excellent and creative teacher who makes each student feel important and engaged but she is one of the most genuine and caring persons I have met. I wholeheartedly recommend Especially Tap Canada to everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity… .because it’s not only an excellent dance school but the cherries on top are the artistic, creative and humane qualities that Valerie and her team generously share with every student that joins her programs.” - Elvira Sanchez de Malicki
“Being a student of Miss Valerie for over eight years, she has helped me grow as a dancer and performer through her amazing mentorship and passion for the art form. Her way of teaching shows how much she cares for her dancers and it helps them to flourish.“ - Jaclyn M.
“I learned Tap with Valerie for over a decade - it was a memorable and formative part of my whole childhood! In both smaller classes and private lessons, Valerie catered classes to our interests and abilities, kept us motivated, and always balanced technique, creativity, and FUN. Her seemingly endless knowledge of music and dance allowed me to explore any facet of the world of dance - she might even show you her Tap-Dance-Pointe-Shoes ! In addition to skills and technique, she helped us pick out our own music and choreographed a routine with us, adding a bit each week, so that we had a performance at the end of the year that felt like a personal creation and expression of our growth and personality.” - Molison Farmer
“Valerie has been teaching our daughter for many years and we have benefitted from her knowledge and skills in teaching ballet and particularly classic tap. Valerie offers a consistently excellent program for her students. Each season with Valerie I am struck by her ability to work with students of different age groups and abilities. Our daughter has discussed the benefits of tap on her physical and mental well being, and attributes her ability to stay focused in school to tap dancing. Although our daughter has participated in larger studios, we prefer the smaller ratio of student to teacher that Valerie offers as she is able to individualize programming and ensure each student is raising to their potential.” Julia V.
“Valerie has been such a blessing to our family. She taught our girls Ballet and was incredibly patient with them. She always went above and beyond to make sure the girls knew and enjoyed their dances. We highly recommend Especially Tap Canada to anyone!” - Jen and David S.
“Miss Valerie brings unparalled creativity, warmth and years of knowledge and experience to every class that she teaches. It has been an absolute pleasure to learn Tap dance from Miss Valerie!” - Julia M.
“Valerie’s Tap and Jazz classes were great! I was already in my early 30’s and I used to watch Shirley Temple movies growing up. I always wanted to dance like her. It looked like so much fun!
Valerie helped me to learn how to dance and I’ll never forget that experience! As a bonus, I also met some wonderful new friends! We learned how to dance and we had a lot of fun! I recommend Valerie as a dance teacher!”
- Joanne Trewin
