Storytelling saved my life.
Here's why...
I used to stuff my voice and stories down.
I was the sensitive, weird, quiet, poetic soul that always felt on the fringe.
In my late 20's I hit a wall of major depression.
I had entered the world of exotic dance to pay bills while I pursued an acting career. But I felt invisible. I could get up and dance naked in front of a room of hundreds, but no one really saw me. There was such shame inside of me. I thought I wasn’t worthy of being seeing. I was literally sick- pain in my ovaries, crying myself to sleep wondering if I would ever feel the freedom, the boldness, the liberation in my voice I dreamed of experiencing. I was disgusted with myself. I swallowed the stories that come with being a "bad" girl- I was wrong and would never be fulfilled. My body was breaking down and I had to find a way out.
This kicked off my journey into exploring healing through movement and expression, writing and liberating the stories we stuff away.
I eventually climbed out of hell by taking my pain and making it into art. I wrote, starred, and produced my one woman show Dirty Me Divine.
It was about my life as a dancer.
It was about the fight with my body.
It was about reclaiming women's voices, women's sexuality, women's right to take up space.
DMD played to sold out theaters in LA as well as Boston and San Francisco. Self-expression, sharing my point of view, and spilling my secrets liberated my voice and body. I got stronger. I felt ALIVE. And I became aware of the power my voice had to impact.
I wanted this for other women.
I wanted circles and stages and retreats where women could have the life-changing experience of exploring, naming, and speaking their truths. Spaces where women could share their voice, write what hurt, dance their grief, and share their stories and be witnessed.
I studied storytelling, feminine spirituality, rites of passage work, and facilitation and began creating spaces for women's voices to be heard.
- I have a signature program and community called RED where women practice the art of expression, visibility, sharing their stories, and embodiment- which simply means connecting with the truth inside their body.
- I produce women's stories for the stage where nothing is off limits to talk about.
- I work as a coach and facilitator for PLUS ME and go into schools to teach writing and story as a tool for confidence and healing.
- I run workshops, immersions, and retreats for women to step out of shame and into their voice
- I work privately with clients to get their visions and voices out into the world.
We need sacred soulful women, sensitive women, wild and wise women, creative women.
Yes. We need you.
We need the voice that carries your fire, your Light, your dark, your humanity, your art, your power, and your gifts.
Let's ignite that.
Bio...
CHRISTINA DUNBAR
Based in LA, Christina's training in dance, theater, public speaking, storytelling, facilitation, and rites of passage all inform her work.
For the past decade Christina has worked as a transformational catalyst + guide. She facilitates circles, retreats, and workshops where women come into greater connection and healing around their voice, visibility, creativity, and expression through writing and speaking their stories.
Christina also works with clients on professional speaking, writing, honing in on their message, and the art of storytelling.
As an artist and director, she produces stage shows and creates platforms for women’s voices to be heard.
Christina's work weaves the sacred feminine and spirituality along with women's expression and personal development. She believes in building your own stages, giving yourself the mic, and gifting yourself and the world with your soul's Truth.
LOVES: DEEP ASS CONVOS, LAUGTER TILL WE CRY, EVERYTHING CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTES, TIME WITH THE FAM.
AT A GLANCE
FUN FACTS
Burlesque was where I finally found freedom in my body and soul.
BALLET AND MARTHA GRAHAM'S MODERN DANCE WERE MY LIFE AS A TEEN
I met my husband when I was 21 years old.
I come FROM BABA YAGA LANDS. RUSSIAN IS MY NATIVE LANGUAGE AND ALTHOUGH I LIVE IN LA, MY SOUL BELONGS IN THE WOODS.
All about
Letting the inner comedian out, asking the trees for answers to difficult questions, spoken word art, Latin jazz and 90's hip hop, hunting for joy, slashing the patriarchal lies that harm all of us.
NOT ABOUT
REVERENCE
Hustle culture, comparison, only showing one side of me, denying the complexity and pain of being human.
WE ARE NOT HERE TO BE FIXED
WOMEN THAT IMPACTED ME GREATLY with their writing + art INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMTED TO:
CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTES
AUDRE LORDE
URSULA K. LE GUIN
CAROLYN MYSS
MARION WOODMAN
SERA BEAK
sue monk kidd
hanna gadsby
MAYA ANGELOU
MARTHA GRAHAM
shout out to regena: many years ago I started a business with REGENA GARREPY and she BECAME MY SOUL SISTER FOR LIFE. WE CREATED EPIC RETREATS IN CANCUN, LED CIRCLES + WORKSHOPS FOR WOMEN WHO WERE READY TO SHED THEIR GOOD GIRL AND STEP INTO THEIR VISIONARY SELVES. REGENA was the first women who TAUGHT ME HOW TO FACILITATE CIRCLE, CREATE RITUAL, AND WAS MY MASTER TEACHER AROUND HOLDING SACRED SPACE.
