a little about me...

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​“Experiencing is penetration into the environment… involvement on all levels: intellectual, physical, and intuitive… when a person functions beyond a constricted intellectual plane, [their] intelligence is freed.”
 – Viola Spolin, Improvisation for the Theatre

lifelong learning & sharing...
​​   I love learning. And I approach education & lifelong learning in the spirit of currere - the curriculum of our entire life’s story. So, much of my own story has involved using the arts to help people & organizations creatively think & critically engage, reflect, problem solve, & find their voices in unexpected ways.
​   A rather eclectic background fuels my desire to try to view things from different angles & vantage points. I produced, wrote, & sang Dream Songs, an album of original lullabies, to help both children & adults realize the strength, beauty, & love in each of them. I see my Stage Presence classes and Confidence Clinics as a more embodied, holistic way to help people increase self-esteem on & off stage. I focus on what I see as the core concern for most of us... and that's how we successfully navigate our own vulnerabilities in life.
   For my MA in Drama/Theatre for the Young (Eastern Michigan University), I developed an innovative  improvisation program to help bridge the communication gaps occurring in schools with diverse language populations. For my PhD in Curriculum & Instruction (University of Victoria), I created a Métissage Circle Theatre Script that can be read by any group as a way to consider education a place where we learn to navigate our vulnerabilities (Theatre As Curriculum to Practice Vulnerability). Plus, I authored "Performance And/As Everyday Life" in the free curriculum guide Web of Performance: An Ensemble Workbook.  
​​​“The only road to strength
​is vulnerability.”
– Stephen Nachmanovitch, Free Play

performance

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Dr. C & Zippy
"It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere."
​- Agnes Repplier, 
​Essay on Compromises
​   I love stories. They narrate our learning & growth. Performing-wise, my story includes a lifelong love of fitness & sports (Pickleball's a new fave), singing, theatre (love those musicals!), improvisation, storytelling, &, of course, puppetry. Yes, on the left, that's me (Dr. C) & my friend Zippy. Sometimes a little silliness, a little Zippiness, is just what we need to navigate the vulnerabilities we face each day...
   You can still hear my archived podcast, "Beyond the Jargon" on CFUV 101.9FM: cfuv.uvic.ca. I was the original producer & co-host who interviewed other graduate students to get the stories behind their research journeys in order connect university to community. 
   Coaching-wise, I do vocal coaching, Stage Presence Classes, Confidence Clinics, & support sessions. I've designed & instructed highly participatory classes & workshops on Creativity, Organization & Group Dynamics, Public Speaking, Performance Studies, Puppetry, Storytelling, and Writing & Reflection as Research to name a few.  LOVE helping others jump start projects, too!
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Dr. C & Ms. Birdie