Hi! I'm Dani ⚡️
An Author, Speaker and Educator
Who specializes in building courageous spaces to learn in for kids of all ages! It also brings me such joy to support other educators in bringing more play, process based thinking and compassionate leadership into their classrooms.
My goal is to meet students where they are at by giving them a space they feel seen, heard and fully expressed in.
It is my belief that each voice (soft or bold) deserves to be celebrated. I've been working as a freelance educator with Quest Theatre for almost 9 years. Aside from an instructor I am also a Team Lead, working with emerging artists to sharpen their craft of process-based theatre education. Outside of Quest Theatre, I own my own business as a speaker and educator helping adults unleash their voice on/off the stage. You can learn more about that here.
With an extensive background in performance, a BFA in Theatre from the University Of Calgary, and education on Trauma Informed Leadership, I am so passionate in empowering individuals to embrace their "too-muchness". My aim is to create environments where they can shine, collaborate and create with courage.
You're fabulous,
stop being so secretive about it!
When I work with students of all ages, there is often a bias on what it means to stand in the spotlight. To hear words like "shy" and "stage-fright" often as a reason why being on the stage just isn't accessible to some students. In the 9 years I've been working in schools I will say this, I've only had 1 kid exclude themselves from being a part of the magic when we come into a school. I think that's because of the process-based approach that leads the rooms I work in. I'm not there to tell a kid who they need to be, I let them show me. I work with them on what skills, personality, energy and passion they bring to the table. This is very much the Quest Theatre way of bringing Theatre Education into the classroom.
Whether It's having a kid participate in a way they feel comfortable, or challenging a student to explore different parts of theatre they may enjoy (technical aspects, lighting, props, leadership roles, etc). I have always ended weeks in a school where a parent or teacher has pulled me to the side and expressed how pleasantly surprised they were by the abilities of a child.
I believe that is because much too often, us as adults have bias's on what it means to exist in the spaces of the classroom and on the stage. When these two worlds are blended through theatre education, it allows for so much more personal expression to shine through. You'd be surprised at which soft voices become the boldest by the end of the week, or what explosive personalities become the most supportive energies in the classroom. The community building and collaboration I witness through this work is one of the greatest gifts I could receive.
The Long Bio
Dani Driusso is the powerhouse Author, Speaker and Educator behind the Unleash Your Voice podcast. With more than 9 years of experience in voice and performance, Dani has worked with individuals of all ages from emerging young leaders to well-known business owners around the world on how to connect to their voice and get really loud about embracing what makes them unique in this world. Daniele has worked closely with mentors such as award winning author of Bitter Medicine: A Graphic Memoir of Mental Illness, Clem Martini, and voice/dialect coach Dawn McCaugherty, who serves as a faculty member with Canada’s National Voice Intensive. With this knowledge and experience, Daniele has created a strong understanding of both the written voice, and the physical voice. Dani has since also expanded her education in Trauma Informed Leadership, learning from both Trauma Informed specialists as well as The Centre For Healing based out of Australia.
Dani has been the keynote speaker at events such as The Western Canadian Leadership Conference, where she spoke on the topics of identity, advocacy, communication and confidence, while encouraging youth to find their own voice amongst the noise of social media and societal pressures. She has spoken at events such as The Great Canadian Woman Summit on the topic of Taking Up Space And Embracing Your "Too Much-ness". She has also has experience in the role of Emerging Leader with CHF Canada, where she continued to attended events educating herself on leading in diverse communities, bridging the generation gap and opening up communication when it comes to socially charged issues. Dani has hosted workshops with the students of The University Of Calgary on topics such as: Mastering Your Marketing Through Connection, Not Defining Yourself Based On Your Degree, and Breaking The Rules To Create A Potent Personal Brand. She has also made a name for herself by empowering entrepreneurs and creatives through her Unleash Your Voice Retreat, as well as the Unplugged and Dream Louder workshops throughout Calgary. Dani has been featured on platforms such as Huffpost, Yyc Girl Gang, The Income Mindset Magazine and has had the opportunity to collaborate with multiple well-known Forbes contributors and influencers on her own personal platform.
Her tagline “You’re fabulous, stop being so secretive about it” has become the centre of the work she does with students of all ages to build unshakable confidence and courages learning environments.
Frameworks I have built and lead by:
Sustainable Confidence
Confidence that is built as a muscle instead of 'flipped on' like a light switch. This means that before we look at confidence and expression, we have to understand the influences our environment/privilege/access/society has on our ability to be fully ourselves.
This is where It's beneficial to build spaces and classrooms that hold a non-judgmental lens to the journey of education.
The I.C.O.N.I.C Leadership Framework
A framework built to guide leaders of all spaces (including educators).
Integrity - Integrating our value system into our actions, behaviours and the spaces we create.
Clear Communication - Understanding how we can create more clarity in how we share our thoughts, expectations and energy in the spaces we lead in. ABC: All behaviour is communication.
Ownership - Taking ownership over our actions, the harm we cause and the environments we create as a leader.
Nuance - The space we leave before placing judgment that allows us to understand how privilege, trauma, environment, and systemic factors may influence the humans we connect with.
Intention & Impact - Remaining in check with what our intention of our actions, behaviours and words are but also understanding that intention does not outweigh impact. With impact comes repair work and understanding the affect we have on the environments we share space in.
Capacity & Consent - Which means we always honour how much the humans around us are holding and always ensure we are leaving space for choice. For hearty "yes's" and allowing space for "no's" while respecting the mental, emotional and physical health of those around us.