Vicki Dello Joio

The founder of the Way of Joy Center, established a decade ago in Oakland, CA, Vicki teaches an integrative form of Chi Kung, one of the foundational martial arts. Her experiential teaching methods employ the discipline that these arts are based on. She guides people to use their energy with power and intention transforming obstacles into possibilities, empowering them to achieve individual and professional goals. In this work she has constructed a set of original, powerful principles for using "joy" as a energetic "fuel," which motivates and sustains people in any environment, be it personal or organizational.

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Vicki brings over 30 years of Martial Arts and 40 years of theater experience to her work as a workshop facilitator and conference speaker. Her background includes studying with the late Etienne Decroux in Paris, France and producing and performing with her own theater company which toured in Europe as well as the U.S.

Currently a member of Playback Theater and the Acts of Reconciliation Project, an improvisational theater group, she has participated in conflict resolution work of historic proportion: with survivors of the Holocaust and descendents of Nazis, with violent offenders in jail, and with youth in schools.

As a consultant, Vicki uses improvisation, theater games, and martial arts as teaching tools to help people discover ways to overcome their defensiveness and maximize their ability to use Powerful, Non-Defensive Communication. Her unique blend of skills is invaluable in corporate and other professional settings, as well as in schools, non-profits, and community settings. As Vicki guides people to shift energetically from defensive to non-defensive postures she empowers them to bring forth their own stories and issues, so they can listen more deeply to each other's diverse experiences.

Areas of Expertise

• Martial Arts
• Playback Theater
• Theater, including Mime
• Powerful, Non-Defensive Communication

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