Gloria stands on the  belief that "if she can do it, you can do it too". It is with this philosophy that she approaches every group of individuals she encounters, especially children.

Her passion for "movement" comes from her deep belief in that it is through movement we learn about ourselves and the world we leave in, and it is through movement that we can unleash our inner power of creativity to grow as human beings.

Her natural ability to engage children in dance and movement has been a vital element in her roles as choreographer and talent of The Happiness Club "Doing it Right" children's TV Show which earned 3 Emmys for Best Kids Show By The National Academy of Television, Arts & Sciences.

Living life with a free spirit, taking risks and purposing to move with passion and fervor- it is a choice and one I embraced more than ever in recent years. I decided “to do something extra-ordinary” as often as I could, take on challenges I never thought possible and start allowing myself to be more spontaneous and free.

Traveling has always been one of my passions. It has been through traveling that I have learned some of the biggest lessons life has had to teach me. In 2002 I had a speaking engagement where I met a great guy named Alex Sanchez. Alex had just finished writing a new book and was getting ready for the premier of a movie based on his book. The movie was being filmed in Thailand, a country I have always wanted to visit, and as Alex spoke to me about it, I suddenly told him without hesitation that I would visit him there. I did not know how or when, but I felt a determination in my heart to make this trip. I shared this determination with some friends and family and before I knew it, I was packed and ready to go, along with a friend Terina and my brother who would be coming from Chile, my native country, to join us. I could not believe this was really happening…we were all three, very excited!

But without a warning, a most unexpected tragedy happened. The infamous tsunami hit and devastated the south of Thailand. Our enthusiasm was shattered and our hearts sank. We did not know what to do 

and everyone we talked to advised us against traveling to Thailand. Something inside of us, however, would not let us turn back, and in the midst of everyone’s counsel to stay home, we made a decision to look at things differently and not be afraid. We decided to go anyway. The trip to Thailand suddenly took on a different meaning. Instead of limiting ourselves, we started to ask ourselves, WHAT IF? What if we go to Phuket where the tsunami hit and be volunteers? What if we raise money for UNICEF to support their relief efforts to help the children of that region? What if…?, what if?....., our imagination began to run wild with possibility.

Even though family and friends had advised us not to go to Thailand, they truly supported our vision and within two weeks we raised $1,200 dollars for UNICEF. We arrived in Bangkok and immediately went to UNICEF headquarters to donate the money. Our next goal was to get to Phuket, but we had no idea how to get there. We had no contacts in that region and it seemed the only thing we had in our favor was the desire to help and to volunteer. Well, things work in a funny way sometimes. On our way to Thailand we met great people, and two of the people we talked to were coming from Hawaii, Mark Schwartzman and Andy Carver. Mark just happened to be a doctor who was going to Phuket to volunteer!!! How great was that?!!! And thanks to him, we found someone to contact in Phuket, Gene McCain, the co-founder of a relief fund created to help 500 children victims of the tsunami. We were so blessed to be able to meet all of these people, we knew somehow this trip was “meant to be” for us.

We made our way to a refugee camp bringing pencils, drawing paper and toys for the children. At first glance, you would never know what difficulties these children had been through. They were well fed, healthy looking, apparently happy, smiling and enjoying the time together. However, most of those children had lost everything and everyone who was important to them. This was the hardest part for us to fathom. We couldn’t speak their language, but we all spoke the universal language of music. The children taught us songs and dances and as we danced with them and through the power of play, we were able to communicate with them naturally and effortlessly. It was a beautiful a moment suspended in time.

When we left the camp, our hearts were filled with mixed emotions. A tremendous sense of purpose lifted up our spirits and we did as much as we could with what we had. Yet, it was just not enough. How do we help these children? How do we make a positive difference in their lives? I believe all of us can make a difference and it doesn’t take a huge amount of money, or time to do it, just a deep desire to help and a visionary heart that can see beyond limitations.

It is my hope that this experience and the pictures of these children will spark your curiosity to learn more about what people like Gene McCain are doing to help bring a positive change to this region. Please, visit http://www.tsunamirelieffundthai.org/.  It will only take a few minutes to read through it and only $12 a month to sponsor a child, if you decide to do so!!! May today be an “extra-ordinary” day for you, a day when you’ll have the freedom to make decisions that will transform and enrich your life as well as the life of others.

Many blessings,

Gloria