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Biography
Author, Speaker, Connector & Student of Life
Gabriela Condrea's work is an exploration of connection and improvisation – through movement. She has presented her writing and workshops in Europe (2011), throughout North America (2012-2015), and in Argentina (2013, 2014). With 20 years of teaching experience (including 10 years of teaching gymnastics & 4 years teaching 8th Grade Language Arts), she brings a wealth of pedagogical strategies and the keen ability to convey her message by creating an experience for participants. Seamlessly transitioning between movement and connections to daily life, Gabriela develops and strengthens partnerships and teams of all kinds – tackling personal growth with a fun, kinesthetic twist!
Born in Chisinau, Moldova in what was then the Soviet Union, Gabriela grew up in Seattle, Washington after immigrating with her family at the age of six in 1987. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Italian Language and Literature and International Relations at the Jackson School at the University of Washington in Seattle (2004) and continued on to earn her Master's in Education at Chestnut Hill College in Pennsylvania (2006), while teaching in North Philadelphia with the competitive Teach for America program (2004-2006).
She returned to Seattle to teach for another 2 years at Asa Mercer Middle School (Seattle Public Schools, 2006-2008) until taking a long-term leave to lead a volunteer project with Perú Sonqoykipi (Volunteers for Peace) in Ayacucho in the Andes Mountains of Perú in the fall of 2008. This extremely enriching experience was the catalyst of her subsequent adventure from town to town, hostel to hostel, in search of her "camino" (her path) through Chile, Argentina and into Uruguay, ultimately settling in Buenos Aires – from which she came and went extensively over the following 5 years. It was in Buenos Aires, inspired by shared embraces and experiences on the dance floor that paralleled aspects of her life, that Gabriela began writing what would eventually become her book, When 1+1=1: That "Impossible" Connection, and began studying movement as a means for communication and a vehicle and prism through which to analyze connection. After publishing When 1+1=1 in 2011, Gabriela took off to promote it around Western Europe, followed by a 6-month trek around North America (visiting 70 cities in 34 states), and finally a return to Buenos Aires, where – by popular demand – she translated her book to Spanish (2013). In 2015, she released the audio version of her book and decided to expand her connection work beyond tango, creating Mingle & Move (social/networking events infused with movement) and Connection through Movement – to bring movement-based team-building and leadership development workshops to schools, corporations and non-profit organizations.
Find out more about Gabriela's current and ongoing projects at GabrielaCondrea.com.
