Woman with brown hair and makeup smiling, wearing a mustard yellow patterned dress with puffed sleeves, standing in front of a pink wall and green curtains, gesturing with her right hand.

Hi, I’m Dhana!

Coach, story collector, theatre-maker,
facilitator, and creative
collaborator.

LEARN MORE
Close-up of a smiling woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes against a dark wall.

“Dhana has a rare gift for making you feel confident and comfortable

…so you can perform at your very best. She makes it safe to really challenge yourself to grow and have fun while doing it!”

— Laura N., Core Programs Manager

Nice to meet you!

I’m Dhana: pronounced dAH - na (she/her)

I help speakers, educators and performers find the clearest, most grounded version of what they're trying to share — and deliver it in a way that genuinely reaches people.

You might be an educator who knows their subject inside-out but wants their teaching to land with more connection.

A performer who's ready to stop holding back on stage.

A coach or creative showing up on camera and wanting to feel like yourself there.

Or someone delivering webinars who wants to actually hold their audience’s attention.

Wherever you’re at — that’s where we start.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER
A woman with long dark hair in loose waves, wearing a yellow lace dress, is smiling and gesturing with both hands raised near her shoulders against a pink backdrop with green curtains.

Ever since I was a kid, I loved hearing stories. And I was fascinated by the many ways people told them.

What inspired me then — and still does — is seeing the human behind the presentation. Because that's what makes a presentation genuinely great.

When you let your audience see parts of the real you that they can connect with. Your lived experience. A story that speaks directly to your message. A relaxed body. Real eye contact. The feeling you're talking to a room full of people you're comfortable with.

That's what I help people find.

Presentation! It’s literally baked into me— I come from a long line of teachers, speakers and performers…

What’s the “arc”?

The arc is everything that goes into a great presentation —

the content, the structure, the story, the delivery, the audience. And yes, even the nerves! Every moving part.

If that sounds like a lot, it is. Whether you're teaching a module, reading your poetry or pitching an idea, there's more going on beneath the surface than most people realize.

But here's the thing: all those parts are connected. When we work on one, others shift too. You find the right structure and suddenly your nerves quiet down. You find a way to engage your audience and your content naturally gets more focused.

All of it serves one purpose: taking your audience somewhere real. From where they start to where you want them to land. What you want them to feel, think or do differently by the end.

That's the arc. A clear journey, with intention behind every part of it.

*The background image is the original sketch that sparked the idea for Real Arc Studio.

Woman wearing a blue blazer and a white T-shirt, holding her hands over her stomach with jewelry on her wrists.

My Approach

My coaching draws from years of work across education, performance and communication — and I adapt everything we do based on you:
your goals, your presentation format, and what will actually support you in the moment.

Depending on what you need, our work together can include:

— Content & structure: finding the shape of your message

— Storytelling: making it human and memorable

— Nerves & confidence: so they stop running the show

— Breath & voice: presence that carries you

— Slides & visual aids: supporting you, not replacing you

My favourite part of the process is finding the right combination of tools that lead to real clarity, and those aha moments when everything clicks.

My Background

Friends and collaborators describe me as someone who brings ideas, people and projects together. My work has spanned theatre, facilitation, event leadership, writing and digital marketing — and the thread running through all of it is the same:

Helping people communicate clearly and bring their vision to life.

Whether I'm directing a performance, facilitating a group, or coaching you one-on-one — I'm always working toward clarity, presence, and real connection between you and your audience.

What this means for you is this: I've spent years working across disciplines that all come back to the same thing — helping people show up and be heard.

My experience includes:

15+ years in theatre, arts, dance and music facilitation, direction and production, specializing in personal narrative, collective creation, applied theatre, and disability and seniors theatre.

10+ years in event and tour planning, producing, marketing and fund development — across community events, festivals, arts organizations and professional artists across Western Canada.

5+ years in digital marketing consultation, including social media content and course creation, website development and graphic design.

Master's in Applied Theatre, University of Manchester · BA in Drama & Music, University of Alberta · Diploma in Music, Voice, MacEwan University

A FEW OF MY

Favourite Things

A woman with dark hair and gold jewelry, dressed in black, holding a dried flower in her right hand, standing beside a candelabrum with lit candles against a black background.

Creative pursuits: singing, making music, collaborating (and being a bit dramatic!)

Four ceramic pots of varying shapes and patterns on a white surface. The pots range in color, pattern, and texture, with some featuring stripes, speckles, and splatter designs.

Making pottery: an artistic and
meditative outlet

A small black dog with brown markings on its face and paws sitting on a large rock in a mountainous forest landscape, with tall trees, rocks, and a stream in the background under a cloudy sky.

Ruby the Schnoodle:
being out in nature with my dog

Tarot cards laid out in a wooden bowl, including the Ace of Cups, The World, and Strength, with a guidebook behind.

Tarot, meditation, getting in touch with
my intuitive and witchy side

Let’s Connect

In a free 15-minute Zoom consult, we’ll talk through your presentation, identify your goals and any roadblocks, and outline a clear path forward—

You’ll leave with clarity around next steps and a sense of what support would be most helpful for you.

REQUEST A FREE CONSULT