My mom, sister and I moved to Oregon

and bought a 100-year-old church.  To us it made the perfect
home . . . but it needed some major work.

We didn't have any money for repairs so mom would get things fixed on trade.  Mom was a masseuse and healer.  When the "pipe fixer guy" told Mom that his wife was a professional belly dancer, she gave both of them massages in trade for belly dance lessons for me, Titanya and mom. 

We had lessons in our sanctuary after school and had a lot of fun trying to outdo each other with "neck slides."  It was perfect, especially since there were few Polynesian teachers in Oregon to continue our "hula" studies with.  I didn't take belly dancing seriously for another 10 years.  It was just a fun thing I took as a hobby, and it never took the place of summer theatre or acting classes.


Acting is where I really focused, until college.  In college there was something that took the place of acting AND dance.  Speech and Debate!  With the urgings (force) of our Dad, Titanya and I went to college (begrudgingly) and joined the Speech and Debate team.  I dreamed of running around Europe or hoping the first bus to Hollywood but instead, went to Palomar College in San Marcos, California.




There our father was the head coach of the Speech and Debate team and the chairperson of the Speech, Theatre, Dance, and ASL Department -- so whatever he said, went.  I tried to explain to him that I barely graduated from high school and that I would probably flunk college.  It didn't matter.  I think my Dad was in denial.  Ray Dahlin's daughters were supposed to love school and have no problem getting good grades!  So, barely hanging on to a high school diploma, Dad enrolled my sister and I in over 28 units apiece, and over 5 events on the nationally acclaimed speech team.  A member of the Speech team??  I had never even raised my hand in class!

Dad believed that Tanya and I could be Speech & Debate champions.   I didn't want to disappoint him.  So, along with Tanya,  I worked hard for two years, going to tournaments almost every weekend, perfecting my voice and articulation, and researching, memorizing and revising speeches over and over and over.

Dondi & Dad - Trophy for Best Score in the nation for "Expository Speaking."

My Dad just presented me with the trophy
for Best Score in the Nation for
"Expository Speaking"
in front of 400 fellow competitors.
~ National Championships, Minnesota.




Dondi, Dad & Tanya - New Year's Eve

Dondi ~ Dad ~ Tanya
These were absolutely some of the best times of my life.  I was part of a team with my Dad and sister!  The second year of college I was invited to join the Deans list and also received an "Outstanding Speaker in the Nation" award amongst U.S. colleges, and was awarded MVP by my peers at Palomar College for the second year in a row.  It was a very pride-filled and special time.   The following are some of my speeches and events that were my life for two years:

  • EXPOSITORY: "Kabuki Theatre of Japan" and "Artificial Skin for Burn Victims"
  • PERSUASIVE: "Dangerous Trucks in the U.S. Trucking Industry" and "Dangerous Toys aimed at Children"
  • COMMUNICATIONS ANALYSIS: "The Rhetoric of War Songs"
  • POETRY: "The Congo" By Vachel Lindsey, "The Ballad of Judas Iscariot" (various poets)
  • PROSE: "Sophie's Choice" By William Styron. "Et Cum Spiritu Tuo" By Karen Marie Krista Minns
  • DUET ACTING: "Yentl" Adapted from the movie.  "A Moon for the Misbegotten" By Eugene O'Neil
  • READERS THEATRE: "All in the Golden Afternoon," (The true story of Alice in Wonderland.) "A Spy in the House of Love, " The diaries and stories of Anais Nin"




In two years, at over 30 tournaments in six different states, I worked my buns off with a team of wonderful people, who also worked their buns off, to take 2nd in the Nation as a collegiate speech and debate team.  

Personally I won over 150 trophies.

At the two National Championship Tournaments (the "Olympics" of speech and debate) I garnered the following wins:
  • "Artificial Skin" ~ GOLD
  • "All in the Golden Afternoon" ~ GOLD and "The Huffer-Goldman Award" (best Readers Theatre in the nation voted on by our fellow competitors)
  • "A Spy in the House of Love" ~ GOLD
  • "Sophie's Choice" ~ SILVER
  • "Kabuki Theatre" ~ SILVER
  • "Dangerous Trucks" ~ BRONZE
  • "Runner-Up ~ Outstanding Speaker in the Nation."

Dondi & Dad dancing at one of Dondi's shows.

Dad and I dancing together during one of my shows.

It was a happy, confidence building time.  Being a part of a team was endearing, valuable and amazingly supportive.   I left Palomar on an extreme high and soon after moved to Hollywood to pursue my dreams of acting.  There I plummeted to extreme lows and found myself despairingly alone in a very scary world.  The memories from my years in Hollywood are for another place and time - not a web site.  Perhaps someday a book....  next >>



Family Album Page One   ~    Family Album Page Two  ~   Family Album Page Three

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