—Professional Dancer, Somatic Facilitator, & Movement Researcher

Two women standing side by side in white shirts, each holding a large knife in one hand. The woman on the left has light skin and dark hair, while the woman on the right has dark skin and dark curly hair. They are indoors, possibly in a warehouse or workshop, with a bright rectangular light source in the background.

I am a multidisciplinary performance artist working across storytelling, community care, abolition, and social dance as somatic practice.

I hold a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University and have worked in New York City with The Theorists, LeeSaar, nathantrice/RITUALS, Ani Gavino, The Von Howard Project, Lucy Dacus (Jimmy Kimmel Live), and Agua Dulce Dance Theater. My work has been shown at Chez Bushwick (Brooklyn) and PAS (Berlin).

I am the co-creator of the award-winning film Entre Richmond y Puerto Rico: Women in Resistance Shall Not Be Moved. I have recently taught at Tanzfabrik and move*d Impulstage at Lake Studios Berlin.

Available for work as a performer, dramaturg, educator, and community engagement consultant in Berlin, Richmond, and internationally.

“Cristina understands deeply the multi-faceted meanings of working with the body through cultural, healing, and performance practices that pertain to art making, intangible heritage, and social justice.”
— prof. alicia díaz
work with me

Performance Work:

Entre Puerto Rico y Richmond: Women in Resistance Shall Not Be Moved co-created with Alicia Díaz, Patricia Herrera, Christine Wyatt, Christina Leoni-Osion, Luis Vasquez La Roche, Héctor “Coco” Barez, Yaraní del Valle, and David Riley, 2020

Brando, music video by Lucy Dacus for Jimmy Kimmel Live, performance with Egbert Vongmalaithong, 2021

Cristina Leoni-Osion Performance Reel , 2013-2024

lady, dance. solo by Cristina Leoni-Osion, 2013

Find more projects here.

Multiple people in various poses, intertwined and floating against a plain white background.
Women in white clothing sitting and standing on a burned building's debris, holding flowers, with a memorial setup of flowers and candles in front, during the Afrikana Independent Film Festival in 2020.
A woman sitting on her heels inside a dimly lit industrial-style room, wearing a black sleeveless dress and a large, colorful balloon headpiece made of different sized balloons in pink, purple, blue, black, and red. Behind her are two small teepee te
A woman in white traditional dress performing a dance move with one leg raised high and arm extended, with a man in similar attire dancing in the background on a dark stage.
A woman in a red shirt and patterned pants is dancing or performing on a stage with an audience watching, in an indoor venue with wooden walls and large windows.
A sculpture of a nude woman with tattoos, wearing a yellow cap, standing on a grassy patch by the beach with ocean waves in the background.
Two women in white dresses holding large machetes, standing side by side inside a dark building with a bright light in the background, promoting the Afrikana Film Festival.
Four women practicing a dance or theater pose alone in a studio. One woman is sitting with her legs folded, another woman is standing with one arm raised, a third woman is standing with her head lowered and eyes closed, and a fourth woman is sitting
An art class with an instructor demonstrating portrait painting to students, with several finished portrait paintings of a woman with dark hair and a yellow background visible.
An art gallery with paintings on a white wall and three smaller artworks on the floor, featuring abstract and colorful designs; foreground shows a person with longer curly black hair holding a hula hoop, their face not visible.
Two women dancing closely together in a dimly lit room with a warm glow.
A woman dressed in white sitting on a platform in front of a brick wall, surrounded by candles, flowers, and memorial items, with a dark shadow behind her.
Two dancers dressed in black and white on outdoor metal stairs, with a woman lying on the stairs and a man leaning over her, both engaging in a dance pose.
A woman with dark, curly hair smiling and turning her head slightly to the side, wearing a white top and a necklace.
Babies wrapped in plastic with foam pads and pillows.
Three dancers performing on stage, two women and one man, dressed in white clothing, with expressive poses against a dark background.
A woman in a white blouse and black pants poses with one leg raised on a black drum against a dark background.
A woman in a white dress dancing with her arms outstretched in a dimly lit room with fairy lights and brick walls.