” Life is a poem, live out the metaphors.“ Britta

Britta Visser Stumpp (nicknamed the “Bandit” as a child), is a dancer, writer and graphic designer. She currently teaches dance at EcoFusion Fitness and is a contributing writer for FUSE Magazine.

~ Click here to read Britta’s publications in FUSE.

She has a Bachelor’s from WSU in English – creative writing. And a BIS in comparative mythology, dance and graphic design.

For the past  7 years, Britta has devoted nearly every moment of her free time to the study of cultural dance and comparative mythology.

In her childhood, Britta’s mother and grandmother put her in many dance classes, like ballet, jazz, and tap, but she suffered from asthma and several other chronic illnesses which made it extremely difficult for her to keep up. In junior high, Britta decided to find her own answers to cure her illnesses through extensive research of holistic and natural remedies. By trial and error, and seeking the advice of natural healers, Britta was finally able to manage her asthma in a satisfying way. She also found the great healing art of Yoga in high school.

Britta has maintained a deep curiosity for the numerous different spiritual cultures of the world all her life. Raised in a spiritually open family, she was able to devote much of her time to reading about and participating in many different philosophies, religions and traditions. She noticed a strange repeating pattern in each tradition and religion she encountered that went beyond their differences but, it wasn’t until she was in early college that Britta discovered the man she refers to as her “Yoda,” Joseph Campbell. Campbell had given a name to the repeating pattern he called the Monomyth. Later, she came into contact with  Clarissa Pinkola Estés and reveled in the power of storytelling. Britta is an avid collector of folk stories which, to her, translates to dance — a vital aspect of cultural storytelling.

As a researcher, chronicler and ardent student of myth, culture and folk stories, Britta is what she calls a self-professed “Dreamkeeper.”

“Myths are public dreams, dreams are public myths.” ~Joseph Campbell

At about the same time she found Campbell, Britta rediscovered dance and was drawn back in to movement. While studying West African and women’s traditional dance or “belly dance” in particular, Britta became obsessed  with the sacred wisdom of ritual movement and the amazing healing it brings. She was lucky enough to live in an area with many talented teachers and her studies include Middle Eastern or “belly dance,” West African, Latin, and Afro-Brazilian dance traditions.

Dance has become a huge part of Britta’s life. In a word, she feels it is her Calling. She started teaching Classes in 2011.

In 2010, after many years of using Yoga to heal, focus and meditate, Britta entered the yoga teacher training program at Borrowed Earth Emporium and she continues to use pranic intelligence, the vital life force of breath, and yogic principles daily.

In 2007, she married Adrian Stumpp. They moved to Corvallis, Oregon in September 2012, when Adrian was accepted into the Masters of Fine Arts — Creative Writing program at Oregon State University.