in june of 2026 oshalla had a life threatening stroke and brain surgery on july 7th

Oshalla Diana Marcus aka Oshalla Dee, aka--Ms.Dee

Principal at Oshalla Naturals LLC. Director: MC Arts and Culture

Sectors:  Health & Wellness, Natural Beauty. Products  & Services. Arts & Entertainment. 

Oshalla is a holistic health educator, dancer, performing artist, creator of natural beauty products, and dance fitness instructor. Her philosophy of wellness is that all aspects of living are connected. Physical, Mental, Financial, and environmental health are inseparable, and disruption in one area can, over time, bring about disease in another. 

Her recommended methods do not exclude one modality of healing over another, but rather suggest a combination of options: A customized exercise practice, being in nature, creating art, fresh food, Acupuncture, herbs, Homeopathy, Ayurveda, authentic conversation, and integrative medicine to name a few.  

She believes a quality foundational education (K-14) with extended family involvement which emphasizes critical thinking, sustainable living, financial acumen, the arts, and media discernment, is essential for the cultivating well adjusted children, and responsible adults. (see homeschool networks) 

An actress by trade, Oshalla Dee began theatrical studies in her teens, training at American Conservatory Theaters' (ACT) Black Actors Workshop-part of the Summer Training Congress- and performed as a young actress with director, Ron Stacker-Thompson at the groundbreaking Oakland Ensemble Theater.  These and other early trainings created a solid foundation and a profound respect for the institution of theater and its cohorts: Literature, history, and ultimately, dance--her passion and spirit expression.

She was an assistant to her former dance partner, Jean-Pierre Sighe, in teaching the Pre-Tango: Connection Workshop, the Magdalena Technique: Tango for the People, and the Afro Roots of Tango.

Producing Community Theater has given her opportunities to work with diverse populations, including an invitation to choreograph for American teens and their international peers on a tour to the former Soviet Union for Peace Child the Musical-1990.  She has written, and directed several youth focused intergenerational plays as well as poetry-performed as Spoken Word:
Listen - Watch

Certified as a Yoga Instructor & Therapist in Bangalore, India by Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) and a Certified ITT  Pilates Mat Instructor, she incorporates wellness tools to reduce stress and promote positive health.

A member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Actors Equity Association, she is commercially represented by STARS Talent Agency-San Francisco, and a graduate of the California Institute for Integral Studies, (CIIS) 

Oshalla is the adopted mother of two--now grown--men, a beloved auntie and a mentor. The following is a mere sampling of individuals who have influenced her life and work: Professor Walter Turner, Marcus Garvey, Katherine Dunham, Octavia Butler, Kwame Nkrumah, Fredrick Marcus (Father) Cheikh Anta Diop, Josephine Baker,  Ralph Ellison, Cicely Tyson, James Baldwin, Zora Neal Hurston, Jane Fonda, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Nina Simone, Oscar Micheaux, Maya Angelou. Gloria Mae Janas (Mother) Viola Janas (G.Mama) 

She is personally committed to bringing attention to the plight of pollinating bees, and to the support of small farmers, both whom, from her view," literally feed the 'belly' of our existence."