Behind the Beauty with Chriss Choreo

Christina Gonzalez loves to move her waist and never has time to waste when it comes to fitness. A bodybuilder-turned-dancer, Gonzalez, who’s more popularly known as Chriss Choreo, is a jill of all trades, also excelling as a physiotherapist and certified personal trainer.

One of Jamaica’s most popular dancers and choreographers, Gonzalez prides herself on empowering women and using her movement to get others moving in the right direction for their physical and mental health. And, she looks really good doing it! Our latest Behind the Beauty chronicles her rise to stardom and how she turns heads doing what she loves.

Get to know Chriss Choreo

876-411: Thanks for joining us Chriss, we really appreciate it! You’ve increasingly become a household name in pop culture thanks to your undisputed confidence in your craft and willingness to push boundaries. You wouldn’t have that if you didn’t have a passion for fitness and dancing. Where did that passion first originate?

Chriss Choreo: My mother was a dancer so I used to be her mini-me.

876: You’re a star in bodybuilding, having won the Miss Jamaica Bikini competition in 2017. How much did that moment open doors for you? And, considering the pressures involved when participating in bodybuilding competitions, what’s your best approach to handling them?

Chriss: The doors opened in that people started to appreciate that I was also pretty great at other things aside from just dance.

Bodybuilding requires commitment, it took me training 7 days a week for 6 months to defeat my challengers at the time. But this can only happen with mental strength and determination to finish what you start.

876: You also made your name by becoming a viral Jamaica Carnival sensation, with your moves and sex appeal captivating the masses every time you grace a road march. What about the carnival atmosphere keeps you coming back and how much of a soca fan are you?

Chriss: Honestly the events are magical and exciting also typically drama-free. But then I’m usually in VIP so who knows! (laughs).  

Yes, I love soca, particularly the songs that use the Calypso sound. I’m old school. I also really love Jab Jab music!

876: As a professional dancer, you’ve gotten to collaborate with some heavy hitters, including Grammy winners, Sean Paul and Shaggy. What’s your experience been like working with such big names? And, are there any artistes you’d love to work with going forward?

Chriss: Well, Shaggy and Sean Paul are very respectful. I always know working with them will likely be a seamless process. The professionalism is top-tier.

I would love to work with Rihanna and be an ambassador for the Savage Fenty lingerie line. That’s definitely a runway I want to be on, and their fits melt on my skin like butta’! 

876: Dancing is a fun job, of course. But, it can also be a taxing and demanding one at times. What do you enjoy the most about dancing? And, what are the biggest stresses you’ve had to contend with?

Chriss: I most enjoy learning new dance genres. I am Jamaican, but most times, my mind is in other cultures. Right now I’m obsessed with Brazilian Samba.

The biggest stresses in dance currently…? Nothing that I can’t and have not already fixed. My dance life is good.

876: Being involved in the fitness industry, you’ve gotten to work with women from various backgrounds, and all shapes/sizes. Your confidence is on another level.

But, when working with ladies trying to find that place where they love how they look, flaunt it and feel that energy, how do you get them to that confident place?

Chriss: By reminding women that imperfections are beautiful and self-love is the greatest asset you could ever invest in.

876: We’ve seen you groove to dancehall, soca, Afrobeats and other genres. Do you have a favourite type of music to dance to? Furthermore, when dancing to the song, what are your best practices to ensure you put on a top-notch show?

Chriss: I dance to whatever sounds good. Most times, it is not me, but my body that decides if a song is good. If I can’t dance to a song, usually it is a flop.

Also, I put on a top-notch show by tapping into my authentic divine feminine energy that I inherited from my ancestors. 

876: We’ve also had the pleasure of featuring you as an 876 Beauty recently. Being an 876 Beauty, what do you consider your most attractive physical feature? And, what’s your most attractive non-physical feature?

Chriss: My most attractive physical feature is the smile on my and, by extension, all my students’ faces when I permit them to embody their feminine divinity.

And, (my) non-physical feature would be the energy I used to ensure all my sensual dance workshops were impactful for each participant present.

876: Additionally, what are your biggest secrets to maintaining your all-natural beauty through it all?

Chriss: (Laughs) I don’t allow men to stress me out. If a man giving problems and won’t listen, I move on. Also, I stay away from people who disrespect me or devalue my craft. Life is too short and I’ve worked too hard, to let negative energy cancel out my light. 

876: What is one interesting fact about yourself that people may not know?

Chriss: I meditate daily. I also really like birds. I think they’re the most fascinating animals!

876: Finally, what are your goals for the remainder of 2024?

Chriss: My eternal goal, not just in 2024, is to live within every moment. To forget the past, ignore the future and just live 100% in the present, down to the very last second and until my very last breath.