[4] At age 13, she won a contest that included 750 other girls, resulting in an appearance at a benefit performance with Danny Kaye.
That appearance, in turn, led to her performing at Chin's Victory Room in Cleveland, after which she spent three years touring the East and Midwest with her mother as her companion and manager.
[2] Dunn gained prominence at age 18 at the Copacabana in New York City,[5] when her two-minute flamenco dance "brought fierce applause" from the audience.
[7] In 1960, Dunn played the female lead in a touring company's production of Flower Drum Song.
[15] During the Vietnam War, Dunn traveled in a troupe led by Hope to entertain military personnel.