A Modern Approach to an Ancient Skill
"Stories differ from advice in that once you get them, they become a fabric of your whole soul. This is why they heal you." ~Alice Walker
Storytelling is a powerful medium for teaching and learning because it invites the listener to interact with concepts and ideas in a natural way.
This program is designed to provide students with knowledge of humane, literary, dramatic and historical perspectives which are the foundation for story.
Join us on a tour of our Storytelling Institute by clicking the link which will take you to the Storytelling Institute E-Portfolio. In this site you will find information about the programs we offer in storytelling, upcoming events, and our spring and fall festivals.
- Course Offerings
- Meet our Faculty & Staff
Ticket Purchase
Tickets to selected Performing Arts Center events are available for purchase online, at showup.com.
Fast Facts
- Storytelling is the ancient art of conveying events in words, images, and sounds often by improvisation or embellishment.
- A storyteller does not memorize a set text, but learns a series of script-like incidents with a distinct beginning, middle and end.
- A storyteller visualizes characters and settings, and then improvises the actual wording. For this reason, no two tellings of an oral story are exactly alike.
- Elements of the storytelling art form include visualization (the seeing of images in the mind's eye), and vocal and bodily gestures.
- Folklorists sometimes divide oral tales into two main groups: "Märchen" and "Sagen". These are German terms for which there are no exact English equivalents; the first one is both singular and plural.
(Sources: Story Arts, Sura Lune Storytelling, Story Center)