3-27-10 Dianne with the Youthful Voices tellers - awesome!
Friends:
Florida Story Camp was a wonderful experience. Saturday was the last full day of camp. On Saturday, I taught my Story Fest workshop using my signature method of story theater in which everyone in the group participates. We began with individual role playing, where workshop participants acted out roles with scarves.
Then we moved into partner role playing.
3-27-10 A mechanic fixing his car and having fun doing it too!
After a few partner exercises, we moved into group role playing, which was a lot of fun!
3-27-10 A group portraying a kicker kicking the football through the goal posts
The class culminated with a group performance of a story theater, “The Frog and the Ox,” an Aesop fable. Individual storytellers told the story while the story chorus sang and danced their role. It was delightful to see the whole group come together to portray the story.
3-27-10 The Story Fest group performs The Frog and the Ox
After my morning workshop, I participated in the Storytelling in Higher Education Global Storytelling workshop. It is a newly formed initiative designed to gather and grow information about global storytelling and how it can positively affect communities. It was a wonderful workshop brimming with ideas and possibilities. Following Global Storytelling, I was invited to have lunch with the Youthful Voices tellers. Boy, are they an AMAZING group of students!! I got to know these talented bunch of students and had fun too!
3-27-10 Dianne and the youth tellers show off their shoes!
After lunch, it was off to teach another Story Fest workshop. It was just as full as the first. 
3-27-10 Jane Crouse plays a boy caught stealing an apple from a neighbor's tree
Again we did the role playing exercise. Here are two tellers having too much fun being a woman walking her dog in Central Park! (Yes, the dog is doing her “business.” hahaha)
3-27-10 Ann Scroggie walks her dog in Central Park
Then we moved into group role playing. Here, a group demonstrates their ability to re-enact a Mardi Gras parade with a king on a float and Mardi Gras revelers.
3-27-10 A group portrays a king on a Mardi Gras float
In the last portion of the workshop, they created a story theater and performed it. This second group performed, “The Turtle Who Could Not Stop Talking,” an East Indian folktale.
3-27-10 The second Story Fest class performs The Turtle Who Could Not Stop Talking
On Saturday evening, we had the privilege of watching the Youthful Voices perform. I was blown away by their talent and stage presence! They were phenomenal! Good job Nathaniel, Erica, Leah, Camron, Hope, Julissa and their fabulous emcee, Jeffrey. Afterward, it was the concert of the featured tellers: Ada Forney, Tamara Green, Susan Klein, Dan Keding, Eth-Noh-Tec, and lil ole me.
3-27-10 Saturday Night Storytelling Concert with featured tellers
I told “The Ghost of Mabel Gable” for my youth teller friends and they LOVED it! Thanks, guys! Following the concert, there was a reception (with food) and autographing. Sunday morning was the last concert and it was wonderfully inspirational. I still feel like I need to take a deep breath…
Thank you, Florida Storytelling Association for allowing me to be part of your amazing Florida Story Camp conference. I made new lifelong friends and am enriched by the many souls that crossed and intersected my path in Leesburg, Florida. I wish I could name all the individual people who made such a difference in my life but there are too many!! And how blessed am I?!! I look forward to one day returning to Florida Story Camp.
Until next time…
Warmly, Dianne
