SOUTH FLORIDA STORYTELLING PROJECT

Storytelling is one of the earliest forms of human communication.  In traditional societies, the storyteller was the sacred functionary of his or her people, an honored genealogist, historian, teacher and entertainer.  With the advent of the written word, and later, the printing press, the need to share information face-to-face, and to remember astonishing amounts of material, was greatly decreased.  Storytelling fell out of favor in the west.  A renaissance of sorts occurred around the turn of the century, but it was mostly confined to young children and library story hours. 

Fortunately, in the early 1970's, storytelling was one of the folk arts that enjoyed a revival, along with music, dance and crafts.  From a tiny Revolutionary War-era town in eastern Tennessee, called Jonesborough, a movement began that today brings tens of thousands of people each year to festivals and conferences; has enhanced the work of health care professionals, educators, peace-builders and business people; and has inspired the performances of countless entertainers.

Storytelling coach extraordinaire Doug Lipman lists five essential characteristics for storytelling: It involves words, interaction, non-verbal communication, the imagination and narrative.  Thus by definition, storytelling is most effective when it is performed live, whether alone or accompanied by music, dance or visuals.  Americans are still most familiar with storytelling as fare for very young children, and indeed, reading or telling stories to pre-schoolers is still an important aspect of the field.  However, more and more performances and workshops, CDs and books, are directed to adults who enjoy hearing and sharing stories, whether folk tales or literary stories, personal stories or family memories.

Storytelling classes and workshops typically involve the sharpening of performance skills.  They may also include folklore, anthropology, psychology, rhetoric and other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.