Oral Storytelling is the art and craft of telling a story live to a group of listeners in the same space. The story is told through words and body language. The listeners each experience the story in the ‘theater of their mind’, generating their own multi-sensory images.
Source: The information found in this section is from International Storyteller.
As you go through each story, notice the following speaking techniques:
Voice: loud, clear, and animated
Effective pauses and emphasizing certain verbs for emphasis
Eye-contact
Facial expressions
Hand gestures
Storyteller Jan Blake kicks off her story with a clear statement about the relevance of storytelling for today. Her telling shows a mastery of both rhythm and soul. Rhythm in the words, the sentences, the story structure. Soul in the power of her telling to touch the soul of the listener.
Oral storytelling is all about connection. A storyteller needs to connect to the story, to the listeners and to the context in which he or she will tell the story. Storyteller Sahand Sahebdivani is a master in making these connections.
A boring storyteller is no storyteller. Mara Menzies is a shining example of the power, vibrancy and colorfulness a storyteller can bring to her telling. Her energy fills the room and lifts the story.
Good storytelling is always true, even when the story didn’t really happen. Stories that did happen still need a skilled storyteller to bring them alive for the listeners. Storyteller Donald Davis is a master in this, bringing out the magic and humor in his personal stories.
When a storyteller is in love with language, with words, with poetry, it shows in their telling. Hugh Lupton is such a storyteller. This short clip clearly shows the power of poetry and the beauty of words and the poetic imagination, which also shines through in his longer work.
You tell stories with your body as much as with your words. Mastering what your body tells, synchronizing your movements with the story, impersonating wildly different characters: Clare Murphy is a storyteller who excels in these areas.
There is a form of storytelling which looks very simple. It shows the power of less in a world constantly asking for more. It’s not loud, it’s quiet. Without bells, without whistles. Don’t be deceived by how simple it looks. Dan Yashinsky is one of the masters of this kind of storytelling.