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listed in Idaho Storytellers and Performers

Teresa Clark

Ph: (208) 529-3276
Teresa Clarktclark@mstar2.net

PO Box 551
Iona, Idaho
U.S.A., 83427-0551
"If storytelling were a liquid you would find it running through the veins of Teresa Clark!”
- Joyce Slater
NSN Board

“Teresa’s work takes storytelling beyond entertainment to be a force for healing in the world. By helping people discover the stories of their lives, Teresa helps them discover the meaning of their lives. There is no greater gift.”
- Rev. Lee Greiner,
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, ID

Teresa Clark's unique blend of history, wit, personal glimpses, and fantasy create stories that are a delight to hear and impossible to forget. Best known for her original works and recollections of life's experiences blended with history, Teresa entertains and educates wherever she goes as she shares her passion for storytelling. Teresa’s humorous and poignant tales fire the imagination, gladden the heart, and lift the soul. Of her the late J.J. Reneaux once said, “Charming, witty, soulful and wise, her performances are filled with a compelling sense of wonder and an irresistible zest for life.” A published author and national award-winning storyteller, Teresa delights in the magic of sharing a good story. Children, teens, and adults, find themselves captivated. As one High School Principal put it, "I don't know that I have ever seen students listen with so much intent to stories ever before." A librarian and educator from New York wrote, "Her crisp style, quick wit and warm personality are mesmerizing. Her lyric delivery is worthy of any theatre I've seen." An educator in Wyoming exclaimed, “I can’t say enough about Teresa’s skill in the art of storytelling. She is an excellent communicator and is capable of working with all levels of age and education.” Teresa currently serves on the Board of National Storytelling Network (NSN) as the Western Region Director

Notable Past Performances:


Notable Recognitions:


Storytelling Recordings:


CDs are $14 US Dollars plus $2 Shipping.
Tapes are $10 US Dollars plus $2 Shipping.

Contact tclark@mstar2.net



Assemblies, Workshops, Residencies, & Intensives: Contact Teresa for the full listing of Assembly themes. Customized programs, residencies and themed presentations are Teresa’s specialty.


Baskets Full of Memory (For Everyone)
~ An exercise in rediscovering the personal archives of memory
Many of today’s youth feel lost because they have no idea who they are, where they come from, or who they come from. Society as a whole is not sharing, telling, or honoring our stories, our traditions, or our cultures. All of these can be gleaned most effectively through story.


Mainstream Storytelling! (For Educators)
I believe storytelling is the most effective tool for teaching available! This workshop is dedicated to showing educators how storytelling can become the core of any curriculum. Educators will leave this workshop with many fun action-packed tips for using this ancient art form to enliven any class. (While created for educators, this workshop can be amended for classroom use.)

Story Grafting (For Storytellers)
Story Grafting - the art of implanting yourself into an already existing traditional tale to create a fruitful and vibrantly new story. Master Gardner’s know that grafting new branches at just the right spot on an existing tree with a strong root system can create a more vibrant and fruitful tree. Participants will delve deeply into a tale of their choice to find the sweet spot for personal story grafting to begin.


Story Weaving (For Storytellers)
Story Weaving- the intertwining of personal experiences, history, and folktale into a single tale. I am fascinated by the parallels of life. History, folktale, sacred text, personal experience all twist and weave around each other to create the tapestry we call life. Participants will identify parallel threads from these sources and weave them to form solid new story work - tapestries in progress - developed from their explorations of the parallels of life.


Storytime – Family Style! (Families or Grade 4 and above
Through a creative blend of computer technology and storytelling skills students will discover the joy of learning about the past from those who have lived it. The students will practice interviewing skills, document the information they gather, create an entertaining story from the data, then share their story in a performance setting.

Story Time Idaho! Can be adapted for any State or Province (4th Grade)
The students will learn and experience the difference between straight history and "his/her story." Then through buzz groups, video exercises, group discussions, and storytelling techniques they will expand their individual projects to include story. The completion of the residency will include a student storytelling performance.


Folktale Follies! (3rd Grade and above)
Folk and Fairy tales have not always been the "happily ever after" tales we grew up with. Participants will select a favorite tale and research the numerous varieties of the tale, choose their favorite, and prepare to tell it; or participants may choose a favorite tale and "fracture" it to be told from a new perspective!


Passing On - Their Stories (Hospice Volunteers and Care Givers)
Storyteller Susan Klein once said, “If you were stripped of all you own, the one thing you would still have would be the stories of your life. Knowing that means also knowing that our life stories are sacred possessions.” Facing one's own mortality triggers an undeniable need to share our life's stories. Frequently, the terminally ill give this sacred trust of story to their caregivers. This workshop gives those caregivers the tools they need to recognize and honor these sacred gifts.

Corporate Storytelling Intensive (For Businesses)
I am dedicated to the belief that people of all ages are still teachable. That deep inside our souls there are ideas, thoughts, memories, and feelings left untapped, waiting to be discovered. Tap into your inner stories to open the door to self-discovery and the knowledge that life’s greatest achievements grow from the strength of our own souls and how we choose to share them. Quite simply, the better the story – the better the company.


So, You Want to Tell a Story?
(A three-session intensive for 4th Grade - Adult)
Storytelling is a powerful tool, which erases the unseen barriers encountered when humans try to communicate heart to heart and soul-to-soul. Storytelling is an excellent communication skill, which enlightens our depth of understanding in virtually any situation. More than a performance art; quite literally storytelling is a necessary life skill. Everyone can, and must, learn the basics of storytelling. This is “Storytelling 101” for anyone who wants to use storytelling to enhance their daily lives. Sessions can be taught as a series or individually.



Storytelling: A Way of Life - Session One
Communication does not truly begin until everyone is really listening. When I am looking into your eyes our souls and imaginations are connected. Once this connection happens, real communication can begin. Whether communicating with family, friends, co-workers, or others, storytelling is a life skill that can deepen our understanding. This class will illustrate the impact storytelling can have in our daily lives.


Storytelling: A Way of Entertainment - Session Two
Storytelling is the world's oldest art form. From the moment man could talk, we started telling stories. With the technological advances of the past century, storytelling began to slip through the cracks as a lost art. Yet, storytelling entertains uniquely by allowing the listener to hear the tellers words, while seeing their own images. A fourth grader said it best, “When you were telling stories, I felt like I was watching a movie! What was that?” This class addresses the use of storytelling as entertainment.

Storytelling: A Light in the Darkness - Session Three
Jesus Christ was a Master Storyteller. His messages became tangible to the listener's in both visual and auditory ways. His stories left a lasting impression in which doctrine was deeply imbedded. As storyteller Ed Stivender says, “Faith is caught, not taught.” Storytelling creates fertile soil by awakening the soul of the listener, by activating spiritual ears, and by spreading light. This class focuses on the power of storytelling as an effective spiritual teaching tool.

Harvesting Stories From Your Family Tree
(Three session intensive 4th Grade - adult)
It has been said that the transfer of family history, the core of the oral tradition, is approaching extinction. Participants will learn to create, cultivate, and tell stories from their own personal experiences as well as from their family heritage. Sessions can be taught as a series or individually.


Hearing the Voices of the Past - Session One
In this class the instructor shares personal anecdotes of how she came to hear the voices of the past as she was led to family history stories. Students are reminded that stories from the past - can be as recent as the previous generation. Students will learn how to identify primary sources and secondary sources, then rely on instinct to lead them forward. These people want their stories told. The question is: Are you listening?


Prompting Tales From Surviving Generations - Session Two
Students will be given numerous suggestions for interviewing successfully, including when to interview and why. Thought prompting questions and techniques will be discussed. Tips will be presented on putting the tale together after the interview process is complete. Successful interviewing is not in the setting or the questions; it is in the listening skill of the one asking the questions.


Telling Your Own Tale - Session Three
Since many wait until the final years of their life before beginning this chore, the idea of creating a personal history may be a daunting task. Often those who procrastinate, or fail to keep journals, believe they have lost their chance to tell their tale. This simply is not true. No matter the age, they are capable of recalling enough of their past to tell their own tale! Discussion will be held on the purpose of telling tales from your life and the blessings the sharing of these tales can bring. Hands on exercises include memory-jarring activities and story prompts.

Professional memberships


People are Talking:


“You’re a superb teller! Your work is consistently excellent.”
- Barbara McBride-Smith
NSN 2000 Circle of Excellence

"The Halloween dance was lame, but it was a kick-butt story at intermission!"
- Buzz News,
Bonneville High School

"Teresa lulls listeners with her musical voice, then smacks them with side splitting humor. Sometimes sweet & heart-wrenching, sometimes hilarious, whether she tells folk tales, or personal stories, she is a fabulous one-woman storytelling roller coaster ride."
- Terra Allen,
Gig Harbor, WA

"Wow girl! Whatever it is that makes a storyteller, you've got it in bucketsful!"
- Debi Richan,
Timpanogos Storytelling Festival

References:


John Beach
1315 Kimberly Avenue
Rock Springs, WY 82901
(307) 362-7495
e-mail: johnbeach@wyoming.com
wyomingteller@msn.com

David Holt
www.davidholt.com
PO Box 28
Fairview, NC 28730
phone: 828-628-1728
fax: 828-628 4435

Karen McPheeters
Library Director - Farming Public Library
2101 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, NM 87401
(505) 599-1261
kmcpheeters@infoway.org

Barbara McBride Smith
1622 S. Delaware Place
Tulsa, OK 74104
918-712-1528
e-mail: BMcBrideS@aol.com