Patricia Hruby Powell - Storytelling for Schools and Families

She startled the dance world when she told stories as she danced her way around Europe and the Americas. Now when she tells stories and spices them with a bit of dance and world-wide percussion instruments, the storytelling world is suprised. Patricia Hruby Powell has always given her audiences more than they expected.

Patricia is the author of three picture books:
Frog Brings Rain (Salina Bookshelf 2006)
Zinnia: How the Corn Was Saved (Salina Bookshelf 2004);
Blossom Tales: Flower Stories of Many Folk (Moon Mountain 2002);
as well as stories and essays in:
Cricket, Spider, Calliope, Storytelling Magazine, Storytelling
(to name a few).

Patricia tells worldwide folktales, original stories, and family stories with the kinetic energy generated by her long experience in Modern Dance. These are customized for her audiences from ages 3 to 103. Her one-woman play of great 19th century literary figures, performed with set and in costume is "An Evening With Jane Austen, Emily Brontë & Emily Dickinson."

Patricia is on the Illinois Arts Council's (IAC) Arts-in-Education Roster and the Artstour Roster and her programs can be partially funded (from 35-60%) by the Illinois Arts Council.

Title: Inspiring Reading Through Dramatic Storytelling
Plan:
2 Story/Author assemblies for K-2 and 3-5 grades;
2 Workshop-in-Assemblies for all 3rd graders

"Patricia Hruby Powell presented her delightful mix of storytelling, dance, and love of writing to our large diverse student body. She was warm engaging, comfortable and sincere in her dealings with both large group assemblies and with individuals — students and teachers. A year later, the students are still talking about her visit and asking when she'll return."

     - Barb Luther
       Librarian, Central Primary School
       Bloomfield, NM

"A charming, magically captivating, and mesmerizing performance. Patricia is poetically intoxicating."

- Jacqueline Deeb, Grand Rapids, MI
Retired Elementary School Principal

"Your storytelling was phenomenal! What a talent you have. We do storytelling in our classroom You've given us something to strive for! Thank you."

- Barbara Christian, Incline Village, NV
Fifth Grade Teacher

"Patricia touched the hearts of many and enabled us to reach our goal for encouraging families to share the joy of reading."

- Mary Kay Hostetler, Springfield, IL
Feitshans School Principal

"Anyone who can keep several hundred intermediate students enthralled for 45 minutes is truly exceptional. Not only are you a talented story teller, you are skilled at keeping children focused and attentive. Your performance was dynamic and unique. I strongly recommend anyone considering scheduling you for an appearance at their facility, to contact you without hesitation."

- Mrs. Georgia Butler, New Port Richey, FL
Intermediate teacher at Anclote Elementary

Stories Circle the World
Arabian Nights: Stories from Shaharazad
Native American Stories: From the Navajo, Cherokee, Iroquois, Ojibwa
Stories Out of Africa: Zimbabwe, Limba (West Africa), Ghana, Egypt
Love Your Mother…Earth
Blossom Tales: Flower Stories of Many Folk
Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Grandmothers

Find out more about Patricia's rollicking new school program LOVE YOUR MOTHER...EARTH by clicking on the title. Meet Mother Earth as she dances her flamenco/samba and raps her message.

List of Stories

Ayele and the Flowers (Ghana) - About a little girl who gets lost and sings in order to be found.

The Baker's Dozen (New York State) [Christmas] - A baker's greed gives way to generosity when he sees his business squelched by his own greed.

Bella & Beastly - A rather distant cousin adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" done as a chorus-response participation story.

Cat, Dog and Monkey (Indonesia) - Monkey, the trickster of Indonesian culture, helps cat and dog to divide a piece of meat fairly.

Fox Medley (Aesop/la Fontaine fables from Europe) - Includes "Fox and Crow," "Fox and Stork," and "Fox and Grapes," to showcase the European trickster, Renard the Fox. Can begin with French introduction

The Goat Who Couldn't Sneeze (Mexico) - A mountain goat from the Sierra Madre cannot sneeze until the bee lands on his nose. (Good for pre-school and anyone who thinks sneezing can be funny).

Hans and Gretel (Germany / street) - A rap version of the German tale.

Illinois River Tall Tale (Illinois) - The cook on a river steam boat catches and cooks a catfish the size of a whale.

King of the Birds (Aesop, Germany, Scotland, Wales, Cherokee) - Told with mime, dance, and bird calls, the story follows the first birds as they hold a contest to find who can fly highest.

Ladle Rat Rotten Hut (Little Red Riding Hood) - This slightly twisted version of a well-known story is told in melody and rhythm using all perfectly good English words, yet not the words one is accustomed to hearing.

Lion and the Mbira (Zimbabwe) - By playing the mbira (thumb piano) a man saves himself, and this son, and rabbit from being eaten by a lion.

The Mosquito (Ozark) - A civil war spook story with a funny ending.

Prince Lindworm (Norway) - Portraying a transformation of a serpent to-prince, this story is actually about stripping away layers in order to truly know someone.

Pussywillow (Iroquois) - Or "Why Rabbit Is As Rabbit Is", one of the Bloom Tales, to be published by Spider Magazine.

Snowdrop (German) - Or "How the Snow Became White", another of the Bloom Tales.

The Squeaky Door (Puerto Rico) - A little boy is frightened by his squeaky bedroom door. Kids as young as 3 can participate and guide the story by telling which animals join to comfort the little boy in bed.

Taking A Walk - Nursery Rhyme Medley set in a "story". Involves audience participation with the youngest children.

Talk (Ashanti, Ghana, Africa) - A talking yam, dog, palm tree, and stone, shame a farmer, fisherman, weaver, and bather before their chief. The story is told with mbira accompaniment.

The Tailor (Ireland) - A tailor dips into a tub of water after watching a woman become a hare in that tub. On discovering the tailor-as-hare, the enraged woman chases the tailor to the next county, where he must live with the consequences of his folly.

Waking the Dragon (China) - A story to celebrate the Chinese New Years that uses audience participation "on stage".

The White Wolf (West Virginia) - A ghostly revenge story.

Why the Cock (Rooster) Never Got Back to Paradise (Arab World) - The bird with the loudest call is so proud of himself that Allah takes action.

Why the Possum's Tail is Bare (Cherokee) - The possum shoes off his beautiful bushy tail once too often.

The Woman Who Outshone the Moon (Mexico) - a central Illinois distant cousin of a Zapotec Indian story

Email Patricia Hruby Powell at
phpowell@talesforallages.com

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Family Story Workshop Curriculum Guide (Word document)
"Patricia was truly mesmerizing. Not only were her stories entertaining, but her voice modulation, her inclusion of Farsi words and phrases, and action punctuated with choreography, all served to captivate everyone in the audience. Her attire complemented her performance, and subtly prepared her audience for a unique evening of storytelling. " Patricia was truly outstanding. I could add to that...fresh, exciting, animated, engaging...simply, marvelous! - Donna Blomquist, Librarian LaSalle Public Library