Denise Valentine, Storyteller              Photo Courtesy, Denise Valentine

In a lyrical delivery, Denise Valentine, Storyteller, resurrects a time honored Hawaiian folkloric tale. Ms. Valentine’s concept of the story is, at once, hypnotic and captivating, as she expounds on the love affair of the volcanic goddess Oyeye with her male counterpart, Abzu, the ocean. Denise’s compelling portrayal led to her being chosen to represent the Mid-Atlantic Region of the National Storytelling Network (NSN) Annual Conference, All Regions Concert in Los Angeles, California, coming July 30, 2010

Miami theaters, museums, schools, colleges and libraries are among the venues that book the remarkable Denise Valentine, Storyteller, for her wonderful performance in the art of storytelling.  It requires a very special person to transmit history using vocal medium.  Throughout time, storytellers have been celebrated members of various cultures whose job was to keep the history intact and accurate. Storytellers are not just performers they are historians. While the world has many, many mediums to preserve history, not a single one of them compares to the wonderful live art of storytelling.  In Denise's words "Storytelling is an  oral  art  form  as  ancient  as the civilizations of  the  world,  yet, relevant to our time and place".

Denise Valentine, Storyteller, adapted, performed, and produced “A Love Story for Humanity: Romance of Volcano and Ocean” based on ancient Hawaiian folklore of the volcano goddess Pele. This beautiful rendition of the love story is told for mature audiences and inspired by a version in “Storyteller's Goddess”, by Carolyn McVickar Edwards. Denise’s presentation, backed by original music tracks by Todd Porter, can be viewed here. “Writing Women Back into History” is the theme for March which is Women’s History Month. Denise does this so appropriately and eloquently, using her voice as the medium to write to one’s memory. She emphatically memorializes the bond of humanity to Mother Earth, all the while reminding us of the power and significance of women throughout time.

 Ms. Valentine’s powerful performances reawaken the fascination of storytelling children still possess and adults have often forgotten in their busy lives. Her voice is her instrument and Denise uses it in performance to become the catalyst which transcends differences between people, inspiring hope, and transforming negativity. Her stories dramatically portray the potent dignity of the human spirit as she unwinds the threads of time with revelations of the interconnectedness in life. Denise possesses a passion for history and folklore, both of which she researches, then, dramatizes with her compelling voice. She is an African and African American historical folkloric influence. Ms. Valentine shares original stories, folktales, poems, and music to cultivate awareness of how past events shape the present, and inspire a vision for the future.  She presents her storytelling performances interactively, for audiences of all ages at schools, libraries, museums, and community events.  Her programs, by design, engage audiences of all ages, facilitating interaction between generations; promoting a spirit of connectedness and community. She is an artist educator with a background in folk arts residencies and teacher/professional staff development workshops.

This marvelous storyteller made her debut with Keepers of the Culture, Inc. (KOTC) in 1997. In 2003, Denise performed with Spoke-N-Weal as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, in a production called "Faultlines". She made a guest appearance on WYBE- TV35 "Philly Live" in a segment on urban legends. In 2004, Denise ‘storytelling ambassador’ was delegated to travel to South Africa with the National Storytelling Network, under the auspices of People to People Ambassador Programs. Highlighting Denise’s career was her being awarded the prestigious Leeway Foundation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s 2004 "Window of Opportunity Grant" which covered her travel to South Africa to study the preservation of folklore traditions. "A Voice for the Voiceless©", Denise's original essay, was published in the July/August 2005 issue of Storytelling Magazine, by the National Storytelling Network.  She is on the roster of The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, 2010-2011 Arts in Education Directory for Southeast Pennsylvania. She is in the ranks of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s 2010-2011 Commonwealth Speakers Bureau.

 Denise Valentine, Storyteller is available for local, national and international performances