Kelly Kanayama
Taking part in the Young Storyteller of the Year, 2011
Kelly is from Hawaii and is of half-Japanese and half-Filipino descent. She has been performing in various disciplines, mainly voice and dance since the age of 7, but only began storytelling after she came to the UK.
When it comes to the stories she tells Kelly says, I've been collecting stories since I was very young, although I didn't realise it at the time - a lot of my material comes from stories I heard in school or books I read at home during childhood. Although I'm interested in fairy tales and myths from all over the world, I specialise in stories from the Pacific Rim, particularly Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines due to my heritage. In addition, I have a soft spot for stories with passionate, interesting female characters, as I think many female storytellers do! My grandmothers - the ultimate strong independent female role models in my family - and their lives are also a source of inspiration, although some of the resulting stories are definitely not suitable for children.
For Kelly storytelling is at least partially about giving a voice to characters, individuals, communities and/or people groups that might not otherwise be heard. And due to both her dance training and culture(s)'s she tends to communicate in a very physical way as well as vocally. Kelly says, Storytelling is an holistic act in the sense that it's a collaboration between the brain, the voice and the body.
Kelly is also running a 10 week course on Folktales and their Meanings at Wensum Lodge from September - November 2011.
For more information on Kelly and her course contact her on: kelly.kanayama@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment