Storytelling: Fairy Tales

Three Workshops with Matěj Rybka

These workshops–on March 18, March 25, and April 1–will explore the mechanics and dynamics of storytelling with a special focus on fairy tales. We will explore how we can deliver a story to a listener in a living way with an imagination-filled power of expression, looking at the elements of the storytelling style, its musicality, rhythm, tone, voice production, intonation, phrasing, pace, and emphasis. Leading to that we will play with exercises using the elements of creative speech and work together on a short scene from a story.

The workshop is open to all who are interested in language. Before the workshop, participants are asked to select and learn a passage from a fairy tale of no more than five minutes duration. All participants will have the opportunity to work on their texts and speak them to each other.

Matěj Rybka is a speech artist (Sprachgestalter) and a eurythmist. He was trained in eurythmy at École d’eurythmie en Provence (France) and West Midlands Eurythmy (England). After completing the training, he joined West Midlands Eurythmy Stage Group for one year while he trained in Creative Speech (Sprachgestaltung) under Geoffrey Norris (Speech and Drama Studio) and Agnes Zehnter (Amwort). Matěj toured as a speaker and storyteller with the fairy tale “Harap Alb” performed in eurythmy by the West Midlands Stage Group. For his speech graduation program, he has worked with texts in six different languages. That program was brought on tour in England, Switzerland, and the US, and received great reviews with a special appreciation for the story telling part. Currently Matěj is enrolled in the 5th Year at Eurythmy Spring Valley.

Fee: $40 per workshop. Sessions may be taken singly or as a series.

Information, and to register: Email Matěj Rybka at rybkamatej@seznam.cz. Preregistration is required; capacity is limited up to 8 participants per session.