How to become an award winning storyteller

Today we are interviewing Dianne de Las Casas who is an award winning storyteller. torytelling came naturally for Dianne. At nine years old, she often told spooky stories to her younger brother. But it wasn't until she was "grown-up" that she caught the story fever. Dianne says, "I have always loved stories and grew up immersed in books. I always knew that I wanted to write books for children and I knew this as a young child. What I didn't know was that storytelling would not only take me there but it was the vehicle through which I would really learn how to 'make' a good story, both orally and eventually, in print." Volunteering as a storyteller on Saturdays at her local library, Dianne fell in love with the art and honed her skills. With the encouragement of Andrea Taylor, the children's librarian, and the support of her family, Dianne began exploring a career as a professional storyteller. Dianne performs arts-in-education programs and residencies at schools, libraries, festivals, museums, and special events. Interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Dianne is a sought-after national speaker and workshop leader. She is an enthusiastic advocate of literacy and arts-in-education programming. Dianne de Las Casas continues to make the story connection with thousands of children, parents, educators and librarians every year, reaching and teaching through the art of storytelling. She is also the author of many books.