Directory of members
Dianne Chandler
3171 Chandler Drive
Port Perry, ON L9L 1B6
Home/Résidence:905-985-3424
Work/Travail: 905-985-3424
Fax: 905-985-5297
Email/Courriel: storyteller@xplornet.com
Website: www.storymagic.ca
Storyteller Dianne Chandler weaves candlelight dramas cloaked in magic, illuminating multicultural folk-fairy tales, legends, historical and literary tales that touch the heart and bring a tear to the eye or elicit a good chuckle as they tickle the fancy of all ages. Although she loves the drama and magic of candlelit performances, Dianne is equally comfortable under the stage spotlight, in bright sunshine, or by a campfire and has enchanted young and old as a professional teller for more than twenty five years. She draws upon her years of experience as an educator, programme planner and curriculum writer when preparing for presentations and performances. With talking stick in hand, and dressed in various costumes to fit her stories, she uses props, songs and audience participation to enhance specific performances. Dianne believes that storytelling is a powerful healing force that connects us all in this disjointed world, and that everyone needs stories, adults as well as children.
Raised in the green woods of Niagara and surrounded by peach blossom forests, as a child Dianne was always making up stories to tell herself. As a teacher, she told her pupils many stories for many years before discovering, through a chance university course, that she was destined to be, and indeed, had always been “a storyteller.” Since then she has been a featured teller at concerts, festivals, schools, libraries, churches, youth camps, art galleries, parks, senior’s residences, school literacy nights and house concerts across Ontario and beyond. She has told stories in Ontario, Quebec, England, France, North Carolina, Florida and California. In the past 10 years she has initiated, organized, directed, emceed and performed in over 50 concerts in the Durham Region area.
Dianne usually tells as a solo performer, but also works as a duo with a harpist-pianist and a flutist-drummer partner to present Celtic concerts, church Christmas programmes and house parties, as well as, collaborating with her colleagues from Durham Folklore Storytellers for World Storytelling Day, Tellebration and Culture Days. As “Witch Grizzly Griselda of Gruesome Swamp” she has been the featured teller for candlelit Halloween performances for various living museums in the GTA, schools, golf and country clubs, youth programmes and seniors’ residences. Her Celtic tales have made her a featured teller for St. Andrew’s Day, Robbie Burns and St. Patrick’s Day events and other special events. Her solo Christmas programmes have been featured for candlelit church Christmas Eve services. She sees storytelling as a kind of “mind magic” as the spoken words ignite the imagination with moving images in the minds of both teller and listener. Dianne has been described as having “a beautiful voice” that could be listened to all night, as having “an irresistible directness,” “a sincere enthusiasm and zest,” as well as “communicating warmth of personality and a love of stories.”
Some Specific Milestones
Immediate Past Chair of Durham Folklore Storytellers (8 years)
Featured Christmas Eve Storyteller at Westminster United Church, Mississauga, Ontario
Featured Teller at Storybook Garden’s, London, Ontario
Featured Teller for Toronto area museums
Featured Teller for Eastern Townships Arts and Literacy Conference, Bishop’s University, Quebec
Featured Teller for Celtic Concert, Montrose Inn, Belleville, Ontario
Scriptwriter, emcee and storyteller for multicultural storytelling programmes for local town’s Sesquicentennial
Founder and artistic director and teller of the annual adult storytelling concert "A Celtic Celebration To Welcome Spring" (5 years) with the goal to convince adults that stories are for more than children
Founder, organizer and teller for the local storytelling and musical dinner concert series "Stories For A Summer's Night," "Stories For All Hallows Eve," and "Stories for A Christmas Night" (5 years)
Featured Teller for the television programme, The Imaginal Tree
Selected Memberships:
Storytelling Toronto, Storytellers of Canada, Storytellers of Ontario, The Durham Folklore Storytellers, Canscaip
Available for schools, libraries, literacy nights and events, workshops, camps, daycares, churches, business meetings, youth groups, festivals and concerts, house concerts, parks, museums, golf and country clubs, literacy groups, campfires
Sample Progamme Topics:
Multicultural Stories: Around the World Tales
Tales about Bullies in Folklore
Stories of Feisty Girls and Plucky Women
Caring and Sharing Tales
Tales of Giants
Tales of Love and Courage
Into the Realm of Fairies
Christmas Tales
Tales for Halloween: Ghosts and Devils, Witches and Monsters
Dragons and Monsters
It All Started With an Apple
Scottish Tales
Tales of Old Ireland
Celtic Tales
Animal Tales: Fur & Feather, Flesh & Bone
Canadian, eh? - Historical Tales for Grades 6 to 8
Folktale Tapestry
Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses: Medieval Folktales
Quest Tales
Native Tales
Fascinating Tales From Canada's History (Grade 6 to Adult)
3171 Chandler Drive
Port Perry, ON L9L 1B6
Home/Résidence:905-985-3424
Work/Travail: 905-985-5297
Email/Courriel: storyteller@xplornet.com
Website: www.storymagic.ca
Storyteller Dianne Chandler weaves candlelight dramas cloaked in magic, illuminating multicultural folk-fairy tales, legends, historical and literary tales that touch the heart and tickle the fancy of all ages. Equally comfortable under the stage spotlight, in bright sunshine, or by a campfire she has enchanted young and old for eighteen years. She draws upon her years of experience as an educator and programme planner when preparing for presentations and performances. With talking stick in hand, and dressed in costume, she uses props and audience participation and songs with younger audiences when appropriate. Dianne believes that storytelling is a powerful healing force that connects us all in this disjointed world, and that everyone needs stories, adults as well as children.
Raised in the green woods of Niagara and surrounded by peach blossom forests, Dianne told herself stories endlessly. As a teacher, she told her pupils many stories for many years before discovering, through a chance university course, that she was destined to be “a storyteller.”
Performances
Founder and artistic director of the annual adult storytelling concert "A Celtic Celebration To Welcome Spring" for the past five years. Founder and organizer for the storytelling and musical dinner concert series "Stories For A Summer's Night" "Stories For All Hallows Eve", "Stories for A Christmas Night"
Scriptwriter and storyteller of Durham Folklore Society's Education Commmitee's Multicultural programme for Whitby's Sesquicentennial, Fall 2005.
Other Memberships:
Storytelling Toronto, Storytellers of Canada, Storytellers of Ontario, The Durham Folklore Society.
Available For Schools, libraries, workshops, camps, daycares, churches, business meetings, youth groups, festivals and concerts