The Storyteller’s Core

Storytelling

The secret behind any dynamic performer is often his/her ability to command the body’s core muscles to support the performance. So if you wish to become a more vibrant and animated storyteller, let experienced storytelling coach and theatre veteran, Verena Tay, share with you some practical tips on how to activate and utilize your physical centre so that you can speak, move and perform with a power and strength you never knew you had.

Areas Covered

  • Discover your core muscles and how to connect to them.
  • Explore how you can use these core muscles to support your storytelling.
  • Integrate your speech and movement so that you can tell stories in a livelier manner.

Pre-Workshop Preparation

For Participants

  • Participants who are able to communicate fluently in English are welcome.
  • Please come dressed in loose, comfortable clothing so that you will not feel constricted while doing the various physical activities.
  • Please bring at least 2 stories that you would like to improve your ability to tell.

For Organisers

Alternatively, a classroom with fair acoustics is possible, as long as all the furniture in the room has been removed or pushed aside so that participants can move about the entire space unhampered.

  • Please make available preferably a rehearsal room or studio with no encumbrances that allows free movement.

Feedback

What aspects of this workshop benefitted you most?

“The breathing exercises were innovative and I also like how Verena wants the participants to apply it immediately in the storytelling so that participants can enhance their storytelling.”

 Surendran Sathiamurthi

“The slow movement exercises helped me to slow down my pace. Background music was good & soothing.”

 Kordial Kor

“1) The concept of being grounded to earth. 2) Being ‘BIG’ => the exercise of largeness. 3) Learning to slow down & control breathing. 4) Learning to use your core => getting centered. There is so much to learn from you, Verena! You add a lot of value & dimensions to story! Loved the workshop! Thanks!”

 Nandini Nagpal

“I’ve learnt to be more ‘grounded’, engaged with my surrounding & only start when I’m ready & no need to rush. Thank you!”

 Zad Anwar

“Focus eye & movement. Slowing down. Breathing. Always great to do your workshp.”

 Kamini Ramachandran

“Breathing deep into the core & initiating movement from the core while speaking. It was fun!”

Tan Joo Hymn

About the Facilitator

A Singaporean writer, editor, storyteller and theatre practitioner, Verena Tay has published a short story collection, Spectre: Stories from Dark to Light (2012), and three play collections, and edited various fiction anthologies, including the bestselling Balik Kampung series of short stories published by Math Paper Press. She possesses three Masters: English Literature (National University of Singapore, 1993); Voice Studies (Central School of Speech and Drama, London, 2005); and Creative Writing (City University of Hong Kong, 2015). Since 2005, she has been helping people to improve their communication skills and has taught voice, speech and presentation skills, storytelling and creative writing.