A 45-minute storytelling concert with stories of the artist's choosing for ages 5-100. Perfect for a birthday party or other group gathering!

Here are some of the programs this seasoned and talented performer can present for your group:

• Animal Stories: A to Zoo For the young at heart, watch and listen to animal characters brought to life in tales with meaningful morals.


• Mandarins, Maoris, Moons and Monkeys A collection of stories from Asia and the Pacific Rim.


• Ugh! Bugs! The children won’t be screaming; they’ll be beaming, as they learn, through story, the very special attributes of the insect world. 


• A Trip on the 4 Winds An ever-growing body of work that provides a view into the richness of stories from cultures around the world.

www.embodiedvoicestoryarts.com

Elaine was born and raised in a small town of 6000 in southwestern Pennsylvania. Her father was a barber and she spent many hours on the shop’s green and white cold metal chairs, listening to the likes of men and women who visited during the course of the day, including Tangles, Harlem, and Mushy.  Unfolding before her on any given day was a cast of colorful characters in a plethora of whimsical events, for which, her father unknowingly gave her an appreciation, as he did for the love of reading.   Her first exposure to storytelling was through the written word, as she became interested in writing about those barber chair observations. Her grandmother was known for her oratory skills and her blood trickles through Elaine’s veins from time to time. Elaine was wired for movement.   It all began dancing to her sister’s 45s on their living room floor.  Cheerleading came later. Reflecting back  on activities that caught her attention,  it was always the love of physical elegance,  whether it be a concert by South African musician Johnny Clegg, or a performance by Momix. In the 1990s, she had the great opportunity to see the late mime master, Marcel Marceau perform in Los Angeles.  Although in his 70s, from where she sat, she saw a youthful body in command of his performance. In the privacy of her home later that night, with ease she attempted  what she had seen on stage earlier that night.  Thus started her voyage into the world of movement and mime, which included workshops with some of the great masters, including the great and late Tony Montanaro at Celebration Barn in South Paris, Maine. The pivotal point in her journey, however, was when she went to see her first show of Washington D.C.’s then Stanislavsky Theater.  She was blown away by the highly physical performance of Paata Tsikurishvili, a recent immigrant from the country of Georgia.  Elaine called Paata and asked if he could work with her.  A busy performer, he initially said no.  Patience paid off, when a couple years later, she attended one of his children’s productions.  There, she saw that master classes with Paata were being offered.  As luck and synchronicity would have it, Paata at this very moment was leaving Stanislavsky to start his own company, now the widely acclaimed Synetic Theater in Washington, DC.  With Paata now freer and in need of start up funds, and having now seen her movement skills in the master class, Elaine asked again.  The answer was a resounding “Yes!”.  Elaine continues to work with Paata to this day, in spite of his busy schedule. All of this combined with her resume of business experience and ESL instruction, have provided her the opportunity to be of service across a wide spectrum of storytelling applications.  Elaine is forever grateful for those who have gone before and so graciously imparted their wisdom.

You may have seen Elaine Muray at one of the following storytelling events.

2013 and 2012—Jemez  Storytelling Festival (NM), Performer  

2012—Northlands Storytelling Conference (WI), Performer and Workshop Leader  

2012—Three Rivers Storytelling Festival (PA), Performer  

2010—National Storytelling Conference, Regional Concert  

2010—Ojai Storytelling Festival (CA), Ventura County Performers Concert  

2008—National Storytelling Conference, All Regions Concert, Pacific Region Performer Selection  

2005—Australian Storytelling Festival, Performer and Workshop Leader