I live in Tyrol, but travel almost everywhere to tell stories.
I was born in 1968 (for those who are slow at calculating: my age = 32 + the current year).
I tell old folk tales for adults and teenagers aged 13 and over.
I love the space between me and those who are listening.
As if by magic, whole worlds, lives and experiences emerge through the combined imagination of everyone present.
Meine Geschichten /Stoffe
My passion is traditional folk tales, which are classic and “archetypical” on one hand, but at the same time take surprising turns and twists.
I also like to choose short, clever, sometimes baffling wisdom-tales.
I have specialized in adult audiences, which of course also influences my choice of stories.
Narrative Style
I believe that the focus should not be on the narrator, but on the story.
I rely on the power of the spoken word - ''not a word too many, not a word too few'' - that's what I strive for.
I love words and enjoy painting rich pictures with them. I let myself be carried away by a folk tale, telling the story vividly.
I only tell the stories that move me, that call out to be told or as we say in German ''burn on my tongue''. The listeners can feel that.
The Individual behind the Teller
Every storyteller who deals freely with her material shapes it with her own worldview. My values can be heard and felt. Strong women, handsome men, villains who are understandable, trust in higher powers, the humorous handling of people's dark sides, many strong feelings, my love of nature and food... all this and more runs like a common thread through my storytelling.
Life
I was born on February 26, 1968 in Innsbruck, where I have been working as a full-time storyteller for adults since 1995.
Stories have been a part of my life since I learned how to read and became a ''bookworm''. Later I studied comparative literature and German at the university in Innsbruck (Austria), Santa Cruz (California) and Cape Coast (Ghana). For my thesis, "A collection: Powerful women in fairy tales from Ghana and Austria'', I spent three months in Ghana researching West African fairy tales and oral traditions. All of this laid the groundwork for my life as a professional storyteller.
I spent a total of three inspiring years in Santa Cruz, California, and on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. I had a roommate and patient good friend, who kept correcting my English and who still surprises me with words I have never heard. That is how my English developed.
This friend - Roger Golden Brown (LINK: https://goldengalaxies.net/translating/) is also the one who helped me with the translation of this website.
Languages
Vielleicht habe ich die Freude an anderen Sprachen von meinem belgischen Vater geerbt? Denn dort sprechen fast alle Menschen mindestens zwei Sprachen und das Erlernen einer Fremdsprache ist sehr beliebt. Auf jeden Fall bin ich durch meinen Vater „zweisprachig“ aufgewachsen, das heißt, dass ich mich im Hochdeutschen ebenso zuhause fühle wie im Dialekt.
Ich erzähle auch gern und oft auf Englisch.
Also I studied French at school and later took courses to learn Spanish.
• For me it is exciting and interesting to work with storytellers at bilingual evenings. At this kind of event we tell stories in a way that each story can be understood even if you only speak one of the languages. We do not just repeat what has been said in the other language but play with it. You can see an example in this short video: Federleicht und vogelfrei / Words on the Wing… LINK https://youtu.be/k_ogT2KZNvQ
I did bilingual evenings several times for example: With Jasna Held (Croatian) and David Ambrose (English), Doris and Steve Barrot (Bern German and French).
• I also work with translators who are not tellers – my storytelling has been translated into the sign language of the deaf and also into Chinese, Portuguese, Latvian.
It is an art in itself to adapt the pauses and the flow of my speech to this, a creative challenge both for the teller and the translator.
Here is a video in German and sign language: Der Luftkuss…LINK https://youtu.be/xJXShLF-sBM
Here is one with German and Latvian: Der Ton des Spielenden… LINKhttps://youtu.be/niT5i05pwAI
Here is a video in German and Swedish: Warm und kalt aus einem Mund LINK https://youtu.be/O1-dxBNqwQ4
“Certification”?
Yes, by the way, I am also confirmed, recognized and certified by the the association of storytellers in countries where German is spoken (Austria, Switzerland, Northern Italy, Germany, …): The VEE/Verband der Erzählerinnen und Erzähler.