West Hartford, CT
Testimonials:
Sara deBeer is a fountain of story from which to drink. I have witnessed how story has transformed young and older alike; and I recall with great enthusiasm my first storytelling workshop that she led. Insightful, poetic and poignant. She breathes in the story first, then shares it in ways that allows the listener to interpret in her or his own voice. ~ Laconia Therrio
Sara is the quintessential storyteller and educator, with such a vast repertoire of stories that she always picks the absolutely perfect story. She also vibrantly spins each tale with a twinkle in her eye, a dimple in her cheek, and a melody in her voice that leaves her listeners savoring each word as they journey through the story together. As a storyteller myself, I have worked with Sara to co-produce several Tellebrations, at the Children’s Creative Arts Festival, at the Connecticut Storytelling Festival, and more. She is a spellbinding storyteller, and a tremendous resource to educators, storytellers and the storytelling community throughout New England. ~ Krysha Brooks
Sara weaves narrative threads so skillfully that her stories seem to tell themselves. ~ Ted and Sally Jennings
People really get INTO the stories I tell. A ninety-one-year-old observed, “As I listen to you, I imagine a lot of things and I can put myself into the situations and how would I react? Would I react the same way as the people in the story? It’s mind-building.” A fifth-grader confided, "Ever since the day I have heard one of your stories, it always feels like no one is around me and I am an actual character in the story".
Where do I tell stories? I’ve told to Boy Scouts gathered by a flickering campfire and to families cuddled on blankets on a beach. I’ve shared stories with listeners in senior centers and independent living residences. I've worked with students in public and private schools, urban and suburban communities, from preschoolers to college students. When working in schools, I design programs that tie in with on-going classroom studies of math, science, social studies, and language arts.
What do I tell? I present programs of multicultural myths, legends, and folktales to audiences of all ages. I often weave stories around a particular theme, such as "Tales of Winter Wonderlands" or "Tales of Deep-Rooted Magic". Audiences discover the richness of each individual culture while also appreciating the universality of human experiences.
What is my background? I have been working as a storyteller since 1978; I am also an experienced classroom teacher with degrees from Yale and Bank Street. My expertise has been widely recognized: I am a teaching artist for Hartford Performs!; my work as a Performing and a Teaching Artist has been approved by the CT Office of the Arts (DECD / COA); I am a trained facilitator for “Familyread”, “Book Voyagers”, and “Literature for a Lifetime” ( CT Humanities Council) and a CWP (Connecticut Writing Program) fellow.
People remember the stories I’ve told. When I think of the value of storytelling, I remember running into some New Haven teenagers. They stared at me for a few moments and then smiles of recognition broke out on their faces. "You're the storyteller, aren't you? You came to our second grade class and told us that story about that magic tree.” These kids had heard me six years ago, and yet they still remembered me AND the story I'd told them; their smiles showed that the memories were good ones. It is encounters like this that remind me how much I love being a storyteller.
Travel: CT, MA, NY, RI
Audience: Elementary, Families, Teens, Adults
Genre: Folktales, Historical Tales, Faith-based Stories
Awards:
- Barbara Reed Award for Distinguished and Outstanding Service to the Connecticut Storytelling Community
- Robert C. Bates Fellowship (Yale) to study storytelling traditions in Ireland