Specialty: Historical and West African Stories
Denise Valentine is professional storyteller, historical performer, teaching folk artist and cultural arts consultant. She provides storytelling, historical performances and professional development workshops for schools, libraries, museums, and community organizations.
Denise Valentine’s storytelling performance illustrates the power of story to transcend differences between people, inspire hope and transform negativity. She tells stories that emphasize the dignity of life, the power of the human spirit and the interrelatedness of life.
The storyteller delights audiences with traditional folktales from around the world flavored with colorful people, talking animals, humor, suspense and action; all brought to life with music, movement and a captivating voice. Her workshop, Historytelling, integrates archival research, folk heritage and oral history to demonstrate the role of the expressive cultural arts–stories, music, songs and dance—in creating sustainable communities.
Denise Valentine made her storytelling debut with Keepers of the Culture, Inc. (KOTC) in 1997. Since then, Ms. Valentine has performed for audiences of all ages at hundreds of schools, libraries, museums and community events. In 2004, with a Leeway award, she traveled to South Africa to study the preservation of folktale traditions. Also in 2014, Denise Valentine was a featured presenter at Ananse SoundSplash Storytelling Conference and Festival, November 19 -24th, in Jamaica, West Indies REDISCOVER, RETELL, RENEW, hosted by Ntukuma, The Storytelling Foundation of Jamaica.
Currently, she is on the roster of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Arts in Education Directory for Southeast Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s Commonwealth Speakers Bureau.