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nnette.watts@gmail.com
(801) 756-8665
Nannette Watts takes the age old art of storytelling and combines it with movement and voice to create stories. She is a featured favorite at storytelling festivals.
She coaches youth tellers and inspires many to perform at acclaimed storytelling festivals. She presents workshops from local to national venues. Author of Youth Tell, she encourages leadership training through storytelling programs. Nannette educates hundreds of youth and adults in storytelling and public speaking every year.
She holds a BFA in Music Dance Theatre. She is a member of the Utah Storytelling Guild, Timp Tellers chapter, a founder of Resonance Story Theatre and Utah’s Story Camp, and is the executive director of the National Youth Storytelling Showcase. She knows Utah history better than her native husband, and can tell a Utah ghost story that will curl your toes.
Nannette’s Residency Philosophy & Approach
I have taught before, during, and after school residency programs. My programs can last from one day introductions in storytelling to residencies lasting up to about nine weeks. I teach and cater to the school or community’s needs in length of time, skills taught, and focus of the residency; teaching basic storytelling or matching curriculum needs. I have taught workshops to youth and adults from my local area to surrounding counties, in Idaho, and to all borders of Utah.
I was teaching a basic storytelling with a writing focus to the sixth grade at an elementary school. Afterward, a teacher and mother came up to me with the mother in tears. The teacher said that the mother was attending because her son had severe behavioral and attention issues. They said my workshop was a miracle to them because it was the first time he sat listening and responsive to the material presented. He was in fact one of the best participants that day and it was a turning point in his learning.
Another example of a teaching moment came from working with two fourth grade classes. I was able to get more students successfully to the stage with stories they created than other schools that had a national teller begin their program and teach the teachers.
Nannette’s Special Training
- 1993 BFA Music Dance Theatre from BYU
2005 & 2008 Doug Lipman workshop intensives and personal coaching. - 2006 Steffani Raff workshop; Image Riding.
- 2010-2014 Donald Davis retreat workshops; What’s Your Story. Personal coaching on story form and writing stories.
- 2011 Syd Lieberman workshop; Researching & Creating Historical Stories.
- Workshops and training offered through Timpanogos Storytelling from various national circuit tellers.
- NSN Conference workshops; 2002-2004, 2014-15.
2015 Regi Carpenter workshop; Diving Deeper. Finding your story.
Residencies Nannette Has Done
- 1999-2009, Highland, Utah — Organizer/Teacher of students for month-long school storytelling program with after or during school workshops K-6, ages 5-12.
- Summers 2008-2014, Orem, Utah — Founder/Director/Teacher of Utah Story Camp; generated curriculum, organized, taught summer camp five hours a day for five days for youth 8-18.
- 2000-current, Orem, Utah — Timpanogos Storytelling Youth Committee; audition, teach, coach, mentor youth tellers for Festival, ages 5-18.
- 2012-current, Murray, Utah — Teaching Artist in residence; teach youth tellers during school workshops, ages 9-18. Performance, nine workshops, get students ready to perform their stories.