Join us for the 96th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival® – the nation’s oldest continuously operating folk festival. Come on Thursday night, Aug 3 to hear Connie’s stories and come back Friday and Saturday to enjoy all the dance and music performances.
Connie has performed there numerous times over the years and she and her cousin, Barbara Freeman were awarded PERFORMER OF THE YEAR. The festival is a celebration of the Southern Appalachians with musicians, dancers, and storytellers who are preserving the traditions of these Mountains. The traditions involve not only the hand-clapping, toe-tapping rhythms of Bluegrass, the style and stories of century-old ballads, the high energy of clogging, the elegance of Big Circle Mountain Smooth Dance, the fun and entertainment of storytelling, but also include an awareness of the hardships and trials that have brought us to this place and time. More information at: https://folkheritage.org/asheville-events/mountain-dance-and-folk-festival/ and https://folkheritage.org/
Join Connie Regan-Blake Saturday, August 5, 2023 from 9am-10:30am MST (UTC -7) / 11am-12:30pm EST for a virtual workshop, “Cooking Up Stories.” Telling stories is as natural and vital as taking a breath! This workshop welcomes everyone: writers curious about the oral word, those who want to explore their personal experiences and those who simply love stories. Connie Regan-Blake generously shares tools she has developed and learned throughout her trailblazing storytelling career that has taken her around the world. More details coming soon.
The focus of this “Taking Your Story to the Stage” 3-day workshop is on storytelling performance. Each participant is asked to come with a story that is almost “stage-ready.” Participants gather at Connie’s home, tucked in the beautiful mountains surrounding Asheville, NC. This workshop intensive provides a supportive, affirming atmosphere to nurture each storyteller’s performance skills and confidence. “Taking Your Story to the Stage” is open only to those who have previously studied with Connie. If you have not had this opportunity and/or Connie has not heard you tell a story, a private coaching session may be required. Registration is limited so if you’d like to add your name to the list of participants now, contact Connie. For more details, click here.
And if you can’t make the workshop, mark your calendars now join us as listeners for an enchanting evening of storytelling in “A Slice of Life: An Evening of Stories” on October 21, 2023 at Black Mountain Center for the Arts.
Join nationally celebrated storyteller Connie Regan-Blake as she welcomes her storytelling students to the stage for “A Slice of Life: An Evening of Stories.” Enjoy a great lineup of tellers to be announced.
Saturday, October 21, 2023. Tickets $18 in advance, $20 at the door.
Connie is emceeing this evening of unique voices. The last four “Slice of Life” shows have been sell-outs – so get your tickets early!
What participants have said:
- Intense and Rewarding. Opportunity to take risks and grow with others who care about stories and those who tell them.
- This workshop offers a retreat environment in which realignment occurs allowing freedom for the story to take the stage as I, the entertainer, offer it as a gift to the audience.
“The Round Robin of storytellers at Connie Regan-Blake’s “Slice of Life” show gave me a rare listening treat. Each story was as unique as the voice that told it. What great fun to hear a mountain art form so well-spun!” –Donna Marie Todd, storyteller, singer and story workshop leader
Connie Regan-Blake will be a featured teller for the 40th annual Florida Storytelling Festival at Lakeside Inn, Mt. Dora, Florida.
For a taste of what’s in store, take a look at the upcoming 2023 schedule.