Tammy Tells Tales
Storyteller, Tammy Hall, known throughout Brooklyn for her extensive knowledge of world folklore, was born in Clarksville, Tennessee in 1959, and came to New York City in 1985.
Though this African-American grew up listening to wondrous Southern tales at the foot of her father, and tells them naturally, she has expanded her repertoire to hundreds of tales from all over the world for the past 18 years.
In addition to teaching Folk Arts five days a week at the Dr. Betty Shabazz School (PS 298) in Brooklyn, NY, Ms. Hall currently performs in numerous venues in the New York area including The Military Academy at West Point, The Apollo Theater, Symphony Space, The Brooklyn of Academy of Music, Macy’s, Rockefeller Plaza, Public Libraries and Schools, Numerous NYC cultural festivals and block parties, Private events, and Museums, just to name a few.
Utilizing call-and-response, percussive instruments, costumes, and other props, and sometimes just simply her voice, Ms. Hall is known to mesmerize her audiences.
As an advocate for literacy and a lover of folklore, Ms. Hall has traveled and enjoyed the folklore of the diverse cultures of the United States, Africa, Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean.
She conducts and participates in workshops, serves on committees, and attends conferences designed to promote storytelling, drama, creative writing, and the visual arts.
Ms. Hall feels that stories hold ancient and proverbial wisdom, that stories travel far, even from generation to generation.
Storytelling is the human action both verbal and visual that conveys feelings and thoughts. Is is a very magical way in which we communicate and understand each other.
Storyteller - the master magician.
Meet the Storyteller
Story Telling- A Brief History
The storytelling tradition is well documented in many cultures throughout the whole of human history. Ancient records of storytelling exist in languages such as Sanskrit, Latin, Chinese, and Greek. In fact, one of the earliest records of storytelling is found in papyrus of the Egyptians, forcefully demonstrating just how old storytelling really is. For example, the legendary tale of the Sumerian King Gilgamesh is considered one of the oldest surviving epic tales, yet this monarcho-centric tradition extends well into the era of Shakespeare, whose Richard III contains the memorable exhortation: "For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of Kings." Across the seven continents, storytelling has been a fundamental part of the common human experience.
In order to come together
as a cohesive, intricately-woven society, we must begin by sharing our stories. It is these very stories which impart upon and celebrate our culture’s beliefs, values, goals, and traditions. By sharing our stories, we are united in important, concrete and lasting ways.
Tammy Hall's First Storytelling CD:
Tales of Black Heritage from Around the World
To Purchase:
