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I
n the cold, dark winters of old Scandinavia, storytellers were held in high esteem because of their ability to spin tales of adventure, romance, and war providing a welcome diversion from everyday tasks. Eager listeners stared into the flames while images of magical conquests swept through their minds and inflamed their imaginations.
Over time, electronic entertainments seem to have shuffled storytellers off to the pages of history books, except for special events such as Ephraim's Scandinavian Heritage Festival.
Drawing on the old and cherished tradition of storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, storytelling has expanded to include pioneer stories and other folktales from various tellers who love the craft.
One of this year's featured tellers, Carol Esterreicher, is a member of the Utah Storytelling Guild and Utah Pioneer Heritage Arts. She is a returning Scandinavian Days Storyteller having won first place in last year's storytelling contest for her portrayal of Caroline Jensen, Ephraim's first telegrapher operator. As a storyteller, Carol is very busy, having just won the Western RegionOracle Award for Leadership and Service from the National Storytelling Network.
We are also proud to present two local storytellers, Andrew Clark and Ivo Peterson. Andrew is a fourth grade teacher at Ephraim Elementary School. Currently pursuing an MBA, he learned storytelling at Utah State University, although he comes from a family in which storytelling was a way of life. This is Andrew's second year presenting at Scandinavian Days. Ivo Peterson is a resident of Manti who Ivo teaches at Snow College. Ivo is also a Utah Sixth Judicial District judge for Ephraim Justice Court. Those of us from the Sanpete Valley will recognize Ivo as a past director of the Mormon Miracle Pageant. With dramatic flair, Ivo enjoys sharing Scandinavian folk stories.
Allison Fiscus and Valerie Meade are our final two presenters. Allison is an historical storyteller. She has several characters that she portrays. Allison tells stories professionally throughout the state of Utah and has previously presented at Scandinavian Days. In her storytelling she strives to transport her audience back to previous eras. Valerie is the Program Director at the Hutchings Museum of Natural History in Lehi. An avid lover of history, she uses stories to both educate and entertain. Valerie has also presented at Scandinavian Days.
Storytelling
Festival Schedule |
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Friday
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12:00 Andrew Clark
12:30 Ivo Peteron
1:00 Valerie Meade
1:30 Alison Fiscus
2:00 Carol Esterreicher
2:30 Valerie Meade
3:00 Alison Fiscus
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Saturday |
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12:30 Andrew Clark
1:00 Ivo Peterson
2:00 Carol Esterreicher
2:30 Andrew Clark
3:00 Ivo Peterson
3:30 Carol Esterreicher
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