Kira Van Deusen

Readings

Kira has been a professional storyteller since 1991. She is based in Vancouver, BC. She has performed in schools and libraries, as well as at many major storytelling festivals and other events.

Traveling in Siberia's forests, tundra, and steppe over 15 years, Kira learned most of her stories from indigenous elders. She connected with indigenous traditions, stories, and people — their lives, history, spirituality, and sense of humour. She delights listeners with adventures in worlds we do not see with the eye, accompanied by her evocative original cello and vocal music. More recently she had the privilege of hearing Inuit elders recount ancient legends in Nunavut. With their permission she now shares those exciting stories with listeners as well. The stories all ring with authenticity, coming directly through the oral tradition.

The stories help acquaint children with northern cultures and open the door to discussion of ecological problems, relationships between people and animals, shape-shifting, the process of story-collecting, and the fate of indigenous peoples and their languages today.

In addition to the northern stories Kira also tells tales from Taiwan, learned in cooperation with Taiwanese storytellers in Canada.

Special Equipment:

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Book Sales:

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Biography

Kira Van Deusen has been telling stories since 1991. Her educational background includes degrees in Russian Literature (Cornell University 1968) and in Folklore/Ethnography (Antioch University 1995). She has worked for many years as a professional cellist, and now combines music with her storytelling as well as playing in a symphony orchestra and with smaller groups. She lives in Vancouver BC where she is very active in the world of storytelling, performing and organizing events.