Événement

JATAKA TALES with Rafe Martin

Told stories distinguish themselves gesturally, that is, unlike written ones they must be embodied. Face, hands, feet, posture, eyes, voice, rhythms of speech and silence, along with quite specific word choice ARE the story. There is no text outside that. To bring a story alive we must understand the relationship of our own creative imagination and the gestural forms through which our vision of the tale must be brought to life and transmitted to our audience. In this workshop, Rafe will share his understanding of the art of embodying tales. Through his presentation, we will learn to understand the role of the creative imagination in forming our stories, and then learn how our bodies and voices can, once grounded in that, actually make stories come alive.

Event Schedule:

10:30- performance
12:00 - break (please bring lunch. Drinks and light snacks will be provided)
1:00- 3:00 workshop

Rafe Martin has appeared in thousands of schools, libraries, festivals, and conferences in nearly every state-including Alaska and Hawaii-and as far away as Japan. He is a recipient of the prestigious Empire State Award, for the body of his work, and is also a fully ordained lay Zen practitioner and dharma teacher.
Rafe began formal Zen training with Philip Kapleau, Roshi (1912 -2004), the founder of the Rochester Zen Center in 1970, and was chosen by Roshi Kapleau to edit his final two books. It was at the Zen Center that Martin began telling stories, most of them Buddhist Jataka tales (stories of the Buddha's former births), and began learning firsthand the power of told stories and the role of a storyteller. Rafe has studied with Robert Aitken, Roshi and Nelson Foster, Roshi, and, in 2009, received full lay ordination from Danan Henry, Roshi, Spiritual Director of the Zen Center of Denver, with whom he continues his training.
"The Banyan Deer shows that the lives of all living beings are equally important." His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, on The Banyan Deer.
"Rafe Martin is an amazing storyteller. Every time he appears he makes 500 new devotees, because he is magical." Arthur A. Levine, editor and publisher of Harry Potter. Arthur A. Levine Books, Scholastic, Inc.

visit Rafe Martin website at http://www.rafemartin.com

Contact:
Rodney Greenblat <rodney@whimsyload.com>