Deborah Dunleavy
Biography:Deborah Dunleavy loves the magic of words — the way they sing, dance and play together. As a child her favorite book was a musty, second-hand, dog-eared collection of fairy tales. It's no surprise that Deborah now spends most of her time telling stories. At school Deborah sang in the choirs, acted in the high school musicals and played the violin to the plaintive howls of her cocker spaniel, Toby. Even when she was supposed to be listening to Mr. Scott's history lesson, she was busy writing poetry. Her heart beat to the drum of the artist. In the 1970s Deborah took up the guitar and sang her way to higher learning at the coffeehouses and pubs at York University. With a BA in English she packed up that guitar and became a traveling folk singer for a few years. Eventually she traded in her threadbare jeans for a polyester pant suit and returned to the University of Toronto where she aced her way to a Bachelor of Education degree. But Deborah couldn't stop her heart from beating to the drum of the artist. So in 1980 she embraced a career as a children's musician and recording artist. That took her all over North America, and to China and back. She crawled through the log on Fred Penner's Place, danced with Mr. Dressup and wrote songs for Jim Henson's Muppets. It was a great time. In 1997 Deborah returned to her hometown of Brockville, Ontario. Since then she has penned two award-winning books, written the libretto for an opera, produced six storytelling festivals and toured Ireland and Scotland as a storyteller. In 2008, Brockville acknowledged Deborah's great contribution to the arts by inducting her into the Performing Arts and Music Hall of Fame. Deborah's life is a living fairytale. She recently married a friend she has known for over forty years. Howard Alexander is a musician and teacher whose heart also beats to the sound of his own drum. His youngest children, Charlotte and Abraham, love to play music with their father and step-mother, and many nights are spent swapping stories by the glow of candlelight. Presentation Information:Deborah immediately sweeps the listener into the heart of each story with her engaging performances. Her stories range from lyrical to comical, from heart-breaking to spine-chilling. Deborah's dramatic approach brings the characters to life. Silly fools, miserly villains, cruel kings, bewitched horses, wise crones and bullish beasts all take a bow. Deborah's vast repertoire allows her the freedom to shape her programs to fit the needs of each audience. She is as comfortable with a classroom of six year olds as she is with an auditorium full of adults. From the intimate setting of a retreat to the bubbling enthusiasm of a library audience, Deborah captures the minds of all listeners. CIRCLE ROUND THE SUN (ages 5 – 10; public & educational) FOOLS' WISDOM (ages 8 – 12; public & educational) NORTHERN NIGHTS (ages 12 and up; public & educational) Book List / Discography:The Jumbo Book of Drama. Illustrated by Jane Kurisu (Kids Can Press , 2004) The Jumbo Book of Music. Illustrated by Louise Phillips (Kids Can Press, 2001) Awards:The Jumbo Book of Drama The Jumbo Book of Music Praise for Deborah Dunleavy:"We are very lucky to have Deborah in our schools. As well as being polite, kind and caring Deborah has an enthusiasm for life and learning which makes her a wonderful role model for students of all ages." Susan Thain "Many, many thanks …both workshops were received so positively not only by the grade seven students but by the staff…Your stories were informative, culturally significant and captivating." Dawn Diamond "What a marvelous experience for both myself as well as my students. Your stories were compelling and captivating. Students who are usually inattentive, easily distracted, and kinetic watched and listened to the presentation, totally mesmerized…Thank you for such an enriching experience, an experience that will not be forgotten." Jay Steglich "Deborah Dunleavy, storyteller and wordsmith extraordinaire, has just completed another compelling presentation at Reading For the Love of It conference… Deborah never fails to delight and inspire teachers with her passion for storytelling, her love of language and her lively stage presence. She harnesses the power of the spoken word to open ears, hearts and imaginations to the stories in our lives, and demonstrates the potential of storytelling to teach values…fun, interactive and meaningful to all participants." Carol Munro "The stories you told were so detailed and expressive, every one of them made a picture in my mind like when the two girls were being lifted up into the sky, I saw clouds and stars." Joshua, Grade 7 student |
 Craft:storyteller Ideal Audience Size:30 students (or one class) Maximum Audience Size:80 – 120 (with professional sound system) Grades:K – 8 Website:School Reading Fee:$150.00 per reading Public Reading Fee:$250.00 per reading (four readings covered by the Canada Council) Book Week Tour Contact:Sandy Chilcote |