Viewing stories

Over the past two days, I've watched a couple of storytelling DVDs and an online storyteller's video blog. One of the DVDs dealt with heritage tales; Nordic and Navajo. The contrast of the two cultures struck me as odd at first, but then I began to see many universal traits being transmitted through oral and dramatic story.

The second DVD was a computer-animated children's tale about a captured princess, a samurai warrior and a sparkly, orange paisley dragon told through the eyes of five different kids. The story originated when one kid saw a cloud in the sky and said, "Hey! That looks like..." the ensuing story morphed and expanded from that point forward.

I thought the animated DVD was a unique bridge between traditional storytelling with very few props and the increasingly digital market for stories. That DVD, created by NorthPoint Children's Productions, used animation and technology, yes, but the stories of dragons, samurai and princesses are as old as time... Maybe stories make old things new again!