Professional Teller
Valentina Ortiz
Audience:
Audience-All ages, pre-school, elementary, middle school, high school, college/
adult, elder creative aging groups
Story types:
Fairy/folk, myth, traditional, historical,, personal, literary, song/music
Themed programs and workshops available
Sample bilingual video:
More:
Xochiquetzal de Goddess of love
(in English)
Maria Marimba (in Spanish)
About the Teller
Valentina Ortiz is a storyteller, musician and a writer. Four books and four records show her intense work registering personal and community stories. She has toured Mexico and many countries of Latin America and Asia with her storytelling and music concerts.
For over 12 years she has worked with marginal groups, building unity and networks through community storytelling. She has specialized in developing teaching residencies in schools and senior centers for the last 10 years both in Mexico and the United States. She has been actively exploring multilingual storytelling (Spanish, French, English and Nahuatl)
with people of all ages.
In 2021 she received the New York City Genny Award. She is the recipient of the Mexico´s Ministry of Culture grant for 2022 also she has received the Golden Cenzontle award for her social involvement through stories, with her non profit
association Zazanilli Cuentos A.C.
Reviews/audience comments
“A prominent storyteller in Mexico and the world, she is a peerless ambassador for our country´s oral tradition as she tells her stories in English, Spanish and French. In 2015, NAO selected Valentina Ortiz as the recipient of our Cenzontle award for her methodologyof community healing stories.”
-Beatriz Falero y Martinez, Narradores Orales de Santa Catarina
"From the moment Valentina takes the stage, you take notice! She is vibrant, joyful and engaging. Her stories, her intent, her connection to and love of her Mexican cultures shine; she takes you to times and places that are both far away and very close."
-Robin Bady, storyteller, arts educator, curator of the BadyHouse Storytelling Con-cert,,
NSN 2012 Emerging Artist Award.
"Valentina knows how to bring an indigenous story alive with joy and meaning for all audiences. Totally entrancing, her tales are supported by drums and songs as she introduces audiences to the poetic beauty of a world of spirit, power and compassion."
-Laura Simms, storyteller and author.CHOICE award, Sesame Street SUNNY DAYS Award, NSN Life Time Achievement Award.
"She is the joyous embodiment of the stories she tells."
-Loren Niemi,storyteller and author, Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, NSN Life Time Achievement Award.