Join us at our next festival, January 28-31, 2027, featuring…
Motoko
The recipient of the National Storytelling Network’s 2017 Circle of Excellence Award, Motoko has enchanted audiences of every age since 1993. She trained with master mime Tony Montanaro and renowned Appalachian storyteller Elizabeth Ellis. Motoko’s repertoire includes Asian folktales, Rakugo and Zen tales, ghost stories, mime vignettes, as well as oral memoirs from her childhood in Osaka and her life as an immigrant in the U.S. Motoko has appeared on PBS’ Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, and has been featured in festivals and theaters across the U.S., most notably, the National Storytelling Festival, Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, Bay Area Storytelling Festival, and the Provincetown Playhouse at NYU. Storytelling has taken her to China, Japan, Senegal, and the U.A.E. Her story recordings won a Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award, a Storytelling World Award, and a National Parenting Publications Award. She is the author of A Year in Japan: Folktales, Songs and Art for the Classroom.
Gene Tagaban/Guuy Yaau
Cherokee, Tlingit, Filipino. For 35 years Gene has worked nationally and internationally: mentoring, training, and sharing stories of his traditions and culture. Gene facilitates healing with tribal and indigenous organizations, universities, schools, museums, spiritual and religious communities, environmental and wilderness groups, prisons, and detention centers. He also conducts celebrations and ceremonies. Gene is a trainer and board member with the Native Wellness Institute, keeping our ancestral wisdom alive. Gene is a cultural consultant with Mother Nation, an organization providing cultural services, advocacy, mentorship and homeless prevention to Native women and families. He is also a Seattle Indian Health Board consultant with their Traditional Indian Healing and Medicines program. Gene has a passion for nature connection and healing. Gene has worked with Wilderness Awareness School, Cyber Tracking and culture camps. Gene has also been a featured teller at storytelling and folk festivals nationally and internationally. Gene participates in the July 4th naturalization ceremony welcoming in new citizens. He performs with Khu’eex, a Native Funk band based in Seattle, as a vocalist and Native flutist. Gene is always open to share a good story, spirit and inspiration with people of all ages. In the words of one participant, “Gene has the ability to make the audience feel safe while holding our hearts in his hands.”
Andy Russell
Andy Russell grew up in North Carolina in a family rich with natural storytellers. His personal stories reflect those roots- spending time with his grandparents, fishing with a cane pole and making music with friends. His years as a songwriter in Nashville bring additional depth and humor. Andy has appeared at festivals across the South, including the Georgia Mountain Storytelling Festival, Suncoast Storytelling Festival, Old North State Storytelling Festival and Stone Soup Storytelling Festival. In 2025, Andy won the annual StorySlam Championship by Six Feet Apart Productions and has been featured on multiple online programs, including MoonShine Stories, Traditions and Truth, Better Said Than Done and The Good Liars Club. Andy has presented solo one-hour storytelling programs at the Hampton History Museum, the Boca Raton Public Library, Sinai Residences and The Classical Academy of Sarasota. He lives in Ocala Florida with his dog and a three-legged cat.
Kelly Swanson
Kelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller, comedian, and Hall of Fame motivational speaker who believes story isn’t just something we tell—it’s something we live. With a voice that blends Southern sass, humor, and heart, she has spent over two decades helping audiences find the courage to reclaim their stories and see their lives in a new light. Kelly is the author of Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale? and The Story Formula, and creator of multiple one-woman theater shows that weave laughter with deeply human truths. Whether she’s on a keynote stage or a storytelling festival porch, her stories invite audiences to laugh, reflect, and remember the magic they thought they’d lost. Because somewhere along the way, we all forgot—we don’t just tell stories. We are them.