About me
Betsy Dentzer is a freelance storyteller, performer, and theatre-maker from Luxembourg. During her studies in Applied Theatre at the Universität der Künste in Berlin (Theaterpädagogik, M.A.), she discovered the world of tales, legends, and myths, as well as the profession of the storyteller. This discovery led her to begin formal training and eventually embark on the challenging journey of becoming a freelance artist in Luxembourg, where professional storytelling was largely unknown at the time.
As a storyteller, Betsy has performed on renowned stages, including f.ex. the Philharmonie de Luxembourg, Rotondes, Escher Theater and the Wiener Konzerthaus for original creations, or Theater Stadelhofen Zürich, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Brucknerhaus Linz on tour, primarily in performances that combine music and narrative, either directed by other artists or (co-)created by herself. She also works regularly with schools and social institutions, offering informal storytelling performances and workshops. She has also organized storytelling and theatre training for teachers, pedagogues, and educators.
Betsy is a familiar face in the international storytelling scene, particularly in the German-speaking world. Her performances she has performed at the Internationales Erzählfest Rhein-Main, Zauberwort Nürnberg, Erzählfest Hannover or Sparda-Erzählfestival Kassel, among others. She enjoys collaborating with storytellers from abroad, whether in her own format Tête-à-Tête (produced by Erzielkonscht a.s.b.l.) or in projects for the Heinrich-Pesch-Haus in Ludwigshafen, Consol Theater in Gelsenkirchen, or the Geschichten im Blauen Salon series in Dortmund.
Alongside her main work as a storyteller and performer, Betsy has directed several theatre projects with non-professional actors, such as Oh the Sea (Kulturfabrik Esch, 2014), Jo Josette (Services à l'égalité des chances Dudelange et Bettembourg, 2014). She has also led numerous workshops in physical theatre, improvisation, community theatre or stage training, and has accompanied amateur groups throughout their creation process.
In a broader context, she has contributed as an author, actor, lecturer, show host, and narrator of audio texts, including her own audiobooks E Kuerf voller Geschichten (2013), 'Zaubermillen (2015), and Zwee Ënnerwee (2020), all produced and distributed by Rotondes.
Last but not least, Betsy is a member of the international Verband der Erzählerinnen und Erzähler e.V., a founding member of ASPRO (Association Luxembourgeoise des Professionnels du Spectacle Vivant), and a founding member and secretary of ASSITEJ Luxembourg.
– 2010
Since 2010, she has been based in Luxembourg, collaborating with artists from diverse backgrounds such as theatre, music, illustration, circus, and film animation. Invitations to storytelling festivals soon followed, giving her opportunities to share her art widely.
– 2015
Betsy co-founded the company Theater Traverse, aiming to create and promote interdisciplinary performances and educational art projects within and beyond Luxembourg. The collective focused on innovative theatre and music forms for young audiences. In 2021, they disbanded Theater Traverse to join forces with their friends at Kopla Bunz, a company focusing on dance, theatre and music, mostly for young audiences as well.
– 2021
Betsy founded Erzielkonscht a.s.b.l. alongside fellow storyteller Luisa Bevilacqua. This association was created to support and promote oral storytelling in Luxembourg, advocate for its professional recognition, and establish Luxembourg’s presence on the international storytelling scene. The association took its first steps toward greater recognition with the two-year project CONTE-QUEST, which aimed to promote the art of storytelling for adults. The project included a radio show, a series of story nights in unusual locations, and concluded with the storytelling piece “Tell it again, Sam” on the stage of the Kapuzinertheater (2023)
Storytelling
“What sort of things do you read aloud?”
“Could you do a reading for us?”
”What’s the title of the book you’re reading from?”
Questions like these often come up in my professional life. They suggest to me that the art of narration is still not widely understood, and that people may not fully appreciate what storytelling truly entails. That’s why, I’d like to shed some light on the concept of storytelling as the oral transmission of narrative material.
Storytelling should not be confused with reading aloud or reciting.
It is an art form rooted in thousands of years of oral tradition. Storytellers carry everything they need with them: a mind, an imagination, a body, hands, and a voice. They don’t rely on elaborate set designs or costumes; at most, they might use a single object. You could say that storytelling is the simplest, most stripped-down form of performance.
Storytellers bring stories to life freely, without reading or reciting, transporting their listeners to worlds that unfold in their minds. The stories they tell can range from old to new, including fairy tales, myths, legends, fables, anecdotes, personal experiences, short stories, and jokes—true or imagined, sad or funny, long or short, reflective or entertaining.
They adapt their stories freely, even when the tales are not of their own creation.
Free narration creates a moment of intimate interpersonal connection; the storyteller shares a story with the listener, bringing images to life in the listener’s mind, inviting exploration without imposing any specific interpretation. In this process, the storyteller remains in close connection with the audience, able to respond to their reactions while remaining immersed in the storytelling.
