When I walk into a first grade classroom, I am now familiar with the kind of energy that will greet me. It is different than what I find in a second or third grade class. I am aware of subtle changes in listening energy in the primary, upper primary and upper grade audiences. This awareness tailors my rendering of a story. With certain stories, it is possible to reshape the feel of the story in performance so that the same story can be appropriate for different age audiences.
Improvisation plays a huge part in performance as well as composition.
I enter the story I am telling like a journey. Everyone who is willing comes along. We end together. I must be a responsible guide. It can be an exhilarating experience.