CRANBERRY TWP — Students in the fourth through seventh grades at St. Kilian Parish School on Tuesday learned to follow their dreams no matter how impossible they may seem.

That message came from author and professional storyteller Antonio Rocha, who captivated the students with the story “The Party in the Sky,” a folk tale from his native Brazil.

Rocha's experience working under famed mime Marcel Marceau became evident as he regaled students with the fantastic story by convincingly playing a parrot, vulture, turtle and other characters without props or costumes.

Rocha's story of a turtle who hitches a ride in the guitar of a vulture to a party in the sky contained suspense, comedy, fantasy, and ultimately, the lesson that anything can be accomplished by those who try.

Rocha also told the students that a great story must be told verbally before being committed to paper because many important details are added after the teller gauges the reaction of listeners.

He suggested students tell a story in a small group before putting it on paper.

Debra Laird, co-chair of the Parent-Teacher Guild's Students of the Arts program, said the concept of imagining, telling, then writing a story is new to students.

“If you can get the students to leave their comfort zone for even a short period of time, and learn to tell the story, that's a lifelong lesson and a valuable tool,” Laird said.

She said Rocha, who performed last year at the school, also conducted a storytelling and writing workshop with students.

She said Joy Mining Machinery in Warrendale and the H.J. Heinz Foundation provided grants to help pay for Rocha's visit.

Students exiting the gymnasium after Rocha's story chattered quietly about the tale.

Fourth-grader Ethan Lipscomb of Cranberry Township appreciated Rocha's storytelling skills.

“It was very interesting how he told the story and acted it out at the same time,” Ethan said.

Sixth-grader Luke Diel of Mars called Rocha's rendition of “The Party in the Sky” “inspirational.”

Luke's favorite part was the vulture's idea to use tree sap to glue the turtle's shell back together after the avian and his passenger fell from the sky.

Caroline Chung, a sixth-grader from Mars, especially appreciated Rocha's performance because she is interested in acting.

“I thought it was really cool that he acted and told the story at the same time,” Caroline said.

Her favorite part of Rocha's story was that the scars from the turtle's broken shell remain visible on turtles today, hundreds of years after they were glued back together by the vulture.

More information on Rocha's work is available at www.storyinmotion.com.