Using the Power of Poetry

KEYNOTE SPEAKER • WORKSHOP LEADER • PERFORMANCE POET

Steven H. Biondolillo

Will Inspire Your Meeting, Seminar or Conference

Poetry is the only art form capable of containing in just a few "breath strokes" life’s most disturbing dualities, irreconcilable differences and profound paradoxes. It is the medium we turn to on life’s most important occasions, to connect us with our deepest selves.

Steven will involve your group in an inspiring and thought-provoking session designed to allow the audience to participate. His presentation—entitled "Life-Changing Insights in Verse!"—draws on his experience growing up in the nation’s oldest large-scale orphanage, as well as his background as an elite athlete and successful businessman.

A wide variety of groups and organizations have engaged Steven over the years to provide powerful leadership development, teambuilding, personal growth and donor cultivation programs.

Sessions typically unfold in 3 parts:

• Introduction of a universal topic through historical or personal anecdote
• Dramatic recitation of a poem illustrating that topic
• Opportunity for participants to share their own reactions and insights!

Program formats can range from 30 minutes to 3 hours based on your schedule and goals.

A flavor of the pieces that Steven presents follows:

• “480 B.C.”: The story of the 300 Spartans who saved Western Democracy at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., depicted in the recent movie “300.” Participants dissect the role of leadership in life and death situations.
• “For the Athletes Unsung”: The story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s “Miracle on Ice,” depicted in the recent movie “Miracle.” This poem is a tribute to the last three individuals cut from the team, serving as a reminder that all of us contribute to success in enterprises greater than ourselves. Session participants discuss critical concepts such as resilience, compassion and inclusiveness.
• “In Centerfield”: We believe this poem is second only to “Casey at the Bat” in the world of baseball poems! It is a powerful exploration of the full spectrum of one’s gifts, as well as of the places where one feels balanced, centered and whole.
• “A Single Word Emerges”: The story of the poet’s extraordinary experience growing up in the nation’s oldest large-scale orphanage. This poem stimulates session participants to explore their personal mythologies, as well as to identify the “single word” that best describes both who they are and what makes them tick.
• “The Man in the Alley”: This poem is a colorful and dramatic statement about the “governing power of thought”— subject matter explored in popular books and films like “The Secret” and “What the Bleep Do We Know!?” Participants reflect upon and articulate who it is they are becoming.

Other subjects range from the magic of city playgrounds and realities of elite athletics, to heartbreaking current events and transcendent ancient and biblical conflicts.

Depending on your needs, we can utilize supporting film clips and PowerPoint, as well as small group and written exercises.

Please click here for a list of recent engagements/clients.