AN ONGOING ONLINE GUIDED STORYTELLING EXPERIENCE
Find your story.
Free your voice.
Bring your stories, ideas, and experiences to life through language, voice, gesture, and imagination — and learn to communicate with greater presence, clarity, and human connection.
A live online program with master storyteller David Gonzalez for educators, professionals, artists, and anyone who wants to communicate more powerfully.
“With speech, sound, music and, above all, inspired imagination, Mr. Gonzalez has the gift of creating magical worlds and drawing his audience into them.”
— THE NEW YORK TIMES
THE FOUR RIVERS METHOD
When these four currents meet, something happens: Communication becomes connection.
You already carry stories, ideas, experiences, and knowledge worth sharing. The Four Rivers Method helps you uncover them, shape them, and bring them fully to life.
Developed by David Gonzalez over four decades of performance, teaching, and storytelling, the method brings together four essential elements of human expression:
Language
LANGUAGE
Find the words that make your story clear, vivid, and memorable.
Voice
Discover the sound, rhythm, and presence that make your words your own.
Gesture
Use your body to give your ideas energy, meaning, and emotional truth.
Imagination
See beyond the obvious and create new possibilities for your story — and for the people listening.
YOUR TRANSFORMATION
You don't have to be a polished storyteller.
You simply need something worth saying.
Through guided practice, individual feedback, and a supportive community, you’ll develop the confidence and tools to bring your stories, ideas, and experiences to life — in the classroom, the workplace, on the stage, or wherever you connect with others.
You’ll come away with:
✦ Signature stories ready to share
✦ A portfolio of adaptable stories and ideas
✦ A repeatable process for developing new work
✦ Greater confidence in communication and professional settings
THE ONGOING EXPERIENCE
Structure to grow.
Space to explore.
A hands-on learning journey with the right balance of instruction, individual guidance, practice, and community.
Monthly Live Story Workshops
One 90-minute workshop each month combining instruction, guided exercises, demonstrations, and practice.
Monthly Story Labs
A 90-minute monthly session to experiment, practice, receive feedback, and explore your stories in a supportive environment.
Monthly DIY Gatherings
The cohort meets each month independently to practice, exchange ideas, and support one another’s growth.
Private Sessions
Individually scheduled coaching sessions are available.
YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY
Keep growing,
keep discovering...
THE SOURCE — Discover the stories that call to you.
LANGUAGE AND SHAPE — Build vivid scenes with structure, image, rhythm, repetition, and meaning.
VOICE & PRESENCE — Explore breath, sound, character, emotion, gesture, and stage presence.
THE CONFLUENCE — Bring all four rivers together in an embodied, memorable expression.
STORIES THAT WORK — Adapt storytelling for education, advocacy, leadership, media, and professional life.
FROM STORY TO CONNECTION — Refine, rehearse, and share your signature story.
THIS ROOM IS FOR YOU
Your experience is enough to begin.
You may be an educator looking for new ways to engage your students, a professional who wants to communicate with greater clarity and presence, a facilitator or leader who works with people, a writer ready to bring words into the world, or an artist looking to deepen your practice.
YOUR GUIDE
Dr. David Gonzalez
Award-winning storyteller, poet, playwright, musician, educator, and cultural ambassador.
For more than four decades, David has explored storytelling not only as an art form, but as a powerful way of teaching, communicating, and connecting with others. He has brought stories to life in more than 5,000 presentations at theaters, schools, conferences, cultural institutions, and community gatherings around the world.
- Drama Desk Award Nominee
- U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassador
- Joseph Campbell Foundation Fellow
- New Jersey Governor’s Arts Award
“As long as David Gonzalez is around, the art of storytelling is in good hands.”
What participants say
People come to Four Rivers from different backgrounds and leave with something they can carry into their own work, practice, and life.
“David is an extraordinary speaker. He shares unforgettable life lessons, capturing head and heart through his magical stories and poetry.”
Charlotte Otto
Vice President, Procter & Gamble
“He relied on the majesty and variety of language, the limitless landscape of imagination, the pulse of music and the beauty of art as he kept alive the ancient art of storytelling.”
The New York Times
“David’s is a most necessary voice, concerned with a profound, inspiring view of humanity.”
Juan Felipe Herrera
U.S. Poet Laureate
FROM THE FOUR RIVERS COMMUNITY
What changes when
your story finds its voice.
“This summer’s workshop at Four Rivers Art Institute broadened and transformed how I think about storytelling! The movement and embodiment practices helped me meet my more uncomfortable edges, especially around performance, and I was able to bring so much more of myself into the storytelling process. Well done! I can’t wait until the next one.”
Wendy Newton
Yoga Teacher, Writer & Storyteller
“I found this workshop to be incredibly helpful in developing my storytelling skills. Learning how to be more comfortable in my voice and physical presence elevated my ability to tell a story effectively. All in all, a tremendous experience!”
Gustav “Gus” Rech
“David presented aspects of storytelling not typically covered in a workshop. His approach brought so much more depth, knowledge, and experience to what I already knew. I left transformed as a storyteller and would highly recommend working with David.”
Rona Levine
Your place
at the confluence.
Join a small, committed online cohort and develop your storytelling practice over six months.
Live instruction, guided practice, individual feedback, and a community of people who use story to communicate, create, teach, and connect.
Applications are now open for a thoughtful online cohort beginning December 2nd, 2026. Admission is based on maturity, readiness, communication, and commitment—not prior performance experience.
- Workshops Workshops and Story Labs alternate on Wednesdays at 7 PM Eastern, with one participant-led DIY gathering each month.
- Coaching Individually scheduled 30–60-minute coaching sessions are available at $100 per half hour or $200 per hour.
-
Tuition Tuition is $100 per month, with an initial six-month commitment ($600 total). After six months, participation continues month to month. The program takes a summer break in July and August.
Pay with PayPal → - Completion Receive a certificate and an invitation to participate in the May 10 online showcase. Participation is optional.
PUBLISHED CALENDAR
An ongoing rhythm,
held with intention.
Workshops and Story Labs meet online through Zoom on alternating Wednesdays at 7 PM Eastern. A holiday pause follows December 16. Recordings and transcripts will be available, and schedule exceptions will be announced at least one week in advance. The alternating rhythm continues beyond the dates shown.
Live Workshops
Wednesdays · 7:00–8:30 PM ET
December 2, 2026
January 13, 2027
February 10, 2027
March 10, 2027
April 7, 2027
Story Labs
Wednesdays · 7:00–8:30 PM ET
December 16, 2026
January 27, 2027
February 24, 2027
March 24, 2027
April 21, 2027
By Invitation
Online Story Showcase
May 10, 2027
Celebrate the cohort’s growth in a streamed online showcase for invited guests. Participation is warmly encouraged and entirely optional.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Frequently asked questions
No. You don’t need a background in storytelling, theater, or performance. Curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to practice are enough.
No. Four Rivers is for anyone who wants to communicate through story with greater confidence, presence, and imagination. Participants include educators, professionals, writers, facilitators, leaders, and artists. No previous performance experience is required.
Workshops and Story Labs are recorded so you can always catch up.
Tuition includes monthly workshops, Story Labs, participant-led DIY gatherings, Zoom recordings and transcripts, a certificate, and an invitation to the online showcase.
Yes. Participants may download and retain recordings permanently, with an agreement to protect cohort privacy and never redistribute another participant’s work without permission.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Strong-fit applicants will be invited to a brief ten-minute conversation with David.
Tuition is $100 per month. Participants commit to the first six months, then may continue on a month-to-month basis. Payments are made through PayPal after acceptance.
STAY CLOSE TO THE RIVER
Not ready to apply just yet?
Join the list for future cohort announcements, public workshops, storytelling resources, and application updates.
READY NOW?
$100/month · Initial six-month commitment · Month to month thereafter
Sessions and payments pause during July and August, and those months do not count toward the initial six-month commitment.