Clowning Specialties

[contrachapado]

I was just wondering what everybody's particular strengths/specialties are in their clowning.

For me, I have a couple of strengths that I developed first, and now I'm trying to develop my clown character. I really enjoy balloon twisting and face painting. One day I was wondering if anybody else was into them as well, so I looked it up online and found out that LOTS of people do those things. Then the lightning bolt hit me, and I realized my destiny was to become a clown!



Perhaps you started out with one or two specialties and have expanded from there...

[Jolly Well]

I began with fire (Fire Eating, Fire Breathing, Poi), picked up from Burning Man and similar festivals. It evolved into stilts, and magic. Much later I gained an interest in juggling and balloons and I'd stopped there for a while.

Eventually (after I decided to generate income from said skills) I added unicycle, clowning, diabolo, and come face-painting...

I'm still not really crazy about face-painting or balloon-twisting. I suppose due to "needing" them for the business, rather than having a passion for them. I try to ever expand my repertoire, so that I may offer a variety to clients, but I'd rather pass the buck to an assistant when possible.

[bugaboo the clown]

I have always loved doing comedy magic. That part came naturally. Ballooning was the next thing I worked on real hard. And then I picked up face Painting. I was trying to talk my wife into getting into clowning the other day. I told her she would love face painting. She told me she really wasn’t an artist. I told her it was not that hard once you master some basic elements and that the real magic comes from within when you can transform a child into something magical. That to me keeps me going and striving to better myself.

[noname]

I began with juggling, then magic, then learned how to manipulate a marionette, then napkin roses, then balloons.

[contrachapado]

What are napkin roses?

Sorry for my ignorance!

[Chance Marmalade]

If I have a specialty I am guessing it would be mime, in a sense of instilling inanimate objects with life like traits. I would include physical comedy too though. I would like my specialty to be hilariously hilarious stage shows though!

[Sassy Frass]

My specialty (the one I have most passion for) would be making people smile/laugh!

[Mr. Dazzle]

My speciality is singing, dancing, and extreme goofy-ness.

[noname]

Originally Posted by contrachapado

What are napkin roses?

Sorry for my ignorance!

There are tons of tutorials on youtube, but I like his version and way, and he is the most entertaining to watch

YouTube Video

[contrachapado]

That paper napkin thing is interesting. It would be a neat trick to learn. No thorns!

Any that I made would probably be shredded within two minutes, because of my boys. Oh well, at least I'd get lots of practice.