Year of the rabbit..

Every year is the year of the rabbit when you are a children's entertainer and  have a pet rabbit that you bring along to shows, not just the Chinese Year of the Rabbit.

I've had pet rabbits for the last ten years. I bring them along to my kids parties. I used to do magic'tricks with them but now I just let the kids pet them instead and everyone is still happy about that. Rabbits require special care and each one has their own personality just like people do. My last rabbit loved people (he would always lick my hand when I or especially other people petted him). Cinnamon, the rabbit I have now has a shyer personality but occasionally he licks people too. Cinnamon has a calm disposition and almost never gets mad over anything. He also loves to eat timothy hay. No matter how much timothy hay I load into his cage he eats it up right away, and in a few hours after he is fed he stands on his hind legs as I walk by and stares at me as I walk by to let me know he is hungry again.     

The million dollar balloon dog

Balloon dogs have become such a hot commodity that balloon artist Jeff Koons who makes larger then life balloon dogs (actually they are stainless steel sculptures of balloon dogs) and sells them for 4 figures and up is suing a San Francisco art gallery for making balloon dog bookends that retail for $30 because  Koons believes thay are infringing on his trademark. Though it is my belief that people who buy a 30 dollar balloon dog bookend probably would not have the money to purchase a 4 or 5 figure balloon dog and that people who have the money to purchase a balloon dog sculpture for thousands of dollars  by a famous pop art probably would not choose to buy a balloon dog bookend instead.

Besides the balloon dog was around before Koons started making balloon dog sculptures. I think it is kind of like someone making a pop art sculpture of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny and then suing anyone else for an infringement of a trademark if they decide to make anything that is Santa or Easter Bunny related. Well I am glad that Koons didn't decide to go after the thousands of clowns, magicians, and other children's entertainers who make balloon dogs on a regular basis at children's parties.

The most popular balloons

The most popular balloons for boys have always been swords so then they can do play fight with them. However, Spiderman balloons since I learned how to make them is popular too. I usually don't make Spiderman balloons at parties because it takes a little bit longer and usually there simply isn't enough time.

For girls the most popular balloons are dogs and flowers. Nowadays, a lot of girls like tiaras if there is enough time for me to make them.

  

Butterflies and princesses and super heroes make the world go round (for kids that is)

Here are some samples of my facepainting. In the beginning I only used to paint something on the child's cheek or hand but then I took some facepainting classes so now if there is some extra time or there are not that many kids at the party then I paint the whole face. The girls like princesses and butterflies, the boys are wild about the superheroes with Spiderman usually being the most popular.

Cool balloon hats

 Here are some cool balloon hats that I created a few years ago. This includes flower hat, Santa Claus hat, and a Carmen Miranda hat among others.

Kids parties at schools and daycares

While most people prefer to hold their children's parties on weekends there are advantages to having a children's party during the week, especially if it is held at the birthday child's school or daycare.

First of all, it is usually free so you don't have to worry about renting out a hall or restaurant. Also since you are not holding the party in your house or apartment there is no extensive cleanup involved either before or after the party. Basically all you have to do is bring the pizza (or food), birthday cake, soda. snacks, and paper goods and that is that.

You typically don't have to worry about sending out invitations as the children in your child's class (or daycare if it is a small daycare) will be the attendees. Also another advantage is that duuring the week a lot of children's entertainers usually give some type of discount during the week  as weekdays are less busy.

Typically you have to get the teacher's permission or the school's permission to hold the party and typically the party will be held in the morning 10 or 11 AM so right before the kids' lunch or usually in the afternoon around 3 - which is right after the children's naptimes.     

Cools balloons I was working on at the balloon convention

Here are some cool balloons I was working on at the Florida Super Jam in Orlando (yes, right near Disney). I was there for 48 hours max. My plane was supposed to take off on Wednesday morning from JFK Airport but that didn't happen due to the snowstorm. I had to take a  9 PM flight from LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday instead. When I got into Orlando that night it was in the 40's. (Apparently the weather got unusually cold a day or two before my arrival).

I attended a lot of classes, went balloon jamming and learned a lot of  new, cool balloons. Here are some pics.

Heading South to make balloons

For the next two days I will be headed to Orlando, Florida for the Florida Super Jam. I will spend two days jamming with other balloon artists and taking classes on balloons. I am looking forward to learning new things and also escaping the cold, snowy weather of New York. My flight leaves tonight at 9 PM. I was supposed to take an earlier flight leaving at 9 AM this morning but my flight was cancelled due to the snow storm. (At least Jet Blue let me know the night before instead of my getting there and finding out and having to wait all hours at the airport  for another flight)

When I come back I will have a lot of interesting pictures of balloons to post on here. I try to make it to a balloon convention every year. Last year, I went to the Twist and Shout balloon convention in Oakbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), Two years ago I participated in Balloon Manor, where I helped build a haunted house made out of balloons, and three years ago it was another Twist and Shout balloon convention in the suburbs of Boston. These classes and conventions are a good learning experience for me.

When should you invite over the entertainment at your children's party?

When should you invite over the entertainment at your children's parties? Keep in mind that guests almost always arrive late. The general rule of thumb is that people show up an hour late, and you don't want the clown or other performer to show up when there's no kids or maybe just a few kids at the party

If your party is an early party (like in the morning) chances are most of your guests will be there within 30 minutes after the party starts. If yours is a Saturday evening party and you know your guests are the type to show up late then allow at least 2 hours after the party starts to have the performer start. Also keep in mind that if the party is not in your house but it is held in a center you have to allow enough time to decorate the place and just get things ready for the party before you have the entertainer show up.

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Neither rain or snow keeps the entertainment away

On Sunday December 26 I received a call from a potential customer who was looking for a clown to entertain at a children's party in lower Manhattan because her entertainment had just cancelled.  There was a blizzard outside  Reluctantly, I agreed to do the party. I decide to leave my rabbit at home just in case I got stuck and had to take public transportation.

Driving there was tricky enough. It was hard to see,  and the snow was piling up. However, there was less traffic then usual due to the harsh weather conditions. I got there in an hour and did the party. The customer was grateful and happy to see me there.

Driving home was the hard party. The snow was coming down harder and piling up. I drove from lower Manhattan to the Williamsburg Bridge to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The BQE became more and more slippery as I continued driving. Something told me to get off at Queens Boulevard instead of taking the BQE to the Grand Central Parkway so I did. When I was not even a mile along on Queens Boulevard the battery light and brake light lit up my dashboard. I decided it would be smart to pull over so I pulled onto the side streets of Queens Boulevard and parked. My blinkers were no longer working at this point.

From there I walked about 4 long blocks to the subway. My head was covered in ice by the time I made it to the subway. Once I got out of the subway I could only hope the buses were still running. There was a bit of a wait and a long line of people but luckily the bus did appear. A woman let me stay with her under her umbrella as we waited for the bus.

The bus took a long time because there were a lot of stuck cars along the way. I was glad that I had parked my car because otherwise my car might have been one of those cars stuck on the streets as the blizzard continued to pile snow on the streets of the city. When I got off the bus the harsh winds and ice made it feel like I was being attacked by sharp needles on the way home.       

Christmas in pictures (children's entertainment)

SEASONS GREETINGS!

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are Christmas pictures 

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Free places to hold a children's party

One of the cheapest places to hold your children's party is your house or apartment. If you have the party in your house you can have the guests in your livingroom or basement or backyard.

 However, if your place is small or you don't want the hassle of extensive cleanup before and/or after your guests leave or if you live in a place that is out of the way there are still other cheap places to hold a party. If you are willing to hold your party during the week you can have your child's party at his or her school or daycare. Most of the time you need to ask the teacher's permission or the school's permission to do so.  The advantages to doing so is that you don't have to worry about a lot of guests not showing up. If your child has 20 kids in his or her classroom chances are all 20 kids will be there minus maybe a few who are sick that day. You also don't have to spend money and/or time decorating the house. Nor do you have to wait sometimes hours for youur guests and their kids to show up. After all the kids will already be there when you get there.

Other cheap ideas are fast foods like McDonald's. As long as you have a certain number of guests they will usually set aside an area of the restaurant (or some may have a designated playspace), and all you have to do is pay for the food.

Another  free place is the park. However, the disadvantage of that is unless you arrange things only a few days before it could possibly rain. This means you have to have a either a plan B as to where you should hold your party or a raindate which cold be inconvenient for your guests or entertainment as they may not be able to make it on your raindate. Also, another disadvantage is some parks do require you to have a permit if you are having more then a certain number of guests (you need to check with your local parks department on that)

   

Clown who use rabbits in their act

For the last ten years of my clowning life I have used rabbits in my performing act. In the beginning I used them for magic tricks but the last few years all I did was let the kids pet my rabbit. My newest rabbit, a brown mini-rex named Cinnamon has never been used for a magic trick. I just let the kids pet him, and that makes the kids happy.

It's amazing how different each rabbit's personality is. Honey Bunny my previous rabbit was a little people flirt. This rabbit I have now is not as outgoing. Once in awhile though Cinnamon will surprise me by licking my hand or the kids' hand at a party. One time at a party a few months ago one of the kids asked does he lick. I started to tell the kids "no" but then Cinnamon actually started licking my hand and the kids' hands like he understood what they were talking about!

I've always gotten very attached to my rabbits.To me they are more endearing then dogs or cats.  Rabbits aree like children - you always have to talk to them sweetly and compliment them so that they will be happy and show affection.      

The rabbit who acted like a puppy

For nearly five years I had a brown dwarf rabbit named Honeybunny. Honeybunny was a male rabbit born on a farm in upstate New York. I bought Honeybunny because he had such a calm disposition. I thought he would be perfect for taking along to kids' parties and using him in a magic trick designed for rabbits,

Some rabbits don't like people but not Honeybunny. When I took him to kids. parties whenever someone petted him he  licked my hand like a little puppy. If the kids placed their hand in front of him he usually started licking their hand too. I remember him one time reaching up to lick a kid on his nose.

Honeybunny didn't like other animals though, One time I adopted  a cat,. Whenever the cat went near his cage Honeybunny's long ears would tilt forward and the cat would back away. Since Honeybunny didn't like the cat I gave the cat away to an assistant of mine within a few weeks of the adoption . Also  Honeybunny was scared of guinea pigs. When I showed him a guinea pig in a cage a couple of times at parties Honeybunny started shaking.  

When I found out Honeybunny needed surgery to remove stones in his bladder I still brought him to parties but stopped using him in magic tricks. From that point on (even after his surgery) I just let the children pet him and everyone was happy with that..

New York Goofs Clown School - children's entertainment

For the last week in July 2010  I attended New York Goofs Clown School. The entire school ran for two weeks but all I could fit into my schedule was one week. Classes were held every day from 10 AM to 6 PM.

There were about ten of us attending the school. Among the students there were actors and actresses, school teachers,and a court clerk. One student, a former teacher who had been injured in a car accident and so was now looking for a new career came all the way from Canada to study the art of clowning.

The classes took place in the auditorium of the Flea Theatre which was close to Chinatown.  That first week we studied improv, clown dance, clown make-up, clown skits used in the circus,  and the history of clowning. There was one instructor who taught us how to balance a stick on the palm of our hand and then our foot and  finally our chin. Another instructor taught us how to throw and catch a hat on our head (okay I didn't have much success catching a hat on my head).

I am sorry I missed  the second week which inclused a class on pie throwing. However, for the week I was there clown school was a lot of fun and I hope to be back for that second week in 2011

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Are all children's entertainers the same?

Are all children's entertainers the same? If you pick a clown or a children's entertainer should you always go for the cheapest price?  Not necessarily.

Those of us who have spent more time, effort,and money improving our magic show will more likely have higher prices then someone who is new or has not attended any or many conventions. When I first started I knew how to make only 2 balloon sculptures my first year - a dog and a sword. Now over 15 years later I have read a lot more books on balloon sculpting,, studied a lot of balloon twisting DVDs, and attended my share of balloon conventions and I can make 100's of  cool, attention grabbing  balloons. Therefore my prices are not the cheapest (but neither are they the most expensive) . My prices are somewhere in the middle.

To this day I am still learning new balloons and magic tricks. That makes things more interesting for me and for my customers.

My first day ever as a children's party clown - children's entertainment

My first day ever as a children's party clown (over 15 years ago) I was so nervous I gave myself something like 2 hours to get to my party even though it was in Queens, and I live in Queens. It was in a neighborhood called Rosedale. I don't think I had ever been to Rosedale at that time. Now of course thousands of parties later I have been to probably every neighborhood in Queens as well as all over Brooklyn, the Bronx, Long Island, Westchester, etc.

I sat in my car for something like an hour because I was so early. I was wearing a rainbow wig, white clown make-up all over my face, and a Halloween clown costume. I also had some magic tricks including the popular coloring book trick that I had been given by the company I worked for at that time. I had practiced those tricks all week. I had also practiced making a balloon dog and sword!

I came into the house a little early. It was March, a warm day in March because it was in the person's backyard. No one asked me if it was my first time. In fact, one of the fathers thought he had seen me perform at another party, and I even got a ten dollar tip.

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A Penny Hardaway Christmas (children's entertainment)

Several years ago I got a call during the holiday season to do a Penny Hardaway party. The woman who called me asked me if I had ever heard of him. At that time I hadn't because I am not knowledgeable about sports. "He is a basketball star," she said.

As his manager she booked a Santa, a Ms. Claus, and an elf from my company to entertain at a Christmas party Penny was giving for underprivileged kids in Harlem. The party was a few days away.

After she booked my services I started asking around, and it seemed like almost anyone I asked knew who he was because he was famous. When we got to the party it was crowded with children. Dressed as an elf I made balloon animals while Mrs. Claus facepainted the kids. Penny also had the hip hop magician perform, and a clown to help me make the balloons. He had Santa give out electronic toys for the children. After the show a lot of people went up to Penny to get his autograph including Ms. Claus who wanted his autograph for her grandson.

It was a fun party and one of my few parties for a celebrity.

    

My clown make-over through the years (children's entertainer)

As a clown and children's entertainer over the years I have had several make-overs. I first started with a lot of white make-up and a rainbow wig and a cheap clown costume.

After awhile I ditched the rainbow wig, because I wanted something more feminine and started wearing a wig with straight orange hair. Along the way at a clown convention I met a clown who had won awards for her make-up as a whiteface clown and she helped give me a make-up. I think her name was Sunshine the Clown and she was somewhere from the mid West. I also got a better (more expensive clown costume)

A few years ago I ditched the wig because it was bad for my natural hair and just wore my hair in 2 ponytails.I also became an auguste clown (less make-up because that is the trend these days in what people want).

Santa's Beard is real (children's entertainment)

I know one Santa and his long gray beard is real, it is not a fake beard that he stuck on to play the role of Santa. It took him a very long time to grow the beard (just like it takes a long time to grow hair long) and so he has the beard year round and not just for the holiday season. Of course, this Santa. just like a really good celebrity impersonater,  is very much in demand.

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