Arts in the Family: A Family of Artists Just Trying to Make a Living in the Wilds of Texas

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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Clown Class at Dallas Childrens Theater

Pammy covered with pie guts. The horror... the horror.


Here comes the wind up and the intended victim tenses in anticipation.


Yes, I got pied too. Mmmmm. Not yummy.


Pammy and I have done a lot of different things but one of the most enjoyable are the times we get to teach clown classes to elementary school age children. The classes would consist of clown routines, juggling, acrobatics, improvisation and watching circus videos and tons of Laurel and Hardy. We've taught the classes in San Antonio but taught the most classes while we were living in Dallas where the theater community is strong. One of our favorite places to teach at was the Dallas Childrens Theater.

The classes ran all day, five days a week for two weeks, at the end of which we would have a show where the students would perform all they'd learned. At the end of the first week,though, we always had "Pie Day" where the kids would learn the fine art of throwing and taking a pie to the face. The pies, which were made of shaving foam, were always a big hit( pun intended ) with the kids although at first they were always a little nervous about it. Once they got pied the kids couldn't wait to pie someone, mainly myself or Pammy.

We've been teaching these classes since 1992 and I have to say the kids never cease to impress us with their willingness to take on the challenge of learning new skills and on top of that, putting on a show. Kids are amazing that way.

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