Personal Connections and Relationships

What is clowning all about? It seems like a silly question really.

What is the best answer? Making people laugh.

After 29 years in the craft I see it as something more. Clowning is about relationships. We have a need to interact with one another, to touch and be touched, to see and be seen, to laugh and cry together. Clowning gives us that permission, that free pass to make connections and relationships with people we would not be able to otherwise. I was in Seaside Heights New Jersey recently at Clownfest. Part of the appeal of this convention is the location. It is held at a hotel on the boardwalk by the ocean. This gives the clowns a chance to practice what they have learned in classes all week. What a perfect clown playground!

Some of you may have never been to a boardwalk. Here is a Minnesota perspective! It is a long wooden street between the ocean beach and a line of shops. At the boardwalk you will find arcade games, carnival games and rides, beachwear shops and lots and lots of food. You can get tacky souvenirs, great fudge, and salt-water taffy, or get your fortune told by a psychic. It is the perfect place for a clown to entertain people who are already suspending rational belief! Hey, they let themselves think they could win a giant stuffed banana with only one spin of the wheel or that a woman named Zelda might actually tell them their future. Why not see a magical being like a clown? Don’t have a boardwalk handy? Look for these types of performance opportunities in your area. It doesn’t have to be at the ocean. School carnivals, church festivals, and fairs provide the same fun-filled atmosphere: lots of people moving around, lots of opportunities to meet and greet all kinds of people.

Think about how you are going to make your connection with your roving audience. Clowns who have been performing for a long time don’t even think about how they do it; it becomes second nature. Let’s break it down. Eye contact and a greeting are basics to be followed up with some kind of silliness. The silliness can be your pocket magic trick, balloon animal, or corny joke. Don’t forget to make some kind of personal connection with the person you are entertaining. It can be as simple as complimenting a little girl on her pink sandals, and then asking her if you could borrow them for a date! That is important. The personal connection is as important as the sticker you give or the balloon animal you create or the magic trick worked so hard to perfect. Even during meet and greet we have a Beginning, Middle and End to our performances. If you feel uncomfortable with your performance in a meet and greet situation, be sure you have some silly lines to get you in, get the laugh, and get out.

Truly, we all long for acceptance and connections with other people. Clowning is that connection. On that boardwalk there were so many different types of people of age, race, nationality, political and economic persuasion -- a real melting pot of society. Some of these things are matters that divide us. Our government and society struggle in vain to create policies and programs to strip us of all our differences so we can all “just get along”, loosing sight that it is our differences that make us who we are. Let us be different, but add a red nose and a funny pair of shoes so we can look past our differences and make a connection to each others hearts so we can share something much more lasting and important, a connection, a relationship, all be it brief, a smile.


In love and Laughter!

Pricilla

Tip of the Month

Put Your Best Foot Forward

When is the last time you gave some serious thought to your clown shoes? Remember what an investment they were? It’s time to protect your investment!

First, check the bottoms. How are the heels wearing? Need some repairs? Worn down heels can affect your energy and make you feel tired. Remember how your mother told you to stand up straight?? Well she was right! The connection between feet and posture is often overlooked. Poor foot foundation (i.e. Hyperpronation) can lead to back and neck pain or even significant health consequences. If you have uneven wear on the heels and soles, you may want to pay more attention to your posture while walking and clowning. Take care of your body now, and it will take care of you!

Now, how about those buckles? Could they use a little reinforcement? If you use shoe laces, think about the last time you replaced them. How are they holding up? When you find a color and length you love, you should invest in a few pairs of identical laces – you never know when you’ll need back-ups, or when you’ll find those perfect laces again!

Take your shoes to a cobbler or leather repair shop. You might even find one in your local mall. A good shoe repair shop can replace worn heels, add dance rubber, or resole your shoes and make them look like new. Make friends with your local cobbler and treat him/her well – it’s a fading art, and you depend on it to make your clown shoes look their best!

Lastly, take a look at the overall color and appearance. It is a good idea to take them in once a year and get a good polish put on them. Colored polish perks up the appearance. If you want to do it yourself, go ahead. Be sure they are clean first! Saddle soap will get off the grime. Use different cloths for the different colored designs on your shoes, otherwise you will transfer the blue onto the white, or vice versa. Invest in a good shoe shine kit and use it just for clown shoes.

Do you have stinky clown feet? Get a pair of support insoles which double as odor-eaters! When you’re not wearing them, take the insoles out and keep dryer sheets in your shoes to keep them fresh.

MOOSE CAMP NEWS!

July 27 – August 1, 2010

2009 DVDs and Photo Discs

If you ordered a 2009 DVD of the All Star Clown Show or a Moose Camp Photo Disc – great news! They will be ready to ship out this month. Thank you for your patience – you won’t be disappointed! :o)

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

You can sign up online by clicking here, or download a mail-in registration form by clicking here, or register over the phone call calling 800-973-6277 (or 320-963-6277 for our International friends). We plan to bring in a new staff member each year as our "Special Guest Star", and we are very excited and proud to have Steve Smith join us for 2010!

If you would like to find out more about Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp, please send a request to katie@mooseburger.com. Katie will email you a letter outlining every possible scrap of information you could possibly want to know. And if that letter DOESN’T answer your questions, please call us and let us know what we forgot to put in the letter – we want to make sure you are 120% prepared for the best week of your life!

ROOM NEWS: All Private Rooms have been reserved already. The only lodging choice left is a Double Room.

EASY PAYMENT PLAN:

After you pay the minimum down-payment, we will divide your remaining balance into eight equal monthly payments between November and June. Your credit card will be automatically charged for the amount on the 15^th of each month. No interest accrues! Campers have told us that they found this plan to be the easiest way to pay off the balance, and that they never could have afforded Moose Camp if it hadn’t been for our payment plan.

Example: You register for the Complete Package and add the Refund Insurance, so your total is $850. You pay the $200 minimum down-payment and the $25 Refund Insurance up front, so your remaining balance is $625.00. Divided by eight, that ends up being a monthly payment of $78.12. Pretty painless when it’s put like that, right? So, don’t delay! Sign up today and let’s get you started on our easy payment plan!

$350 SCHOLARSHIP

Due to the generosity of our campers this year, the Ralph Pounder Memorial Scholarship Auction raised enough funds to provide 16 campers with scholarships for Moose Camp 2010! We’d like to shout a big THANK YOU to all our campers and staff who donated and bid – your hearts are so big! If you or someone you know would like to apply for a $350 scholarship, click here to download an application. Fill it out and send it back with a photo of yourself in clown makeup by February 1^st. We’ll notify the winners by April 1^st.

TERMS and CONDITIONS

Each package is priced per person. Must be at least 17 to attend. A $200 down-payment will hold your spot. Balance must be paid by June 1st. No more than one discount code or scholarship can be used; discounts are not retroactive. You can add Refund Insurance (non-refundable $25 fee) only at the time of registration -- this guarantees a 100% refund if you need to cancel by June 1st (no refunds after that). Otherwise, there will be absolutely NO REFUNDS if you decide to cancel.

October Sales!

Get Ready for the Holidays! Don’t wait and get caught out in the COLD!

Save $25 if you order by October 11th! Pricilla Mooseburger’s Original Elf Costume includes a comfy tunic, knickers, stocking cap, striped t-shirt, and stripe sox. The tunic laces up the side for a versatile fit. The fake fur trim on the hat and tunic add just the right holiday touch. Knickers are nice and roomy because they have elastic in the waist and cuffs. You’ll keep your cool, because this outfit is made from sturdy, breathable poly-cotton. This is the perfect costume for Santa’s helper, whether you’re a Boy Elf or a Girl Elf. Add some rosy cheeks, fingerless gloves, and you’ll be ready for the North Pole! Regularly $377.00, now only $351.00 -- save $26.00!! If your chest, waist, or hips measures more than 52", there may be additional charges. Hurry and place your order NOW! Send measurements here: http://mooseburger.com/pricilla/measure.html

NEW Mini Elf Hats! Introductory offer -- $7.00 each These tiny hats sit on top of your head and are secured by a monofilament string tied at the back of your neck. Wear with out without a wig. Can be worn by your dog or cat, too!

MORE Pre-Christmas Sales!

These deals last the entire month of October:

Red and White Striped Clown T-shirts $43.00, save $10.00! WOW!

Red and White Striped Knee Socks $7.00, save $1.50

Red and Green Striped Knee Socks $5.00, save $4.50

Red and White Striped Thigh Highs $6.00, save $2.00

Red and White Striped Tights, all sizes $6.00, save $2.00

Red Gloves 6.00, save $2.00

Green Gloves 6.00, save $2.00

Details

Go online to order: www.mooseburger.com

Call in your order: 800-973-6277 (or 320-963-6277 for our international friends)

Fax your order: 320-963-6692

Discount Code: “DASHAWAY”

Terms and Conditions of Sales:

1. Offer good on orders being shipped to Canada and the US. Order will be shipped by U.S. Parcel Post or First Class, depending on weight and destination.
2. You have to type the word “DASHAWAY” in the Discount Code box at the end of your online order, or write “DASHAWAY” somewhere on your fax-in or mail-in order, or tell the word “DASHAWAY” to the Mooseburger Salesperson on your phone-in order.
3. Discount offer is good only on in-stock items. Please note: Just because the item is displayed online does not mean it is in stock – all products are displayed online regardless of immediate availability. We try to update it everyday, but the site is not always 100% up to date with current stock. If you have any concerns, then call us before you place your order: 800-973-6277 or 320-963-6277. Click here for our Sales Page.
4. Good on phone-in, mail-in, fax-in, or online orders. Order must be placed during the month of October. This offer is not retroactive.
5. The Shipping & Handling will still show up on your online order confirmation; sorry, we cannot control that application online. However, rest assured that the Shipping & Handling will be deducted from your total before we process it. You will get an email titled “New Order from PMO” with your correct total.

Where in the World will Pricilla be?

Join me this autumn at the events listed below – stop by my booth and say “HI!” You can keep track of my travel schedule online here. See you on the road!

October 7 - 11, 2009

Midwest Clown Round-Up

Location: Lansing, Michigan

Website: www.midwestclowns.net

November 8 - 12, 2009

Western Region Clown Association Convention

Location: Laughlin, NV

Website: http://www.westregionclowns.org/