Magic Clown

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Magic Clown

It's Magic Being a Children's Entertainer

If you ask a professional children's entertainer just what is the secret of grabbing a child's attention, they will oft respond by telling you that the trick is not to seize that attention but to hold it, ideally throughout a whole performance.

Children do have a notoriously short attention span. The simple act of inflating a balloon may prove adequate to captivate for a fleeting moment, but then somebody or something distracts them and their imaginations drift away to something else.

The mastery of the situation enjoyed by the clown or entertainer thus depends entirely on managing to retain the focus of attention of their entire audience.

The precise nature of the event will frequently vary, of course. The occasion may be something exclusively for small children of a certain age, such as a birthday party. It is likely that it will be easier to retain a child's focus when his or her peers are likewise enthralled by what the performer is doing.

On the other hand the act might be a part of a wider function, perhaps a fete on the village green or some kind of fun day, in which the adults and bigger children are also participating. The presence of parents or elder siblings in the fairly immediate vicinity provides a possible source of distraction from which the entertainer will need to steer the child.

The clue lies in keeping one's audience in a perpetual state of "what comes next?". Whether it is balloons, clowning, pirate games, performing a magic trick or telling a story, the audience will be kept in an ongoing state of anticipation. Even in a visual context the entertainer is a friend whose presence gives comfort, and whose conversation and approach is naturally tailored to fire the imagination of the target audience.

The kids' entertainer will always know how to interact with children. The repertoire may involve the telling of gags, the performing of card tricks or the manipulation of objects such as balloons in a way that will repeatedly surprise and captivate. The moment he or she becomes predictable is the moment the connection is lost. There has always to be something of the unexpected about the performer's routine.

Like any other professional the children's entertainer, potentially, is capable of becoming bored or stale. This is where the expertise of the experienced hand kicks in. Every punchline needs to be delivered with a freshness and a veneer of excitement that is constant and consistent throughout the performance.

If you are a children's entertainer you need to be able to keep a smile on your face at all times. Even if it is painted on.

About the Author

Mark Richards is a professional writer working for The Middle Man, a web-based business promotion agency.  He also publishes A Blog About SEO.