It’s still too hot!!! For those of you who follow my column, on Friday, August 8th, “Wiggles and Giggles” was performed by the Junior Joey Clowns at the Club at Boca Pointe Summer Camp!
What a busy week we had with the camp kids the first week in August. Tuesday was our last day to practice juggling and balancing spinning plates with Juggles, and the kids were so excited to show off their skills. I decided to encourage anyone who wanted to try to perform to take part in that juggling segment of the show, even if they were not consistent in their attempt. As a result, we ended up with many kids who had tried mastering the skills during the summer with varying degrees of success, but they were willing to try, in front of an audience and that was great! We had a first-time camper who at 13 was able to master the spinning plates almost immediately and it was really remarkable to watch him!
Thursday was dress rehearsal and excited was not a strong enough term for the 14 kids who were getting ready to perform in front of their families. Twinkle Toes and I had our hands full, but we felt very confident that the show would be a great success.
Friday was showtime and the wonderful counselors did all the make-up on all 14 of the performers. The photos show how great they all looked! And then it was time to perform. I don’t know how many of you have ever supervised a performance with 8 boys and 6 girls ages 6 to 13, but it is a real learning experience. The performance was in the large exercise room at the Fitness Center, and the only place the cast could line up and wait to go “on stage” was behind a wall in a corridor used for equipment storage, which is part of the main room. Trying to keep 14 kids quiet while some of them are performing just a few feet away, but the ones waiting to go on could not watch because of the wall—well, needless to say, it was a challenge. Twinkle Toes, Juggles, Cutie Pie and I had our hands full! Somehow, we were able to get the correct kids out for the next act without too much delay, and of course the audience was very tolerant and patient.
I can’t tell you how pleased we all were with the talent and abilities these kids displayed! They juggled, they spun plates, they made balloons of various shapes, they played (all together) on their funny kazoos, they remembered their lines in the skits, they performed magic tricks successfully, marched in and marched out together (as practiced) and the opening and closing acts went smoothly and very professionally! The audience applauded with cheers with a standing ovation at the end, and the performers deserved every bit of it!
We could not have accomplished this outstanding event without the co-operation of Kaci Goodner – head counsellor and her great staff, so a big Thank Youto all of you. Also, thanks to Ashley Rozo for all her help throughout the 8 weeks! It’s always a pleasure to work with you! Looking forward to next summer!
September is still slow for us as we are awaiting the return of our snowbird clowns. Candy Bar did two shows for 100 + kids in the Hamptons and she reports that it was a great success! We will probably do a Red Nose performance at the YMCA, and we look forward to an introduction to the new 3–4-year-olds, many of whom have never seen a real clown! Don’t forget we are always seeking new people to train! Never a charge, and it’s such a good way to contribute happiness to those who need it and to the community! You too can be a CLOWN! Wave when you see us on campus!
