Wadena-Deer Creek first-graders became clowns as they learned self-expression and new talents last week.
With the help from professional clown Perrin Boyd, first-graders juggled, walked on a balance beam, balanced feathers on their fingers and created clown skits.
Boyd was a clown in Japan with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Now she teaches artist in residence programs on topics including theater, story drama and juggling. The first-graders at Wadena-Deer Creek focused on clowning.
Boyd uses clowning to teach children to be more expressive and build self-confidence.
Its important to feel comfortable in your body, she said. Its OK to try to new things.
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She notices classroom dynamics change when the kids work on clowning. The shy kids express themselves through the activities. Some of the children who might not be good at schoolwork find they can excel in certain activities, such as juggling.
Boyd was at the school for a full week. On Monday, the kids learned how to be more expressive, and their activities included walking in different ways. On Tuesday they worked with partners and on action and reactions. They learned about props on Wednesday. On Thursday they learned about clown skits, and on Friday they practiced clown skits and performed for an audience of family members.
For their performance, the children decided what types of clowns they would be and painted their own faces.
Kloe Pettit-Sperling chose to be a white-faced clown.
I like them the best, she said.
The white-faced clowns are smart and pretty, Boyd said.
Danny Anderson chose to be an Auguste clown.
They make people laugh, Anderson said.
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Auguste clowns, by definition, are clumsy and stupid.
Other first-graders chose to be character clowns, which represent a certain type of person like a policeman or cheerleader.
The part Anderson most enjoyed during the clown week was listening to the silly music.
Pettit-Sperling enjoyed juggling the best. She can juggle three scarves.
Lance Pierce, first grader, learned what a clown does.
A clown is like a person that does funny stuff, he said.
Some examples he gave were pies in the face, juggling and many clowns in a little car.
Boyd said a secret to making skits funny is to imitate something one knows and exaggerate it.
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We cant laugh at something we dont understand, she said.
