Thumbnail image for How to Get Children to Sit Still While Face Painting

How to Get Children to Sit Still While Face Painting

Ever have trouble face painting because the child was wiggling around? Almost everyone does! Here’s a simple tip that can make a big difference when you are trying to get that makeup just right on a squirmy little princess or Spiderman.

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Fantastic First Clown Impressions

As entertainers, we should honor our craft by always looking our best and by giving our audience our best performance. Unfortunately, you don’t have to look far to see performers who create a bad impression. For example, I frequently see balloon and restaurant entertainers with dirty hands and fingernails. And you don’t have to look far to find clowns who forget how a magic trick works.
An Example from the Speaking World
Recently, while working as a speaker at a large convention in South Dakota, I had an early morning appointment the meeting planner to check out the venue. Now, although [...]

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Save Those Lips

If have problems with makeup on your lips wearing off, try a good lip-liner to the entire lip, and then

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Thumbnail image for 3 Techniques Guaranteed to Get a Standing Ovation

3 Techniques Guaranteed to Get a Standing Ovation

Standing Ovations are a wonderful sight to behold. Ovations are the audiences way of letting us know we did a great job! Standing O’s gives us a sense of accomplishment and give us that feeling that we are doing what we are meant to do in life. So, exactly how do you get a standing ovation? Some performers ask for them, but that seems to cheapen the reward at the end. Here are some techniques that work well for me.
A Heart Tugging Quote Can Be an Effective Close
The most effective technique that I have discovered for getting a standing ovation [...]

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Thumbnail image for How to Become a More Memorable Performer

How to Become a More Memorable Performer

Creating a lasting memory with your audience. Why is it important? How do you do it? In part one of this series, Create a Memory and Stay Ahead of the Competition, we explored some of the reasons it is important to leave lasting memories with your audiences.
In that article, I reminisced about Rich Cannon, a speaker at summer camp. Rich Cannon created a memory so vivid that I clearly remember him more than thirty years later. So what can we learn from obviously memorable performer? How can we create

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The Big Bribe Contest

Why are we giving away $200 worth of classes at Circus Magic 2010? Simple, it’s a bribe!
We’re changing the provider we use to send our email newsletters and we want to encourage all of our Circus Magic friends to make the switch.
By confirming your email with our new provider, not only do you have a chance to attend one of the great Circus Magic pre-convention workshops on us, you also guarantee that you’ll continue to receive all the great articles, tips, and news you’ve come to expect from CircusMagic.com.
And here’s some great news! Everybody who confirms their email address is [...]

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Thumbnail image for Warning: You may not like the Like the New Circus Magic Blog

Warning: You may not like the Like the New Circus Magic Blog

Any change, even one for the better, comes with a certain amount of discomfort. So, you may not like the newly redesigned Circus Magic website, but, I suspect you will.
Why Fix What Isn’t Broken?
So why would I engage in such a massive project, especially since the current design functioned well?

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Thumbnail image for 4 Tips for Earning More from Perfoming in 2010

4 Tips for Earning More from Perfoming in 2010

Most businesses have been hit hard by our current economic recession. What can we do as entertainers to get more work for the 2010 year?

In this article, Steve Kissell provides you with practical strategies for expanding your business and staying booked, and not merely survive, but thrive in 2010!

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Thumbnail image for How to Stay On…<br/>…All the Time

How to Stay On…
…All the Time

I make my living bringing laughter to others and I practice what I preach as often as I can. Our world is changing and becoming a more dangerous and stressful place. Because of recent events, our lives have changed in many ways. If I can bring a little laughter into a person’s day, I feel that I’ve made the world a better place. In other words, I always try to be ready with a quick comment or gag. So how do I do this? Simple

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Thumbnail image for Create a Memory and Stay Ahead of the Competition

Create a Memory and Stay Ahead of the Competition

I haven’t seen him in more than thirty-five years, and yet I still remember him like it was yesterday. He was the speaker at summer camp, talking to a bunch of restless teenagers and holding their undivided attention.
There were no magic tricks or clown skits. Yet, we happily stopped riding horses, paddling canoes, and dunking each other in the old swimming hole. How did Rich Cannon do it? How did he command our undivided attention and make himself memorable?
How about you? When you perform, do you leave a lasting memory with your audience? And why should you care?

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