Clowns and their roots


Clowns have been entertaining people for hundreds of years. Clowns and the roots of clowning can be traced back to early Egypt, and the symbol of the fool or clown is one that has been traditionally been on a tarot card. Today clowns are more usually found in a circus where their slapstick humor and quickly timed acts draws laughs and gasps alike from the crowd.

There are different types of clowns and the one that most people will have seen at the circus is the ‘whiteface’ clown. This type of clown will normally have thick white face paint which covers his or her face and neck, with the eye, mouth, nose and eyebrows all painted over in different colours. Other types of clowns include character clowns that are normally dressed to imitate a popular character. These type of clowns may use a storyline in order to perform their act. In France the Peirott clown, a white face clown with only black make up and a tear on one cheek are popular. Their act is based mainly around mime and the Peirott clown is known for his sad demeanor. However clowns are mostly known for their physical and slap stick humor often involving tumbles and custard pies being thrown at each other.

Clowns are not only found in the circus, they are becoming a popular addition to parties as children and adults alike love to laugh at clowns and their antics. Many clown acts try to involve the audience in some way, be it by getting onto stage and assisting with a trick that inevitably goes wrong, or by throwing a bucket of ‘water’ over them. Another popular clown act is that of the clown car. This is usually a car that falls apart as the clowns are in it much to the amusement of the audience.

All clowns must be accomplished mime artists in order for their act to be believable. If a clown cannot get his or her point across to the audience without speaking their act is ruined as no one will understand what is going on. Many people when watching a good clown act will not even realize that no speech is used. This is another reason why clowns are a popular choice with children as they find them very easy to understand.

Clowns are not only found in the circus, they can be hired for private parties and are often found performing in town centres. Wherever there is a crowd you can guarantee that a clown will go down a storm. Clowning is such a popular practice that there are even clown schools that a person can attend to learn the art. You may be surprised to learn but there are literally hundreds of places where you can learn how to be a clown. From the basics such as custard pie throwing to more advanced acts such as tumbling and stunt moves. Clowns may look like a lot of fun but behind the make up there is a dedicated professional who has real passion for their act.

 

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