CLOWN

Prior Training

I was first introduced to clown in a classroom workshop in 2013, and later took a formal introduction course to Clown and Mask with Jan Henderson in 2015. After this introduction I decided to attend Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance (MCCP) for their introduction to clown course in 2016. The summer of 2017 I moved to Copenhagen to train my physicality at The Commedia School with the ultimate goal of enhancing my prior knowledge of Clown. All clown studied prior to 2017 was rooted in Pochinko's method.

The Commedia School

The Clown unit offered by Commedia stretches over a 6 week period, and offers students the opportunity to attend a clown festival in Svendborg, Denmark. Although the official unit of clowning only lasts 6 weeks the elements studied during the unit are often referred back to over the entire two years of training. This gives students, like myself, the luxury of time to reflect and expand upon the clown work. It has been an incredible pleasure to see how training other styles has impacted my own clown, and vice versa how my clown has leaked into and influenced other styles. I feel my clown is much more alive and versatile after training at The Commedia School.

The Commedia School takes a more physical approach to the world of clown. It is inspired by Lecoq pedagogy as well as the work of Carlo Mazzone-Clementi, who co-founded The Commedia School in 1978. The school believes the solitude of the clown gives a sense of being well centered in oneself on stage and in touch with immediate circumstances. The teachers work on the naivety of the clown, which exposes each student to the basic human condition and their own vulnerability. Throughout the study, teachers help students realize their personal vulnerability is what makes them interesting on stage no matter what style they are performing in.

This approach has been really great for me. Having the same mentors through a period of two years has helped me identify and define what unique attributes I have. The school has also provided many unique opportunities and venues to do clown. I have gotten to accompany a troupe of experienced Hospital Clowns to a home for patients with dementia. I have had the privilege of surprising a group of children with a performance through the Danish, Syrian Cultural Association. As a part of Danmark Spiser Sammen I have gotten to perform both for a lunch event meaning to bring together Senior Citizens and Children, as well as at a Red Cross reception center for refugee children. The amount of amazing, eye-opening moments are countless. I am truly grateful for each opportunity to connect with others through clown.