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Some
Of The 2010 Instructors
And Their Classes |
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Born
and raised in Hollywood California, Sheldon Blake
would stay in the magic shop for hours watching
the same show over and over trying to figure out
how each trick was done. This is where his passion
for entertaining began. Hollywood breeds a rare
sort of entertainer; with unmatchable dedication
to their art and passion for their audiences.
When the other kids were out playing soccer or
practicing the piano, Sheldon was out in parks
and plazas trying to perfect his magic skills
in front of whoever would watch.
During his travels, Sheldon came across the art
of balloon sculpting, which he found utterly fascinating.
Something about being able to manipulate a linear
object to make whatever he wanted was incredible;
he was hooked. |
Once Sheldon
turned 18 he jumped right into the entertainment
industry. In October of 2003, Sheldon was hired
as a seasonal performer at Busch Gardens, Tampa.
When the season ended, he spent the next five
years traveling and entertaining the world to
see all the beauty and cultures it has to offer.
In the summer of 2008, he worked at a summer camp
in Colorado teaching magic to children, learning
something himself in the experience. “Performing
for kids kept me grounded; I found more confidence
in myself through their enthusiasm.”
He returned to Busch Gardens in the Fall of 2008
to perform as a stilt walker for the night shows,
where he has continued to amaze audiences of all
sizes and kinds. He has made countless balloon
arches and balloon dress for venues ranging from
birthdays, art galleries to night clubs. In late
2009 Sheldon became a resident entertainer at
Jacksons in Tampa Florida as a stilt walker &
balloon sculptor. In January and February 2010,
he performed as a stilt walker in the Gasparilla
Invasion Day Parade and the Gasparilla Night Parade.
Sheldon has been mentored by some of the top names
in the balloon industry including Larry Moss,
Robbie Furman, Mark Byrne & Marie Dadow to
name a few. Sheldon is currently performing all
over the United States & will be going international
this Summer. |
| Say
Goodbye to "Uncle Bob Who Does Balloons"
& Hello to ( YOUR NAME ) Professional Entertainer! |
| Have
you ever ever wondered why people just stare at
you while you perform, rather than interacting
back with you? In this class we will go over what
makes YOU entertaining to the people. Weather
you are Performing table side at a restaurant
or at a Birthday Party to even a 2,000 person
night club. A lot of times when you leave a gig
the people will not even remember your name or
maybe not even you. Why is that? By the end of
this class you will have all the tools needed
to be one of the most well known & most talked
about balloon entertainers in your city! |
| The
Money is There For You, Now The Question Is Are
You Going To Take It? |
| It
is very possible to make a living doing balloons!
I don't mean you make a little extra spending
money, I mean EARN A LIVING ( A.K.A You don't
have to have a day job to support your family).
In this class you will learn the right way to
get your foot in the door & get the money
you deserve. So many of you have an AMAZING balloon
twisting talent but NOT as an amazing of a marketing
approach for yourself. You will learn what to
wear, what to say, what to do, website & marketing
material to get you the restaurant/birthday party/night
club/festival/trade show work you deserve! With
the tools needed it is easier than you think! |
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Anthony
Cooper has been entertaining a decorating for
the last decade in Las Vegas .Anthony is an owner
in Balloon Utopia Las Vegas and a trained improv’
er from The Second City, as an alum he was pre
show for the Second City in Las Vegas (well he
entertained the line before the show) he has been
a member of different improve troops has had a
great time in restaurants and in public his family,
sometimes will not claim him but he is ok with
that. An instructor at Balloon Camp before. Winner
of the 2009 Diamond Star Competition. With an
entire show based on Characters and suggestions
of the audience. As a trained improver and deco
twister he wants to share the knowledge with you
to make you an unforgettable person. |
| Learn
the basics to get started. Have so fun playing
some games to get warmed up is able to hold your
own at the tables or in public entertaining situations.
Plus some Theory is explained. Minimal use of
balloons. This is to enhance your skill as an
entertainer. |
| Theory,
Improv and World Peace |
| A
basic knowledge of improv needed. The World is
funny take time to stand back and laugh. Learn
Theory in depth and ideas to expand your balloon
reparatory. Give and Take improve games. Keeping
the audience interested. How to get around anything
thrown at you ,and give it back plus the basics
of compiling ideas to work off of. Minimal use
of balloons. This is to enhance your skill as
an entertainer. |
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Ralph
Dewey has been active in the art of balloon sculpturing
since 1975. His first balloon book, Dewey’s
New Balloon Animals, was published in 1976. Since
that time, he has authored 15 balloon books. He
has also written dozens of magazine articles on
balloon twisting, balloon ministry, clowning and
similar topics. They have appeared in, Clown Alley,
Clowning Around, The Calliope, Clown Impact Newsletter,
Laugh*Makers, The Christian Conjurer, The Cross
and The Clown and Church Recreation Magazine.
For about seven years he has written a monthly
balloon column for Balloon HQ. Several times he
has presented balloon lectures tour in Europe.
He was one of the first pioneers in the area of
gospel balloons, and is well known as a leader
in the art of balloon sculpturing. |
| In addition to
books on balloons, he has also written books on
gospel chalk talks, gospel clown skits, gospel
paper tricks, clown clip art, clown comedy and
gospel juggling. To date, Dewey has published
a total of 29 books and 7 DVDs. Dewey’s
talents also include cartooning, puppetry, comedy
emcee, magic and juggling. He regularly uses balloons
in his child evangelism ministry. He is often
seen lecturing at conventions and teaching workshops.
Ralph originated the “Joey to the World”
gospel clown convention, the DewJam Balloon Convention
and Kingdom Twisters. In 2004 Dewey originated
his Balloon Excellence Awards designed to recognize
and encourage talented twisters throughout the
world. So each year he presents these awards to
deserving balloon professionals. Dewey gives God
the full credit for his success. |
| Professional
Techniques and Creativity - 3
hour Mini-Master Class |
| This
hands-on experience will cover lots of professional
balloon twisting techniques that professionals
use to create award winning balloon sculptures.
Learn ways and methods for increasing your balloon
creativity so you can come up with your own original
balloon art. |
| Big
Helicopter on a Stool - 3
hour Mini-Master Class |
| The
class will show you how to build a large helicopter
with motor-driven spinning blades that a person
can sit in. You will be shown in detail the three
phases that all large balloon projects must go
through. This hands- on class will cover everything
from the idea stage through to the completion
stage. |
| Balloon
Stunts and Entertaining Bits |
| The
class will show you how to build a large helicopter
with motor-driven spinning blades that a person
can sit in. You will be shown in detail the three
phases that all large balloon projects must go
through. This hands- on class will cover everything
from the idea stage through to the completion
stage. |
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Crickit, Rick Farewell, has been entertaining
for 20 years at birthdays, picnics, schools,
banquets, receptions, any and all occasions
for children and adults. Crickit is also the
Balloon Artist/Entertainer for the 66ers Baseball
Team in San Bernardino. He is a lecturer and
vender at Western Region Clown Convention, Diamond
Jam, Balloon Camp, Twist and Shout, Family Entertainers
Workshop and previously at the A.C.E. Conventions.
His lectures, “Entertaining While Twisting”
and “Easy to Do Walk Around Magic”
have been inspirational to many. Crickit’s
most recent awards include: 1st place for Balloon
Entertainer at Balloon Camp 2008, 1st place
Camp Talent Show at Balloon Camp 2006, 2nd place
for Americas Funniest Magician at F.E.W. in
2009 and the Diamond Star
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Award at Diamond Jam 2007. An unforgettable
win was when Crickit took 1st place,
($10,000 winner) on Americas Funniest People.
Crickit: magician, balloon artist, comedian, lecturer,
vendor. |
| In
this class you will see powerful yet easy to do
magic and funny gags to add to your repertoire.
Whether you are teaching a class, entertaining
at a gig, making balloons in a restaurant, face
painting or even line work, there’s something
here for you. Using these tools will surely get
people asking for your card for their next special
event. |
| Easy
Walk-Around Magic II |
| If
you liked what you saw in the 1st class you will
want to see this class also. You will see even
more really cooool stuff that there was not enough
time to show in the 1st class. If you missed the
1st class you definitely don’t want to miss
this one. |
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Robbie has been working with balloons for nearly
20 years. He got his start volunteering at non-profit
events and, after several years, became a full-time
volunteer. He dedicated 18 months of doing missionary
work in San Diego and also served in the Domestic
Peace Corps. As a result, he had a chance to
try new things with his balloons and venture
into the Deco-twisting world full time. In 2002,
Balloons by Robbie was born. Robbie’s
unique style has allowed him to decorate for
thousands of events over the last several years.
His balloons have been seen on ABC's All My
Children, One Life to Live, Live with Regis
and Kelly and most recently Ugly Betty. Robbie
also has a passion for teaching his craft to
others. |
| Going
from hobbyist to full time twisting: how to build
the business. |
Creating
large marketabale twisted designs. Hands on class.
TBA on designs to be taught.
Robbie's secrets revealed! |
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Steve Klein is an entrepreneur, specializing
in Magic, Balloon Art and Marketing. Since the
age of 10, Steve has been creating unique magic
shows and balloon art. With a loyal local following,
he has performed hundreds of venues from motivational
magic shows, trade shows, restaurants, grand
openings, private parties and many other exciting
venues. As Vice President of the Boston chapter
of the Society of American Magicians and member
of The International Brotherhood of Magicians
his magic and marketing skills remain on the
cutting edge.
Steve has always been on top of the current
marketing trends and knows what works and what
does not. Whether it was in his career as a
corporate trainer for restaurants,or in the
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| banking
industry as loan officer and now as a realtor,
he always uses his creative talents and promotional
abilities. When he was a loan officer he was the
number one producer in his state with his company.
Steve’s latest endeavors include operating
and owning a popular promotions and entertainment
business where he enjoys coordinating a creative
branding campaign, and also combines his marketing
and creative knowledge to successfully sell properties
as a licensed Massachusetts Real Estate Agent
(www.thewizardsells.com.) |
| What
can I do to make more money? Ever wondered how
you could maximize your talents and turn them
in to cash? In this class we will learn how we
will ignite the creative machine within us! It
is now time for us to get paid! Let's raise the
bar on our goals and have a lot of fun, while
doing so. Once your affirmation is in place, the
magic really begins. Your creative think tank
will be alive and you will be the marketing machine
you need to be! This class will also cover
marketing strategies like, creative marketing,
affiliate marketing, Internet marketing, bartering
and so much more. Examples of my proven successful
strategies that continue to produce calls and
bookings daily will be revealed, so have your
paper and pen ready! If would like to turn their
talents into cash, whether you are a balloon
decorator, magician, clown, twister, grand entertainer
or something else, this class is for you. This
lecture alone will be worth attending Diamond
Jam. www.mrballoonwizard.com.
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Jack Mattson is a small automotive business
owner and balloon artist from Orange County,
California. For over seven years his involvement
in the balloon community has been overwhelmed
by knowledge gained by the some of the worlds
best balloon artists. He owes his place in the
balloon community to one word, “Passion.”
Jack’s passion for the art of balloons
has earned more than 7 awards including Top
Twister at Twist and Shout 2009 and the Ralph
Dewey “Rising Star” award presented
annually by Ralph Dewey at Diamond Jam. He has
lectured for Classic Clowns of Whittier, E&R
Sales in Virginia, All American Balloon Supply
in California and was proud to be chosen as
an instructor for the West Coast Balloon Décor
Convention 2009. Jack is excited and obliged
to share his passion with each and every one
in hopes of making 2010 a great financial gain! |
| Looking
for a new character design? “Get Simpsonized”
will cover intermediate to advanced techniques
used to create clients and characters, including
some familiar faces from balloons. Students will
learn to make a dad with five o’clock shaDOH,
a rusty clown, a grumpy but excccellent boss,
and different techniques used to create nearly
any face desired. Also included will be a brief
discussion on bodies and hands. Be prepared to
have a whole new style of character to add to
your business or repertoire. |
| Tired
of the same old “one-balloon animal”
designs? Join Jack as he teaches his “one-ballooners.”
In this class, students will walk away with over
20 new animal designs along with variations and
extra details. Although some pieces use a scrap
or a second balloon, the bodies are quick, simple
and use a single balloon. In addition to new animal
designs, students will learn variations on how
to use the designs as finger rings, hats, bracelets,
and many other uses. These designs are sure to
be fast enough for line twisting but cute enough
to be used as centerpieces. |
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Taulbee McJunkin aka Tobi the Balloon Twisting
Face Painter started painting in college using
watercolor as her primary medium. As a professional
balloon twister, she found that face painting
was a very popular compliment to the balloon
twisting for birthday party entertainment. Tobi
holds a Bachelors degree in Business Management
and has used her business sense and her artistic
talents to create a fun and profitable small
business. Tobi’s target market is young
children’s birthday parties and now that
she has performed at hundreds of parties, she
is ready to pass on some savvy business tips! |
| Quick
Face Painting For Birthday Parties |
| Tobi
has design some quick and easy face designs for
boys and girls that allow you to easily add-on
“face painting” to your list of services.
Learn about the use of different brushes, loading
a brush and consistency of different brands of
paint. Walk away with a simple design sheet to
use as examples at a party and a list of items
you need to get started. Time to double your birthday
party income! |
| Face
Painting For Birthday Parties – Advanced |
| Tobi
has isolated over time the fastest designs that
will bring the “Wow” factor! Building
on the quick face painting class designs, we take
them to the next level and also throw in a few
tips for more advanced painters. Learn where to
buy online, what brushes are “to die for”,
what paint brands are best, touch and feel each
brush and paint yourself, and what kits to start
with to keep your budget in check! |
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Holly owns Twist n Shout LLC and is a successful
entrepreneur. She inflates expectations with
her specialty services including custom balloon
designs for entertainment, décor and
deliveries. In addition, she is a professional
speaker, storyteller and eventertainer, engaging
audiences with her content, interaction and
fun. Her bubbly personality and easy-going demeanor
endear her to all types of crowds and clients,
from the corporate breakout session to the backyard
birthday party. Based in the Chicago area, her
regular corporate clients include the Chicago
Bears, The Field Museum and Bridgestone-Firestone.
She is an industry award winner having won the
Marvin Hardy Scholarship in 2008 and Betallic’s
2008 1st Annual Decorator Contest, in addition
she writes articles, interviews and columns
for leading industry sites like MBD2 and BalloonHQ. |
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| Adding
easy extras will quickly push you and your current
designs into more bookings. Going the extra mile
pays off big when it comes to setting yourself
apart from your competition. Learn to think outside
the latex box with your sculptures that don't
necessarily make the sculpture 'advanced' but
definitely adds lots of visual appeal to 'advance'
you into a higher booking fee. |
| Turn
Your Sculpture Into A Centerpiece |
| Sometimes
a little extra tweak can push your sculptures
into fabulous upsells that can be easily and quickly
turned into centerpieces and party favors. This
adds value which your clients will love. Learn
different, uncomplicated centerpiece techniques
that are simple and fast enough even for line
work. |
| Gingie:
The “Ooh Factor” Made Simple |
| Learn
designs for Gingie that have multiple applications
as hanging décor to fill a room or as a
table topper. Attendees will learn that when you
add a little basic twist to a little basic décor
you get BIG impact by increasing visual interest
and perceived value. |
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Benny started transforming Balloons into smiles
in 2003. He does Twisting, Entertainment, Deliveries,
Decor and any mix of them. Along with providing
entertainment for birthdays and private parties,
restaurants, schools, corporate events and more,
Benny also builds balloon sculptures and just
has fun with balloons. He has taught at various
conventions in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic,
Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and he's created an
educational Balloon DVD series in Spanish. He
has appeared in several articles in newspapers
and magazines. He has won several industry awards
including 1st place for the Diamond Master competition
at Diamond Jam 2009. He received the Pioneer
Visionary Scholarship in 2007 to attend Balloon
Camp where he got his CBA designation. |
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He's been part of Balloon Manor in 2006, 2007,
and 2008. He also started a QBN chapter in Puerto
Rico to help other local Balloon artists improve.
Benny likes to stretch himself to be the best
balloon artist in his socks. |
| Getting
To Your Own Twisting Style: Vertical & Horizontal
Upgrades |
| You've
seen the DVDs, you've read the magazines, you've
browsed the websites... But, depending on that,
where, or to whom you are working you could need
to work simpler and quicker or... on the other
hand you want to add more details to impress,
make it bigger and... why not, charge extra. Balloon
Upgrades can be done in two main areas, Vertically,
by switching balloon sizes, from 260 to 350 to
a 646 and even ‘upgrading’ to a 160!
Or Horizontally by adding accessories, switching
colors, and other techniques. We will be doing
some figures and upgrading them in various ways.
Also we will be discussing when a downgrade is
needed to get a simplified version of your sculpture! |
| Twisted
Delivery Techniques |
| In
this class we will introduce another obscure decor
area to twisting... Deliveries. We will teach
several twisted designs that can be mixed with
decor tecniques to make Delivery Pieces, we will
construct some Basic Bases and show several tecniques,
that can be adapted to your twisting and get a
new twist on your business! |
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Dustin Queary has been creating balloon sculptures
for almost 6 years. He was introduced to the
children's entertainment industry by his mother.
(Shonna Flanigan) Who has been a children's
entertainer for over twenty years, so it's only
natural that he tried his hand at twisting.
At first he just made them for his own amusement
and quickly fell in love with the art. Much
support and encouragement from his mother and
fellow artists in the industry fueled his desire
to push the limits and create new ideas and
concepts. Dustin has now won multiple international
awards for his balloon sculptures within the
balloon industry as well as an Art student.
Now Dustin is a full time entertainer trying
to branch out and improve/aquire other skills
as well such as stilt walking, face painting/body
art and fire-performance. |
| What
To Do With Specialty Shapes |
| Sure
they look really cool and unusual, but what can
you make with them? A question that many people
have; this class covers many different designs
ranging from very, very simplistic to more intense
sculptures using up to about 15 balloons. Suggest
to have some Link-O-Loons, and specialty shapes
if you'd like to follow along. Part of the class
will be hands on and some shapes will be provided.
These specialty shape designs will really make
you stand you out from other balloon people your
clients may have seen before. Just making a few
of these designs will leave a good, lasting impression
on everyone who sees them! |
| Need
for Speed: Machines That Move Us |
| Pretty
self-explanatory, it is what it sounds like. We
will go over many different types of vehicles,
cars, boats, motorcycles, helicopters, jets/airplanes
and others too. Many of these designs have the
same basic construction, and then the details
really separate them. They aren't all necessarily
speedy designs, but most can be done in 5 minutes
or less. Only partially hands on. |
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Wendell Clendennen, a.k.a. Stretch the Balloon
Dude, has been twisting tubes of latex into
fun and zany shapes since 1989. Since then he
has developed a unique style that combines a
slightly twisted view of life with an eye for
detail. Stretch has taught at conventions and
seminars across the US, including being the
featured lecturer for T Jam on the Road 2006
and repeat appearances at Summer Balloon Camp
and Twist and Shout. Together, Stretch and Mrs.
Stretch host G.O.T. Balloons, the monthly balloon
jam in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas that
has been meeting regularly since April of 2003.
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| It
Takes A Viking To Raze A Village
(But your safe if they use these weapons) |
| It
doesn’t matter where they grow up, boys
love weapons, and so do a lot of young girls.
Come join Stretch as he shares a variety of swords,
guns and other weapons that are sure to make you
a hit with the young pirates, Vikings, knights,
cowboys and even the princesses who love to play
with weapons. You’ll learn simple and more
elaborate varieties that will give you an arsenal
of weapons safe for line work and suitable for
birthday parties and events where you have time
to play. This class is for intermediate twisters. |
| Would
You Like To Value Size That? |
| Don’t
just please your audience, wow them with balloon
sculptures that incorporate more than just 260s.
Stretch will share some fun creations that use
everything from 160s to 360s, and even some rounds
and hearts. These aren’t the jumbo pieces
that require a super-sized SUV to get home, but
some fun and fast creations that use enough of
the larger balloons to make them impressive without
overkill. They are fast enough for table-to-table
restaurant work, birthday parties and some of
them will even do for line work. There will be
scary dinosaurs, cuddly cats, silly monkeys and
more in this class that is for intermediate twisters. |
| Check
Back For The Complete List Of Instructors And
Classes Coming Soon. |
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