MayJune_2012

The 2012 COAI
“Best in Clown”
goes to
Kynisha Ducre-Jarreau
Award
by: Lulu Mire
By pedestrian definition, the daisy
is a type of flower. According to
Disney, it’s Donald’s girlfriend. But
in the clown world, when you say “Daisy,”
we think of Kynisha Ducre-Jarreau, the
recipient of the “Best in Clown” award
at the 2012 COAI Convention held in
Kansas City, MO. The Gerber daisy is
Kynisha’s favorite flower, and this year,
“Daisy the Clown” was our favorite clown!
E
ver
since 1994, Kynisha has been
entertaining audiences by clowning
around. Her clowning career started
in New Orleans when she was introduced
to Cheri “Cheri-Oats” Venturi. Witnessing
all the grins and giggles Cheri-Oats
brought to so many people, Kynisha knew
she wanted to bring that same joy to kids
who were overlooked, sick, or simply in
need of a smiling friend that encouraged
their dreams.
So, what did her family and friends
think about her being a clown? They
actually thought it was pretty cool.
She loves to dance and she has plenty
of little cousins to entertain. She was
also a cheerleader (in high school and
professionally) and won the title of “most
school-spirit” her senior year of high
school. So her decision to pursue clowning
made perfect sense to them – she has
that contagious energy to lift your spirit!
T
his
sure isn’t the dental profession
she thought she’d go into as a child,
but she’s still producing the same
result: happy smiles! Kynisha’s purpose
for clowning is to make smiles. To
Kynisha, clowning means, “making God
happy by sharing the talents He gave
[her]. It allows kids to wonder and adults
to be amazed, sharing in the joy of their
kids.”
Inside the Superdome, watching
Ringling Brothers performers was
Kynisha’s earliest memory of clowns.
Her family would always sit in seats
close to the circus action to maximize the
interactive fun. Growing up, she would
pay the fun forward. “I'm an only child
that had parents that played with me a
lot. My mom is one of 16 children. Those
16 kids produced 49-ish cousins who
I entertained often. I love exposing
people to clowning, learning new
things or improving old ones, and have
gained more internal joy than I could
have wished for. My six-year-old son,
Cayman, loves his Mommy as a clown
too and plans to assist me in upcoming
shows.” Right now she’s the only clown in
the family (with a red nose), but it looks
like her son will be putting smiles on
people’s faces soon enough.
Not surprisingly, “Daisy” quickly
blossomed in her clowning career. But
instead of petals, this Daisy is adorned
in an embellished Catholic school-styled
jacket with a poofy, well-coordinated
skirt. Her skills include scarf juggling,
plate spinning, small shows, dancing,
balloon twisting, and face painting. She’s
also an expert hugger! She’s interested
in silly magic but would like to grow into
more sophisticated illusions. One day
she’d also like to be a more advanced
juggler and stilt walker too. She’s already
on her way to attaining those goals - her
neighbors have witnessed her practicing
stilt walking alongside her backyard
fence. Kynisha will never forget the
astonished expressions on their faces.
Clowning started for Kynisha in her
hometown of New Orleans, but damages
from Hurricane Katrina forced her to
relocate to McKinney, Texas in 2005.
Among her many losses were all of her
carefully collected clown supplies. She
painstakingly tried to recall all the
items she once had and from where she
had purchased them, but soon realized
this task was too difficult and that a
new approach was necessary. She came
to the conclusion that it was truly a
time for fresh new starts. She turned
her loss into an opportunity to start
anew by broadening her world as a
clown - exploring brand new props and
learning brand new tricks. In the midst of
hardship, she continued to see the world
with the fresh eyes of a true clown.
Page 22
The New Calliope