Meet the Instructors

We are pleased to announce the line-up of great instructors we have in place for you.

Please check back often for updates and news.

Bruce Kalver

A Lifetime of Magic

Bruce Kalver has been working professionally for over 40 years. Billed in the early years as “Rhode Island’s Youngest Professional Magician,” his magic education started at the age of four when his grandfather, Samuel Woolf, who was himself a magician and an assistant to Houdini, began to teach him the art. At age six, he was ready to start his career.
 
His work in magic has taken him all over the world. He has toured with his wife and partner, Arlene, on cruise ships sailing the Atlantic and the Caribbean, in Dinner Theatres all over the country, and at trade shows where they added their magic touch to many products and services.
 
Bruce has been showcased and interviewed on television, in newspaper articles both locally and nationally, and has actually performed magic on the radio. He has acted as a magic consultant for the Tony Award winning Trinity Square Repertory Company as well as for numerous other professional, college, and amateur theatre groups for whom he performed or taught magic for their productions and created special magic effects.
 
Bruce is a very versatile performer; he is able to adapt to any possible stage setting or audience. That is why companies like Microsoft, CBS Records, Showtime Cable Network, General Electric, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Dave and Buster’s, and Marriott Hotels have utilized his talents and ideas.
 
Bruce has taught his craft at the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, Johnson and Wales University (where he taught a special course on the use of magic to promote products), as well as many magicians’ groups around the country where Bruce has shared his special secrets with fellow conjurers. He has even lectured at The Magic Castle in Hollywood.
 
Currently, Bruce is the President-Elect of The Society of American
Magicians and moderates their online newsgroup. He is also the editor of the Society of Young Magicians members’ magazine which is read worldwide.
 
Bruce is also the host of a very popular weekly radio show, THE NOSTALGIA TIMES RADIO PROGRAMME on WBSM now celebrating its 15th year on the air.

Pre-Convention Workshop/Advanced Studies:
“GETTING INTO THE RESTAURANT MARKET”
(Friday May 2, 2008 – First 12 people to register only)

Whether you are a magician, balloon artist, face painter or clown, if you are looking for steady work, the restaurant market is for you. Bruce Kalver has been working top restaurants for 40 years and knows how to get them. His seminar will teach all the ins and outs including:

• How to pick the correct restaurant
• Who to talk to
• What to do there
• Getting along with the staff
• How to get lots of tips
• and much more

WORKBOOK : /Bruce Kalver's Restaurant Portfolio /

A TOUCH OF MAGIC FOR CLOWNS
(Saturday, May 3, 2008 – 9:00 am – 10:30 am)

So you don't want to be a magician. You are a clown who wants to add some magical effects to your act. Bruce can show you how to take some magical effects and add them to your performance. Magical effects can create a "Disney-esque" touch to your character and show. All of the tricks are simple to perform and easy to carry.

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY BUSINESS
(Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 – 10:45 am – 12:15 pm)

Want to increase your birthday party business? Bruce Kalver's seminar on the Birthday Party Business will help you. Now that you know how to perform, learn how to sell yourself to birthday parents. His seminar includes:

Places to advertise.
What to say on the phone
The correct way to get ready.
What to do there to enhance your performance
What to do that will get you back next year
and more.

WORKBOOK: /Bruce Kalver's Birthday Party Portfolio/

INFLATING YOUR BALLOON BUSINESS
(Saturday, May 3, 2008 – 1:45 pm – 3:15 pm)

So you can make poodles, mice and giraffes. Want to know how to stand out? Bruce's seminar will take you from balloon twister to balloon artist. This lecture will teach you how to make easily recognizable balloon creations. All can be done in three minutes or less. Make popular characters with little effort that everyone will want.

Bruce will also teach:

• How to promote your balloon business
• How to begin and end a line without making anyone mad
• Places for balloon artists that you may not have thought of
• Balloon routines to enhance your performances
• How to sell your show from doing line work to stage performance

WORKBOOK: /Professional Portfolio for Balloon Artists

Pat "PitterPat" Newton
www.pitterpatfacepainting.com

A graduate of the Ontario College of Art, Pat discovered face painting six years ago. Blown away by the concept of full-face designs she found herself drawing on her art background for brush strokes, color applications and basic design elements. She, however, has found the journey between herself and her canvas an important one for she believes it's about the experience one gives as well as the final product. "One of the greatest joys of face painting is the moment a child or adult looks into the mirror to see the final results."
Seeing a need for a basic instructional video, she used her marketing experience to create “Face Painting with PitterPat: A Beginner’s Journey.”

Pat loves teaching. She has shared her techniques in the classroom at Face and Body Art International Convention, Clowns of America International Conventions, Lake Placida Clown Escapades and a variety of workshops in the Southwest Florida region. She believes in helping everyone find their own style, their own technique while enjoying the great entertainment of being a face painter. She is currently the featured painter at Circus Sarasota, a member of FACE and FBPAA, and the editor of the New Calliope Magazine.

Pre-Convention Workshop/Advanced Studies:
A Journey Into Face Painting
(Friday May 2, 2008 – First 12 people to register only)

This full day pre-convention class with Pat Newton is perfect for those of you who are contemplating trying face painting to those who have been painting for a while but need to hone up those brush strokes and other skill techniques that are necessary to go to the next step. From properly loading the brush to how to apply the paint Pat will demonstrate the procedures as well as how to apply them to face paint designs. You are encouraged to bring your paint and work along with Pat. In that way she can help you personally and as a group.

Painting and Entertaining In the Trenches.
Some of the most challenging moments of face painting are dealing with long lines and parents. These experiences can become overwhelming and a deterrent to continuing this fun art form. In this class Pat discusses the business side of face painting, dealing with customers upon initial contact and making the sale through to performing and collecting. She also discusses working in the festival environment from equipment necessary to present yourself well as well as human issues: closing the line, dealing with difficult children and parents, along with the basic of ways to obtain access to some of these events. During the discussion she will demonstrate quick and easy popular faces everyone should add to their portfolio.

Homework for Beginner’s and Intermediate Level.
The one area more painters need extra work whether they are new or have been painting for a while and that is brush strokes. Pat has developed some exercises designed for the beginner to intermediate painter to practice at home on a regular basis. By working on basic technique, basic skills will improve drastically and the great satisfaction will be found in the final face painting product.

Now What...

How do you take you face painting to the next level? This class is designed for the intermediate and advanced face painter. From blending to brush strokes, Pat will talk about and demonstrate techniques that will make your painting go to the next level. From choosing the rights colors to the additional of small simple details, you’ll discover why some face paintings have that extra touch.

Charmaine Miron

About Charmaine...
Charmaine Miron has been a professional clown and performer since February 1999. She has multiple clown personalities: Trixie the Clown, birthday clown and stage performer, “born” Feb. 1999, Dr. Tilly Tom-Tom, Clown Doctor, “born” Sept. 2001, and Lola, not a clown but a ditzy blonde, “born” May 2003. Charmaine also does or has done singing telegrams, murder
mysteries and burlesque performances. The vast majority of her experience has been improvisational acting.

Charmaine has trained under Bill Paul of the London Laff Guards, Dr. Bernie Warren, a Drama Professor at University of Windsor and the Director of the Fools For Health Clown Doctor Program, Ray James, teacher of “Improv for the Terrified”, Michelle Mainwairing (one of the worlds' funniest people!) of MJM Entertainment in Windsor, and Sue Morrison, a Pochenko Clown teacher in Toronto. Charmaine has taught Improv in Windsor, and won awards for Best Group Skit and Overall Clown of the Year in 2006 from Clowns Canada.

Pre-convention Workshop/Advanced Studies – Character Development
Friday May 2, 2008 – This workshop is limited to the First 12 people to register only

Participants will be guided towards a deeper understanding of the inner workings of character development. Charmaine will provide tools that the participants can use and integrate into their further development once the workshop has finished.

The workshop will consist of two parts.

Part 1, which will take place in the morning, will focus on techniques with which to find basic character elements, namely, a character’s particular walk and vocal style. We will do exercises designed to explore physicality and different ways of moving, as well as vocal range, accents and idiosyncrasies that help define and enhance character. Participants will be asked to bring one or two of their costume pieces or props so that we may explore the use of such things as "anchors" for character development.

Part 2, the afternoon segment, will focus on building participants’ improvisational skills and exploring the use of those skills in building a character’s defining qualities. Games and improv techniques can be carried over into the performer’s work to continue enhancing their character long after the workshop has finished.

Improv Class

*description to come

Learn to play the Ukelele – It’s simpler than you think!
Sunday May 4th, 2008 (requires pre-registration – the first 20 people to register only)

Participants will learn all the basic chords to begin to play simple songs right away. The class includes a ukulele and song book and chord chart that you will take home with you.

***There will be an additional cost to cover the cost of the ukulele and a song book and chord chart. (You get to keep and take home with you).