The following article first appeared in the July/August 1997 issue of the Magic Menu. The Magic Menu is a bi-monthly magazine for restaurant entertainers. For subscription info, contact jsisti@ibm.net.
One thing that makes balloon twisting at festivals different from doing magic is that a magician that doesn't make balloon figures is never faced with the problem of making sure everyone walks away with something. Once you start giving out balloons, it's hard to stop. As I've said before, I rarely work that way these days. I prefer to entertain with balloons than to be a balloon animal factory. However, the occasional balloon factory job comes up every so often and I've been asked a few times recently how I handle that kind of job.
In this situation, it's easy to turn into a droid, producing things at a very rapid rate and never cracking a smile. It's also very easy to wear down your hands and find yourself sore for a few days after. If you're someone that does this kind of event regularly, think about what you're doing, and stop yourself from becoming that tiresome and tired droid before it happens.
Most importantly, take breaks. Anyone that's found themselves in this situation knows how unlikely it is that those breaks will occur naturally. At a crowded festival, you may find that you're producing animals at a rate of one balloon per minute for five hours straight. If you tell your crowd that you want a rest, you're likely to hear complaints from people that have already stood in line for a long time. They've now made it to the front of the line, and they don't want to wait any longer.
This is the time that I might tell a story or tell a joke while I stretch my hands. I may also have something other than a balloon in my pocket for just those times that I need, for my own sanity, to do something else. As long as you don't break up the line and send away those people that have been waiting, you have a lot more freedom than most people realize. One thing I like to do to stretch is to run up and down the line a few times, joking around with kids. I don't stop at the back of the line and entertain them. I move around so everyone sees me. The crowd wants to be entertained. They don't know I'm resting my hands. They know that I respect them and that I want them to enjoy themselves even while they wait. As long as I'm being funny, the kid that just made it to the front of the line doesn't mind waiting an extra minute. He still knows he's next. The crowd gets to see something. I get a minute to relax my hands. Then when some parent tells me how impressive it is that I can twist balloons for so many hours, I can laugh to myself.
There is one time that I won't run up and down the line like that. That's when I've got a tip bucket out. One of the most important rules of busking is to never leave your tip bucket. In this situation I'm on my own time and I can pack up to leave any time I want. Finding an excuse to stop isn't necessary.
Now, what happens when you absolutely do need to stop for more than just a minute? Maybe you're really in pain. Maybe you have another show to do. You can't simply say that you'll stop when everyone in line at that moment has received a balloon figure. It's almost impossible to watch who joins the crowd while you're working. For some time I've used a method that I learned from someone on the Internet. The suggestion has been made a few times in the last few years, and even looking through old email, I'm no longer sure of who first offered the idea. I give out a single balloon to each person in line and explain that this balloon is to be used as a ticket for a balloon figure of their choosing. Tickets are only available to those people already in line and these tickets must be traded in by anyone that wants to receive a balloon figure. During the time it takes to finish the line in front of me, I announce every few minutes that a balloon ticket is needed for a balloon, and that no exceptions will be made. This method has been very useful in making sure that I get to stop.
I'm not saying my approach will work for everyone, but being able to rest and to stop on time is important. I urge everyone to find a way to take a break that works for them. It doesn't take a long break to relieve your hand. If you rest regularly your hand won't ever get so sore that you need to stop. You may even find, like I have, that some creative way of resting actually improves the way you handle lines. Whatever methods you use to get through these long jobs, remember to keep smiling. Even if you have to give a balloon to each person, you're still there to entertain.