Clown Workshops with Emory University Woodruff Scholars

A photo from one of my workshops with the Emory University Woodruff Scholars

I've done this trick many times before. This time, however, I'm doing it in front of about 100 full-ride scholarship college students from Emory University. I asked them to count from 10 to 1 in a language they chose. As the students count down, I balance a chair on my face for their entertainment. 

It was such a pleasure to work with these young people. These are the Emory University Woodruff Scholar Program students, 100 or so high-achieving full-scholarship students from the University. This past weekend, I enjoyed doing three workshops with these students. It was a great joy.

In my first workshop, I saw students light up when they recognized some of the material I covered. Part of my workshop is based on Laban Effort actions. In the first workshop, I did to students perked up with excitement when they heard me mention Loudoun. They were eager to tell me about the Laban work they had done. The other students had no idea what we were talking about. We're still just as eager to join in, moving their bodies, time to direct, others times indirect, sometimes heavy, other times light.

In the other two workshops, none of the students were familiar with Laban yet; when allowed to stand up and move their bodies, they were eager, moving with the enthusiasm of youth and with curiosity about what the workshop would ask them to do next. Two of them tried push-up versions of what I asked them to do. They laughed as they tried doing the push-ups in a variety of ways. I looked on and chuckled at their youthful enthusiasm.

It was such a pleasure to spend the weekend with these young people. Their enthusiasm, their intelligence, and their honesty are notable. Several students mentioned having imposter syndrome. That feeling you don't deserve the good things you're getting or the feeling that any second you will be exposed as a fraud. I admired them in these moments of honest self-examination. 

Frankly, I had a few moments of lingering imposter syndrome this weekend. I wondered how a clown workshop would work with these high-achieving students. Will they find it interesting? Will it be relevant? After all, they seemed to like it. Yet, I still had lingering doubts.

On the last night of the weekend, they had an open mic event. I arrived fashionably late. As I walked into the room, the students were there, with the university staff; the open mike had been going on for a while. A few students sang songs. One brought their guitar and played a song. A few others recited poetry. Seeing them in a relaxed, friendly, and collegial environment was great. Eventually, the event organizer asked me if I would do something for the open mic. They had more time to fill, and she wanted to know if I would do something for the open mic. 

I said yes. 

The student emcees introduced me to the crowd. I balanced the chair on my face as the students cheered me on.