How Did You Learn to Twist Balloons?
Hi. Greenville’s premeire birthday entertainer here, the Tie Dye Balloon Guy, with another in our series of Frequently Asked Questions for the balloon twister. Today’s question is “How did you learn to twist balloons?” To answer this, we need to go back a few years.
My theory is that every person attempts balloon twisting at some point in their life. I remember my mom buying me some balloons as a young child, and trying to twist a simple dog. Even in the late 80’s I got hold of a basic balloon video and managed to get a few basic shapes. But when did I start to do the type of twisting that I do today?
The year 1994 was very much a monumental year for me. In May, I graduated from college. In June I married Paula. In October, I started a small part time clown business that would eventually become Joy Set Entertainment. One of the perceptions that people have of clowns is that all of them are balloon twisters. While this idea is not necessarily true, I wanted to at least try to learn a few basic shapes beyond the dog, sword, and squirrel (that looked remarkebly like a dog) that I already knew. I discovered that my wife was a much quicker learner in this area than I was. She also could translate Ballooneese into English. Ballooneese is a special language spoken by balloon twisters and balloon decorators. We use terms like “pinch twist,” “duplets,” and “frumple twist”. So for the first year or so, I would get a book by a balloon artist, and have my wife translate it for me. Usually that meant she would read the instructions, and then show me how to make it five different times. Eventually, not only did I catch on, but I started coming up with my own designs.
Today, I am a balloon twister at birthday parties, library shows, school events, and more. But I truly never would have learned if not for my patient and understanding wife. How did I learn to twist balloons? My best friend taught me.
