What do Chubby Checker and Mr. Twister have in common?
Twistin’
Chubby Checker popularized the twist – dance style – through songs like “The Twist” and “Let’s Twist Again,” while Mr. Twister popularizes the twist – balloon style – with difficult spins and yanks to create an entire zoo of balloon animals and their accessories.
Although Chubby wasn’t able to share his personalized twistin’ with Mountain Lake, Mr. Twister was on hand in Mountain Lake Public Library on Wednesday afternoon, July 15, to bring his twistin’ creations to life.
Mr. Twister has been doing his balloon sculpting, balloon art, balloon entertainment, balloon magic, balloon twisting – all different names for the same thing – since 1998. He brings his balloons and his showmanship to schools, libraries, day cares, birthday parties and corporate events. As Mr. Twister declares, “It’s all about fun!”
His appearance was as part of the 2015 Summer Reading Program, “Reading to the Rhythm.”
Below is a photo gallery from Mr. Twister’s Mountain Lake visit:
MR. TWISTER ADDED an appetizer to his traditional menu of balloon tricks – an eye-spinning optical illusion. Focus on the center of the circle as Mr. Twister spins it, and, after awhile, look up to his head – and it appears to grow bigger or shrink smaller – depending on which direction Mr. Twister spins the swirl on the wheel.
MIA, RIGHT, ASSISTS Mr. Twister, left, by placing a whole fistful of balloons into the magic bag.
PRESENTING MIA, RIGHT, with a special magic wand of his grandfather’s, Mr. Twister, left, drafts her as his special assistant for this trick.
WHOOPS! THE SPECIAL magic wand falls apart, to Mia’s surprise.
EVENTUALLY, IT WOULD take a special balloon creation by Mr. Twister – made complete with an “I spy” eyeball at the end, to create the magic for the trick to work.
WITH MIA , RIGHT, wielding the seeing-eye balloon magic wand, and Mr. Twister, left – and the audience – using the crowd-selected magic words – “duckbill platypus” – magic was created.
VOILA! THE BALLOONS – once placed singularly into the magic bag, are now joined end-to-end.
THE YOUNG AUDIENCE members are focused like a laser on Mr. Twister and his balloon skills.
THE NEXT ACT featured Dr. Poppo (Sawyer) with his evil mad scientist balloon hat, plus his balloon magic wand, claiming all of Mr. Twister’s balloons for his own balloon art ways.
WHEN THE RESPECTIVE magic wands of, from left, “Duck” (Courtney), “Mouse” (Brennan) and “Pig” (Lily) failed to thwart Dr. Poppo’s plans, Mr. Twister, right, spun the three into a more powerful magic wand – three-times over.
WAVING THAT POWERFUL magic wand did the trick – and Dr. Poppo when “poof” – and Mr. Twister recovered his bag of balloons.
THE FINAL ACT of the show featured Mr. Twister twisting five different color balloons . . .
. . . INTO THE SPIDER-like legs for Logan, right – who, by crowd consensus, became Mountain Lake’s new super hero “Spikeman.”
THREE MORE DIFFERENT color balloons, some twisting and pinching by Mr. Twister . . .
. . . LED TO LOGAN’S – I mean “Spikeman’s” – head gear – made complete with one green and one blue antenna.
USING TWO VERY large blue balloons – and adding Mr. Twister’s special balloon sculpting skills . . .
. . . AND THE TRANSFORMATION of Logan into ‘Spikeman” was made complete, a sword finishing off his super hero balloon outfit.
