Why More Entertainment Isn't Always Better: Lessons From a Multiskilled Performer
Updated: 2 days ago
When planning an event, it's tempting to think that more entertainment automatically means a better experience.
Why have just face painting when you could also have balloon twisting, magic, games and a dance party?
On paper, it sounds fantastic. The more activities you can fit into an event, the more your guests get to enjoy. Right?
Not necessarily.
One of the interesting things about working in the entertainment industry is getting to know performers who have mastered several completely different skills. Dawn Jones is one of those entertainers.
Dawn has worked with Magical Memories Entertainment for many years and her experience includes everything from clowning and stilt walking to face painting, balloon twisting, magic and airbrush tattoos.
During our conversation on Magical Memories Unlocked, we discussed what it's like to build a career around so many different abilities. But one of the most useful insights came when I asked her which kinds of events she enjoys performing at most.
Her answer might surprise people who assume a versatile entertainer wants to do as many activities as possible.
Sometimes Doing Less Means Entertaining Better
Despite having an extensive collection of entertainment skills, Dawn explained that she increasingly prefers events where she can concentrate on one activity for several hours rather than squeezing multiple activities into a short period.
That preference comes from experience.
Earlier in her career, Dawn spent years performing at parties where she was expected to provide three activities in a single hour. A typical event might involve magic, face painting and balloon twisting for approximately 20 children.
She sometimes performed three or four of these parties in a single Saturday, often with significant travel time between locations.
It was demanding work, but more importantly, it affected how much attention she could give each activity.
As Dawn put it:
"It's hard to give your best when you're spreading yourself so thin."
That observation gets to the heart of something we regularly discuss at Magical Memories Entertainment.
The goal shouldn't be to fit the greatest number of activities into an event. It should be to create the best experience possible with the time available.
Those aren't always the same thing.
The Hidden Challenge of Offering Multiple Activities
Imagine hiring an entertainer for a one hour party with 25 children.
You want face painting, balloon twisting and a magic show.
Each activity sounds reasonable on its own. The problem appears when you try to combine them.
Face painting takes time because each child needs individual attention. Balloon twisting also involves making something for each participant. A magic show requires time to establish an audience, perform the routines and create opportunities for interaction.
Trying to fit all three into the same hour means something has to give.
Maybe the face painting designs become extremely simple. Maybe fewer children receive balloons. Maybe the magic performance gets shortened.
You technically received all three activities, but did anyone get the full experience?
During our conversation, I brought up this exact issue.
When someone tells us they want several different activities for a large group of children, I understand the intention. They want to give their guests as much as possible.
But there's a difference between making an activity available and giving people enough time to enjoy it.
For example, if face painting is the most important activity for a party with 25 children, it may make more sense to dedicate the available time to face painting rather than adding two other activities that compete for the same hour.
Dawn's experience reinforces that approach.
The entertainer has more time to focus on the work and guests have a better opportunity to enjoy what they came for.
Versatility Is Still One of an Entertainer's Greatest Strengths
What's especially interesting about Dawn's perspective is that she isn't arguing against performers learning multiple skills.
Quite the opposite.
Her career demonstrates just how valuable versatility can be.
Dawn studied theater before attending Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, graduating as part of the class of 1992.
Her early training included physical comedy, movement and stilt walking. Over time, she continued adding new skills whenever an opportunity presented itself.
She described how people would ask whether she could perform a particular activity and her response was often some variation of, "Probably. Let me check."
That willingness to learn expanded the types of entertainment she could offer.
One particularly memorable example involved her work as a stilt walker.
Dawn explained that although she already knew how to walk on stilts, she didn't initially own a pair. After receiving several inquiries about stilt walking jobs, she finally purchased her own equipment.
Within a week, she booked a three month stilt walking engagement in Japan.
It's a remarkable example of how having the right skills and being prepared to use them can open unexpected doors.
She also discussed working on English educational videos in China and how a balloon twisting audition led to a speaking role on the television series As the World Turns.
Her career has taken her in several directions, often because she was willing to learn something new or adapt an existing skill to a different environment.
But here's the distinction.
Being capable of performing many different activities doesn't necessarily mean performing all of them at once is the best choice.
Versatility gives an entertainer options. Professional judgment helps determine which options make sense for a particular event.
Why Adaptability Matters Just as Much as Talent
One of the other themes that came through in our conversation was the importance of adapting when an event doesn't go exactly as planned.
And anyone who works in live entertainment knows that happens.
Dawn shared a story about arriving at an event where she was unexpectedly asked to perform a magic show, despite not having brought her magic equipment.
Instead of simply giving up, she began looking around for things she could use.
She found a string in her backpack, borrowed everyday objects including money and used what she knew to put together entertainment for the children.
She also incorporated teaching some of the kids a few tricks.
It wasn't the performance she had prepared for, but her background allowed her to find another way to engage the audience.
That story reminded me of one of my own experiences.
I was once hired to perform magic at what I understood would be a family employee appreciation event. When I arrived, I discovered that the audience was entirely adults.
I had prepared a children's magic show.
Rather than pretend the situation was what I expected, I leaned into it. I told the adults we were going to pretend they were all five years old for the beginning of the performance.
They played along and we had a great time.
Different circumstances, but a similar lesson.
Experience isn't just about knowing how to perform something when everything goes according to plan. It's also about recognizing what the audience needs and finding a way to deliver it when circumstances change.
That's where having a wide range of skills becomes especially valuable.
An entertainer might spend most of an event performing one particular activity, but their other skills, experience and personality can help them navigate situations that weren't part of the original plan.
Entertainment Is About the Audience, Not Just the Activity
Early in our conversation, I asked Dawn which of her many entertainment skills she enjoys most.
Her answer wasn't face painting, magic, balloon twisting or stilt walking.
She explained that her favorite is usually whichever activity gives the audience the most enjoyment.
For her, the immediate emotional response from the people she's entertaining is what makes the experience rewarding.
I could relate to that.
I've always felt that the individual activities we perform are really different ways of connecting with an audience.
Whether I'm performing magic, DJing or interacting with a crowd, what matters most to me is how people respond and what they take away from the experience.
Dawn brought up another example that illustrates this particularly well.
She enjoys performing as a stilt walker at Halloween events, especially when she's stationed near the entrance in a skeleton or zombie costume.
There's something special about becoming that unexpected character who greets guests as they arrive.
Unlike face painting or balloon twisting, where the entertainer is physically creating something for someone, strolling and character entertainment often rely almost entirely on personality and interaction.
The performer becomes part of the atmosphere.
There's no completed balloon animal or painted face to measure the experience.
Instead, the success comes from the laughter, surprise and personal connections created along the way.
It's a reminder that entertainment isn't simply a collection of activities. It's an interaction between a performer and an audience.
Finding the Right Balance for Your Event
So what does all of this mean for someone planning a party, festival, school event or corporate gathering?
It doesn't mean you should avoid offering multiple entertainment options.
There's absolutely a place for having face painters, balloon artists, magicians and interactive performers at the same event.
The question is how those activities are structured.
If you have a short event with a large number of guests, concentrating on fewer activities may create a better experience than asking one entertainer to do everything.
If you want several different activities happening during the same time period, having multiple entertainers may be the better approach.
That's something I emphasized during our conversation with Dawn.
When a client wants several entertainment experiences, sometimes the right answer is simply to have more than one person providing them.
It gives guests more opportunities to participate without forcing one entertainer to divide a limited amount of time among competing responsibilities.
Of course, every event is different.
A small birthday party, a busy community festival and a corporate family day all have different needs. The number of guests, length of the event and type of entertainment can significantly change what makes sense.
Choosing the right children's entertainment means considering the ages of the guests, the time available and the types of activities that will keep everyone engaged.
What remains consistent is the importance of setting realistic expectations.
And that's where listening to experienced entertainers can be particularly helpful.
They understand what it actually takes to perform these activities, how audiences interact with them and what happens when too much is expected in too little time.
A Career Built on Learning and Connecting With People
Hear Dawn's stories about Clown College, performing internationally, developing new skills and working with audiences.
One of the reasons I enjoy hosting Magical Memories Unlocked is having the opportunity to learn more about the people behind the entertainment.
I've known Dawn for many years. We even spent part of our conversation trying to remember some of the earliest events where we worked together.
She recalled an outdoor event where I showed her how to make a monkey balloon that could be worn on someone's wrist.
I remembered working alongside her at community events while she performed on stilts and I made balloons.
Over the years, she's continued developing new skills, exploring different performance opportunities and bringing that experience back to the events she works.
But for all the different things Dawn can do, one answer from our conversation really captures her approach.
When I asked what her favorite part of performing was, she talked about walking away knowing that people had a really good time.
That seems simple, but it brings us right back to where we started.
The best entertainment isn't necessarily the event with the longest list of activities.
It's the one where people genuinely enjoy themselves.
Sometimes that means creating variety. Sometimes it means focusing on one activity and doing it exceptionally well.
Knowing the difference is part of what separates simply providing entertainment from understanding how to entertain people.
And after spending time talking with someone who has worked in so many different areas of the industry, that's a lesson worth sharing.
Magical Memories Unlocked is our ongoing series featuring conversations with the entertainers who help create experiences for audiences of all ages. Join us live every Monday as we explore the people, skills and stories behind live entertainment.
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