When they arenB次元官网网址檛 clowning around, Tickles and Yowza are just Jennifer and Ron Burke.

The Highlands-based entertainers has been clowning for decades and can often be spotted at community fairs, celebrations and events such as the MotherB次元官网网址檚 Day Paint-In at Royal Roads University.

Jennifer first transformed into Tickles in 1985. She was an aspiring actress and her teammates in theatre sports voted her the clown of the group.

While some actresses may have been insulted by the comment, Jennifer took it as a compliment and just rolled with it.

B次元官网网址淪he had the unanimous approval that she was a clown,B次元官网网址� Ron said

After having three children, Jennifer figured a career in clowning was a fun way to raise her children without ever having to put them in day care.

Naturally the children grew up clowning too. Sunny, 29, started when she was five, Spring, 26, and Aubrey, 24, both started when they were three and a half.

Each of the children picked their own clowning name and designed their costumes. Sunny chose to be Fickles, Spring chose Dots-a-Lot and Aubrey picked Po-Co.

Aubrey still works as a clown, sometimes with his parents and sometimes on his own, still under the name Po-Co.

B次元官网网址淚 love it, I loved working with my family (as a kid),B次元官网网址� Aubrey said. B次元官网网址淚t skewed my perception of work because I had to much fun doing it.B次元官网网址�

It wasnB次元官网网址檛 until years later when Aubrey picked up some odd jobs such as custodial work, when he experienced other types of jobs. Spending a childhood clowning around sounds like every kidB次元官网网址檚 dream, there was one drawback B次元官网网址� Halloween.

Each year the family often found itself booked with gigs at malls or parties.

B次元官网网址淭he kids would complain that they had to be clowns again for Halloween,B次元官网网址� Jennifer said. After they finished work she would take the kids trick-or-treating.

Aubrey remembers his motherB次元官网网址檚 local fame as Tickles earned her more candy in her trick-or-treat bag than he or his sisters.

Now the family is starting its third generation of clowns. SunnyB次元官网网址檚 daughters, four and five years old, have decided they might not only be princesses, but clowns too.

While Jennifer and the children were clowning in the early years, Ron was busy running the family horticulture business. Ron would help his wife and kids set up for performances and saw the allure of clowning around.

When the horticulture business started to wane, Ron joined his troop of clowns to become a full-time clowning family in 1990.

B次元官网网址淲hen we go to work people are laughing,B次元官网网址� Ron added. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not necessarily a great paying job, but we have gotten by from it.B次元官网网址�

In 1991 Jennifer attended Clown College at the University of Wisconsin. The following year, Ron went. The college was taught by professional clowns who had worked for high-calibre performances such as the Barnum and Bailey circus.

At the college covered topics such as physical comedy, miming, slapstick, ventriloquism and make-up.

The children never went to clown college, but they took several dance, acrobatic and music lessons to help them with their acts.

Ron recalls giving Aubrey pogo stick lessons in the backyard.

B次元官网网址榃e would put more effort in training them than we ever did in plastic toys,B次元官网网址� Jennifer said.

B次元官网网址淲e even had our kids join the Christ Church Cathedral choir to capitalize on singing lessons,B次元官网网址� Ron said.

As a family, the Burkes also joined juggling and magic clubs to pick up new skills and share a few of their own.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e even raised our own doves for magic tricks,B次元官网网址� Ron said.

Ron and Jennifer travel across B.C. and Alberta for clowning shows. They focus on family events and birthday parties.

With a slower economy, Ron and Jennifer find themselves booked for 200 to 300 shows annually. Before the recession began they were booking up to 400 shows a year.

Aubrey has found that while he enjoys clowning for children, he has found a deep interest in a more avant-garde clowning style for adults.

B次元官网网址淚 use clowning as a way of expression,B次元官网网址� Aubrey said.

Clowning has been a part of the familyB次元官网网址檚 life for as long as the children can remember, now with the third generation up and coming clowners they are devoted to the craft.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a huge thing to make large numbers of people happy,B次元官网网址� Ron said.

Ron admits there are other perks from the job.

B次元官网网址淎bout six times in the past 20 years I have been pulled over for speeding (when dressed as Yowza),B次元官网网址� Ron said. B次元官网网址淓ach time the police have said they canB次元官网网址檛 give a clown a ticket.B次元官网网址�

While the family is a clan of clowns, they donB次元官网网址檛 cram into a tiny clown car B次元官网网址� they drive a Volkswagen instead.

reporter@goldstreamgazette.com