ABSTRACT
Inspired by Bernice Collins, Danise Payne was among the earliest black women to graduate from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, where she was taught by Lou Jacobs, Dwayne Thorpe (Uncle Soapy) and Bobby Kay, “the last of the doll clowns”. She went on to an illustrious career in both the United States and England, performing as a clown in The Greatest Show on Earth and for UniverSoul Circus, Gerry Cottle Circus, and others. Payne developed a series of clowns that trace her own life, including Baby D, Lady D, and Granny D.
