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2022 WCA Clown of Kolinda began her clowning career in June

the Year Recipient: 1993 completely through happenstance. She
was asked if she could be a clown at her friend,
K o l i n d a program. Not knowing anything about how to be
Kolinda
Leslie’s, Nursery school for their end of the year
a clown, she said “Yes, of course I can!”
Not knowing where to begin, Kolinda stopped in
Zander-Hussey at the library and I took out the only book that was
available on clowning,“Clown for Circus and Stage”
by Mark Stolzenberg.

She recalls reading, “if all else fails…drop your
pants!”. She was hooked at her first laugh and pants
drop!
She shares: “In 1996, after a few years of fumbling
my way through my novice clown life, I enrolled in
‘Tumbles the Clown School,’ a 10 week course taught
by local clown, Neil Greaves. I learned clown skills
like make up, costuming, magic, skits, circus skills,
basic balloons and more. It was the course that
changed the course my life.”
After graduating from the clown school, Kolinda
wanted more! Neil suggested joining a clown alley. In
September 1996, Kolinda was a founding member of
the Winnipeg-based Bump-A- Nose Clown Alley. The
very first meeting was in her living room.

Kolinda performed local birthday parties and
community events as a “hometown clown.” She
was known as “Inch the Clown.” Her three children
(Dustin-“Boo Hoo,” Colton-“Trash” and Kailyn-“Pix-
ie”) performed with her in parades and other special
events. Always eager to learn more, she attended ed-
ucational conferences including Clown Camp-Can-
ada, Randy’s Christensen’s “Impact Intensive” in
Bismarck, ND, along with local workshops on story-
telling and puppets, improv groups and got involved
in local theatre. Wanting to bring clown education
to Winnipeg to help clowns grow and learn, she be-
came the convention chair of Bump A Nose Clown
Randy Christensen - COY Chairman Alley’s conferences; Bringing in professionals like
Brenda Marshall, Lori Hurley, Angel Ocasio, Randall
Kolinda “Kozy the Clown,” was awarded the WCA Munsen, Bruce “Charlie” & Carol Johnson, Don Bur-
Clown of the Year award at our WCA Convention in sell, The Clown EZ! and many more for a weekend of
Orlando. The audience jumped to their feet with a fun, laughs and clown education.
roar of celebration as her husband, EZ, escorted her In 1999, Kolinda stepped into full-time clowning,
to the platform. It was a powerful moment for all in leaving her full-time job as a Nursery School Teach-
attendance, but most of all, for “Kozy” herself. She re- er. As Inch the Clown, she performed over 400 shows
counts, “I was so surprised I had to slip my shoes back a year as a solo artist and with her clown partner,
on!” Frank “Snappy” Rempel.

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