Terri Qtee Qualls

Mary "Dot" Williams, left, Terri "Qtee" Qualls, Sandra "Tootie" Grimer, Karen "Dollie Dimples" Cotantillo and Carole "Jingles" Nathanson try to rub their tummies and pat their heads and quickly shift to patting their tummies and rubbing their heads.
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New college graduate Terri Qualls also has her own college.

Qualls the woman just earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida.Qualls as Qtee the clown teaches the fine points of jestering at Qtee's Clown School, which she opened in Port St. John last fall.

During the summer, Qualls will teach summer school classes for fifth graders at Enterprise Elementary School and train the clowns of tomorrow.

To remain state-of-the-clown, Qualls, president of Clownsmart Alley, will slip into her big floppy shoes and head to the University of Wisconsin's clown school, an acclaimed clowning academy taught by a Ringling Brothers master clown.

Qtee, with her Raggedy Ann apron, bloomers, long curly blonde hair and big shoes, is a Mommy clown.When her son was 7 or so, he would join Qualls in merrymaking but, alas, adolescence claimed him.So poor Qtee now works alone, making do with a picture of her once-little boy.

Qualls can't remember when she didn't want to be a clown.

"It's just so much fun, when you put your face on, you're a different person," she said.

Immediate past president Terri Qualls said 18 member-clowns in the troupe are individually equipped to bring joy and laughter to others, each in his or her own way.

"We're always happy to learn someone's looking for a clown, and we're glad to help fulfill their needs through referrals among our members," Qualls said of Black's note.

"We have a variety of specialties to draw from," said Qualls, who considers her own strengths as Q-Tee the Clown to be magic tricks, face-painting and, to a somewhat lesser extent, balloon twisting.

Others may do puppeteering, juggling, acrobatics, dancing or traditionally zany antics in general, such as shooting water from flowers on their lapels or riding bicycles that are way, way too small.

Qualls said referrals are made, for the most part, based on geographical considerations, performing specialties and the type of event.

Alley membership, she said, runs the gamut.

Some are seasoned professionals; others, raw rookies.Some do volunteer work; others don't.Some do it for their livelihood; others, strictly for fun.

Qualls happens to be a fifth-grade teacher at Enterprise Elementary School in Port St. John where she lives.

She's also a teacher of clowns, having started Q-Tee's Clown School.The next 8-week session is scheduled in the fall at the Magic Dove, a shop in Cocoa Village.

Asked about her own particular brand of clowning, Qualls told of doing lots of birthday parties, company outings and weddings.

"Weddings?"she was asked.

"With so many second marriages these days, kids come first, before the ceremony.That gives us clowns plenty of children to entertain at weddings," she said with a hearty laugh.
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Terri Qualls (Q-Tee the Clown), immediate past president.Call 544-7389.