A lot of people transition from one career to another. Few do it with the style and panache of Mandy Dalton. Whether it’s circus arts or web video, Mandy delivers excitement.

Mandy Dalton grew up with magic. Her father was an editor by day and a magician by night. Her mother had a knack for whimsy. As a child, Mandy learned to juggle and memorized old Red Skelton and Laurel and Hardy routines. She found great pleasure in the silent films that a local pizza parlor played on Saturday nights. Teachers sent her to the principal's office often for acting out Three Stooges scenes. She liked to dance, but not in the tutu of most young ballerinas. Somehow she knew, and her parents did too, that she was "unusual."

In high school, she spent summers at the Maryland Center for the Arts at Goucher College and the North Carolina School of the Arts. After hearing a load of sweet talk and a promise to finish high school, her parents allowed her to attend the world famous Ringling Brother's and Barnum and Bailey Clown College. She graduated Clown College in 1982 and subsequently performed in several versions of the musical hit BARNUM. Her parents were, at that time, starting their own business--an entertainment company called Poppin' Magic. After BARNUM, Mandy worked for her parents as one of their clowns. That’s when Mandy discovered her clown persona. While clowning at a company picnic in Baltimore, She heard a deejay play "Johnny B. Goode". She started to juggle, but the juggling was more like dancing.  Forget the calliope music. Rock and Roll was in this clown's soul.

From there, she toured many local performance venues. The venues included some prestigious landmarks like the Capital Children's Museum, The John F. Kennedy Center, and the Olde Post Office Pavilion. She received her degree in Liberal Arts from Saint John's College in Annapolis, MD in 1989. Warner Brothers accepted her 1990 for a special television-writing workshop. She wrote for an award winning syndicated television program titled NO DOGS OR PHILOSOPHERS ALLOWED. She traveled to Russia in 1992 and studied at the Moscow Art Theater School. There, she performed as Pasha in THE CHORUS GIRL, as Dooniasha in THE CHERRY ORCHARD, and worked with an improvisation company called TEATR KLOWNOV (Theater of Clowns.)

When Mandy returned from Russia, she dedicated much of her time to bringing theater and circus to people who would not normally experience the performing arts. She began working with developmentally disabled adults through The Providence Center, a non-profit organization fostering independence for this group. She assisted in the development of THE ODYSSEY PROGRAM, which helps mentally disabled artists to use drama and dance as a means of self-expression. She also conducted classes in circus skills for disadvantaged teens.  Circus skills provide teens with a moderate outlet for risk-taking behavior—behavior that might otherwise lead to unwanted habits like drug and alcohol abuse.  Mandy put together juggling workshops for kids with Attention Deficit Disorder and other learning disabilities.

Mandy expanded her skills with directing. Her directing credits include many small variety productions know as "mini circuses" and many plays.  She has also collaborated with many companies and individual artists that produce programs for school systems. In 2005-2008,  Mandy directed the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission's Teen Performance Ensemble. The program enabled gifted and talented students, ages sixteen through nineteen, from Prince Georges County to have a summer job in the performing arts. The students receive professional training and then go on tour for six weeks.

Booking entertainment took Mandy into the production of video.  Clients wanted to see Mandy and her friends in their element--among the public.  She learned to shoot, edit, and write video for the web. She also assembled and produced several DVDs.  She now edits on AVID and Final Cut Pro--the two leading programs for video editing and production.

Mandy currently balances her special projects with her performance schedule, moving into a position in new media. Mandy worked part-time for United Press International in the web video department.  At UPI.com. Mandy cultivated her skill in video production by shooting and editing daily ‘man on the street’ interviews. She she stopped over fifty people a day on the streets of Washington DC to acquire twelve solid sound bytes for a two minute interview piece. She shot it, edited it, color corrected it, compressed it and uploaded it all for the web--all under a 3:00 PM deadline.

What’s next?  Mandy is looking for opportunities to merge her interests in live performance and film and video production.  She directs the Prince George’s Children Theatre this year and once again will tour the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Summer Playground Programs. As she discovers further opportunities in web video and new media, she will address important issues with flare, and where appropriate, a sense of humor.