Affectionately known as “High Kick Donna,” this vibrant woman, who describes herself as “78 going on 34” has lived a life full of drama, achievements, and lifelong learning, and she’s not done yet.
Born and raised in Lacombe to a nurse mother and a father who worked for B/A Oil and in real estate (and was an honorary member of the Lacombe Kinsmen) Donna was full of energy from day one.
She spent her childhood learning tap and Highland dancing, entering competitions, and tumbling, which helped lead her to become the cheer squad captain at Lacombe High School, a role she held throughout her time there until graduating in 1965.
After graduation, Donna moved to Edmonton to take a medical secretary course, then to Calgary to work with a mortgage company, before spending close to four decades working across various regions of B.C.
Throughout that time, she enrolled in classes in dance, drama, speed reading and motivational speaking, but she knew those weren’t her true calling.
She had always wanted to be a clown.
Even as a child, she dreamed of running away to the circus to join its colourful cast of characters.
In 1978, after taking clowning courses, she began her clowning career officially as a cow named “Dionne Cowlick”, a Holstein in a red dress for Westerner Days in the Kids Corral.
Over the years, she created a cast of clown personalities ranging in age and style, from an old farmer named “Scarfo” to “Prissilly” to “Mrs. Maleprop,” a lively motivational speaker who became a regular at events.
Her various clowns made appearances in parades, seniors' homes, hospitals, churches and conventions across Canada, even performing as “Mrs. Maleprop” in Hawaii.
When asked what it is about clowning that she loves, Donna smiled and said: “I always like to make people smile. Smiles are what keep us alive. Laughter is what keeps us alive.”
When not in clown form, Donna was taking, and excelling in, more classes, including Spanish, French, improv, cartooning, singing, horseback riding and stunt fighting, just to name a few.
She also took part in stage plays and musicals, acted in movies and commercials, and performed voice-over work for more than 30 years.
When she wasn’t on stage, she was behind the scenes as a stage manager or working in props, scenery and set design.
Recalling her theatre days, Donna fondly spoke about playing June in the production "Chicago", and without hesitation, jumped into the role’s opening monologue.
“I’m standing in the kitchen, carving up a chicken for dinner, minding my own business, when in storms my husband, Wilbur, in a jealous rage. ‘You’ve been screwing the milkman,’ he said. He was crazy, and he kept on screaming, ‘You’ve been screwing the milkman!’ And then he ran into my knife... he ran into my knife ten times.”
She also recalls playing Mrs. Banks in "Barefoot in the Park", a role she costumed herself using her grandmother’s clothing.
It was thanks to a friend in that production that Donna went out and got herself an agent, eventually auditioning for commercials and acting roles.
She remembers her first audition, an A&W commercial, and landing a part as a secretary in a Lotto 6/49 ad.
In television and film, she played multiple extras, took part in game show pilots, and was a favourite stand-in for Anne Meara (mother of actor Ben Stiller) in "Jitters", a 1997 TV movie directed by Bob Saget about a woman afraid of losing her identity in marriage.
When asked which experience stood out most in her career, Donna reflects that the present is her favourite moment, but that every past role holds a special place in her memory.
“Sometimes there's an experience with a crew that’s doing a project, right that stands out more than the project itself. There are a bunch of them, but they have different reasons for standing out.”
Driven by her passion for learning, Donna is certified as a laughter coach, hypnotherapist, radio broadcaster, ballroom dance teacher, reflexologist, peer counsellor, psychological kinesiologist, and by her own description a “darn good pet sitter.”
She credits her continued ability to high kick to staying active with yoga, qigong and tai chi.
Donna has also travelled widely for both work and leisure, visiting Alaska, Egypt, Tasmania, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Phuket, Peru and Argentina’s Iguazu Falls, among many other places.
One of her favourite memories was accompanying her mother on her dream trip: a 15-day cruise around Panama.
Despite her outgoing and expressive career, her hobbies are more introverted and quieter like soapstone carving, rock collecting, yoga, swimming and walking, especially at Crescent Beach in Surrey, B.C.
Now somewhat settled in Red Deer, Donna is as busy as ever.
She spends time at the Golden Circle Senior Resource Centre, taking ukulele classes on Wednesday afternoons and performing once a month at seniors' homes with the “Golden Ukes.”
She continues to volunteer and occasionally brings out the clown nose and her signature high kicks.
When asked what’s next, Donna responds without pause: yodeling.
“I haven’t mastered that yet. I’m not a great juggler, but I can juggle. But I like yodeling, and it would be fun to try. I’ve never heard someone up close.”
There’s clearly no slowing down for Donna, whose personal motto is:
“I aspire to inspire before I expire.”
With the life she’s lived so far, she’s certainly doing just that, and more.
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