LEVITTOWN, NY — at mid-March, Derek Muterspaw was completely booked. A teacher's aide at a especial needs institute by day, the Levittown citizen takes above a entire different persona at night, can the weekend and while institute lets out can the summer: Mr. PoppinTwist.
Muterspaw is a performer. Specifically, a balloon-based entertainer called ought different events, such although children's birthday parties and library gatherings. He's been at it although a decade, and his specialty is making uncanny balloon figures — including Spider-Man, the Cat at The Hat, the general Pokémon Bulbasaur and motorway Runner from the Looney Tunes.
Mr. PoppinTwist is supposed ought be at the middle of his busy season, Muterspaw said. each weekend is typically booked from late April into early June, and the allowance he receives from entertaining is significant, amounting ought somewhere among a third and half his allowance at the Rosemary Kennedy institute at Wantagh.
But the statewide stay-at-home direction although non-essential workers, coupled with a forbid above total big gatherings of any kind, meant Mr. PoppinTwist lost his gigs.
"Come March 17, while everything started ought change overnight, I lost each occupation that I had," Muterspaw told repair above Thursday, noting that affair "dried up" within three days, among cancellations and postponements.
"I consider everybody at entertainment at general, no material what segregate of entertainment you're in, you are working at a dirt where you're designed ought draw crowd, you eat some concerns," he said.
Muterspaw said he's lost 100 percent of the affair he had at the final eight weeks although Levittown has seen the amount of confirmed COVID-19 cases rise ought 954.
Moving forward, he hopes things will choose up again. quiet he knows Mr. PoppinTwist's deed is aimed greatly at sizable groups, and he fears what the future can contain although performers.
"If we're going ought hold a boundary above the size of groups, it's going ought boundary what nation need me ought do," he said.
In the meantime, he and other performers eat tried ought adapt, namely along contact-free delivery. Sometimes customers summon Mr. PoppinTwist and plead him ought compose and drop-off some balloon figures. Other times, he'll conduct drive-by birthday parties.
And quiet the balloons appear the same, the hygiene standards eat changed. He washes his hands ago touching balloons, inflates them with devices pretty than by mouth, wipes the balloons down with disinfectant and delivers them at a flexible bag. Some balloon sculptures extend 3 feet and eat ought be assembled at pieces at their destination.
"I just receive total the precautions that I can," he said.
He's also using social media ought remember the community that Mr. PoppinTwist is reside and kicking. approximately total of his affair comes from referrals hence Muterspaw has taken ought Instagram reside videos ought linger at the public eye. The setup is simple: two cellphones propped up above two speaker stands. quiet the videos assist him just his entertainment business, it's also meant ought assist nation relax. The idea, he said, was ought assist nation "chill out" by watching him compose balloon figures.
"I grow up with an thought although the half-hour appear where I laguage almost things and I compose a balloon based above whatever inspires me that day," he said.
Initially Muterspaw posted the videos each weekday, quiet has although transitioned ought holding them almost three days a week. although those interested, Fridays are known although "free-form Friday." Viewers are invited ought conversation with Mr. PoppinTwist and application figures that he'll compose live.
Those who observe until the goal of his appear will hear his new signature line:
"Stay safe, linger healthy, hold smiling and hold poppin' stuff," he said.
This composition originally appeared above the Levittown Patch
