Biography

Danise Payne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from California State University, Sacramento, and worked in public information at the United Nations.

But it was employment with the Department of Parks and Recreation in Sacramento that launched her career. The job took place at a facility called Fairytale Town where employees presented variety and puppet shows.

She never envisioned becoming a circus clown. A chance encounter, however, after a performance at work informed her of tryouts for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. She auditioned only in hopes of fun, was accepted, and then toured with The Greatest Show on Earth. 

A twenty-five-year pilgrimage began and included The L.A. Circus and George Coronas Circus. Danise barnstormed into the inner cities of the country on an all-black spectacle called UniverSoul Big Top Circus. But her trek with Gerry Cottle’s Circus in England cemented her place in the world as she became the first African American woman clown to perform in a circus in Europe. Segments on Entertainment Tonight and NBC’s Today show highlighted her leap into fantasy, and a feature in Ebony magazine introduced her to the black community.

Clowning developed into a way to express strength of purpose. Since the 1980s she has influenced black youth and adults through workshops, classes, and speaking engagements.

Danise Payne is a circus trouper who holds the belief that get-up-and-go is mainstream. She is a member of The Circus Fans Association of America, the Circus Historical Society, the National Association of Memoir Writers, and Screen Actors Guild.