A life lesson from Onionhead the clown: Never give up on your dreams

About 20 years ago, Coconut Grove-born Robert Dunn read an Ebony magazine featuring Danise Payne, a former UniverSoul Circus clown, on the cover.

That was enough of an inspiration for Dunn to head to Joe Robbie Stadium, now known as Hard Rock Stadium, to drop off his résumé to the UniverSoul Circus, which was in town.

Today, Dunn, 78, has been a major staple of the traveling circus, performing as Onionhead, the clown from the hood.

The UniverSoul Circus is at Miramar Regional Park, 16801 Miramar Pkwy., until Sunday, Feb. 23. Time of the performances vary.

“I have passion and heart for the circus,” he said. “If you really want to go, then you have to have that passion.”

Dunn attended George Washington Carver School in the Grove in the early 1960s, then a segregated K-12 school. When he was 17, he fled to New York with a young lady, but found himself living on the streets of Harlem.

“I was trying to survive,” he said. “I remember selling raffle tickets for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). I’d tried to do things the right way.“

He worked in random jobs like paper cutting before gravitating to clowning in the 1980s, inspired by his daughter Monique Dunn.

“I was broke and wanted to make some opportunities,” he said. “We wanted a clown for my daughter’s birthday party, but she didn’t like the clown we hired.

“I said, ‘I’ll be your clown next year.’ I became her clown and people asked me to do their parties. Then, I learned on my own by clowning and reading books.”

In 1998, he returned to Miami to assist his sick father. That’s when he reached out to UniverSoul Circus to be one of its clowns.

They didn’t have a clown position, but he was offered a post as an assistant cook. A year later, UniverSoul Circus CEO Cedric Walker offered him a chance to have short performances.

Eventually, he was offered a full-time job as a clown when he was nearly 50. Children gave him the name Onionhead when he tipped his hat and his wig came off at a birthday party.

Co-worker and ringmaster Lucky Daniel said Dunn is a role model.

“He is not just a clown,” he said. “He is a teacher, a philosopher, a father, a granddad. He has all of those qualities as a human being. We sometimes have to yell at him to get off the stage. He loves being on stage.”

One of the biggest moments for Dunn was performing in South Africa in 2001. He has also appeared in numerous commercials promoting the circus wearing his clown suit and painted face.

His performances are inspired from what he saw in the streets of New York.

“My character, faith, costume all these things set me a part,” he said. “UniverSoul Circus is top and respected in family entertainment. We are not a color. We are more of an experience. It doesn’t matter your nationality — you can see everyone rocking. We bring excitement to your life.”

Today, Dunn is semi-retired from the clowning business and focusing more on the marketing side of the circus. But occasionally he will make appearances.

Dunn said he is living proof that no matter the age or experience, dreams can come true.

“I knew nothing about circus clowning. I was a birthday party clown, but if your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme. You need to be persistent behind your dream and go for it,” he said.

If you go

UniverSoul Circus will perform through Sunday, Feb. 23, at Miramar Regional Park, 1 mile west of I-75 on Miramar Parkway. For information and tickets, go to https://www.ticketmaster.com/UniverSoul-Circus-tickets/artist/804490?camefrom=CFC_USOUL_WEBSITE_HOME&_ga=2.237273859.2004186377.1581975073-1328530427.1581975073

This story was originally published February 17, 2020 at 4:59 PM.