More than 100 students stood locked outside of Bunche 1209B waiting for class to start, when a silver balloon suddenly shot out over the crowd.
The students’ eyes traced the balloon’s trajectory, and David Perkins quickly reached into the large fanny pack hanging just above his waist and pulled out another silver balloon. Perkins brought the balloon to his lips, and, with a large intake of breath, it began to expand into what would become the blade of a ferocious sword.
“(I wanted to) just take away all that anxiety and tension and turn it into something light, happy and a positive experience,” Perkins said.
Perkins, age 61, takes classes at UCLA as part of the senior scholars program, which allows people who are 50 years and older to audit regular-session undergraduate courses and to participate in the classes. As one of the only Political Science 30: “Politics and Strategy” students above the age of 25, Perkins stands out amidst a sea of Greek letters and JanSport backpacks. However, with an arsenal of balloon animals at the ready, his youthful side emerges as he twists long rubber tubes into ornate headdresses and places them onto surrounding students’ heads.
[Related: True Bruin senior scholar weaves love for music with passion for medicine]
Perkins first learned to tie balloons while performing in Jerusalem as part of the New Jerusalem Magic Whoopee Band during one of his many trips to Israel from America. Perkins played the clarinet; however, he can also play other instruments, including flutes, percussion and the shofar, an instrument made from the ram horn and played at Jewish religious events.
In the 1990s, after the seventh day of Passover, Perkins and the band performed for thousands of people in a park just below the Israeli parliament building, Perkins said. In between playing, one of Perkins’ bandmates pulled out balloons and began making swords and animals for groups of children that ran up to him, Perkins said.
After seeing the craze that the balloons created, Perkins went to a local toy store and bought a balloon kit of his own in order to teach himself the art of balloon tying. Perkins began adding balloons to his musical performances, creating rubber teddy bears and hats for Israeli police, soldiers at war and the former general of the Israeli armed forces, he said.
As the New Jerusalem Magic Whoopee Band grew in popularity, Perkins continued to bring his balloon animals all over Israel. In the midst of political turmoil, Perkins’ balloons could be found on the heads of riot police, protestors and community members recovering after a mall bombing.
Adding to the political turbulence, Perkins began running critical ads calling for the downfall of the Israeli government beginning in 1993, Perkins said. After instigating a political uprising, he said he was forced to stop due to mounting political pressure.
“One thing about successfully being a revolutionary and living to talk about (it) is at some point you got to get out,” Perkins said.
Perkins returned to America in 2003 and continued to perform music and make balloons for the people around him. Perkins began regularly performing in the Market Square in Knoxville, Tennessee, alongside his palm-reading assistant Robin Goldberg.
Perkins has a natural ability to bring out the child in any observer, Goldberg said. Within the dimly lit center of the Market Square, Perkins held sword battles, balloon shows and musical performances. Perkins entertains audiences by engaging them with musical instruments like gongs and bongo drums, Goldberg said.
“It’s almost like he’s doing the world a service,” Goldberg said. “He takes people into his environment, and he’s still a kid.”
[Related: Senior scholars expand knowledge]
Alongside street shows, Perkins also performs for senior homes and Jewish organizations, including the Chabad Jewish Community Center of the Pacific Palisades.
Rabbi Eli Baitelman of the Jewish community center said Perkins has been performing for the Pacific Palisades Chabad’s events for over 10 years, including Hanukkah festivals, Rosh Hashanah celebrations and Shofar workshops.
“He’s not a quiet balloon blower,” Eli said. “He makes everyone happy; he brought life to (our events).”
Outside of performance, Perkins still produces balloon art for the people around him. Whether it’s for the people in line at the grocery store, angry flight passengers aboard a delayed airplane or college students stuck outside of their classroom, Perkins is ready with a pouch of balloons and a chestful of breath.
“I’ve performed for Jews, Christians, Muslims and Hindus,” Perkins said. “I’m certainly used to performing for a lot of different people.”