2008 Woodie Awards
Dale K mesmerizes audience
Brandon Schaller
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: Front Page
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Sponsored by Bloomsburg University's Program Board, the once named Campus Performer of the Year by "Campus Activities Magazine" brought his original brand of hypnotism to BU along with plenty of laughs. Dale K, a fast-talking showman, put on his contemporary hypnosis show which breaks down the walls of skepticism and disbelief towards the reality of hypnosis.
Much of the show contained some adult humor aimed at the college-age audience and fast-paced techno music kept the tempo of his show. Past audiences have described his show as quicker moving and more exciting than other hypnosis shows out there.
As the show began, about a dozen volunteers were brought up on stage and placed in their seats. Dale K wasted no time and began the hypnosis process. The first commands the volunteers receive are simple ones such as raising their arms or grasping their hands together as if they were stuck. Dale said that in this stage of the show he is able to weed out the truly hypnotized from those who are pretending and showing off for their friends.
As the show continued, Dale moved onto more intense commands. Some were typical fan favorites often used in shows like his; including making male volunteers give birth and conditioning one volunteer to 'moo' at the sound of a bell and not even realize he was doing it. At one point all of the volunteers were cruising in sports cars to Ludacris' 'Roll Out' and one girl began un-zipping her sweatshirt. Later Dale asked them all to picture a family member depicted in an adult film. One volunteer was told he was a kangaroo and to feed the baby in his pouch - which actually meant shoving bread down his own pants. Another volunteer was told she was a member of the audience and instructed to stand up and tell everyone that the show was a fake and that he was lying to all of us. It was at moments like this when Dale's reaction to the volunteers can be seen and it is clear that he is often surprised by what can happen in his shows. Dale says that every time he does his act there are different outcomes and people always give various reactions to his commands.
When the show ended, Dale told all the volunteers that they would not remember any of the show until they had walked out of the ballroom doors. As they left the room some of their faces turned to a sudden shock and comical embarrassment as they had realized all they had been through, except the student with the bread in his pants. He was instructed not to remember that part until later.