The Ballard Way

By JENNIFER WARMATH

There’s a constant, childlike curiosity peering out from behind the black frames of his glasses and an unmistakable determination and fight in his spirit. He knows exactly what strings to pull.

So who exactly is Frank Ballard? Bart Roccoberton, former student and friend, chuckles at the question. “He’s a puppeteer,” he says simply after a moment of thought. “Ego is not involved. Frank, he has a good heart. He’s inspiring.”

It is thanks to Ballard that UConn students can explore their creativity and artistic passions through a major in puppetry. Goodbye history, and your mind-numbing lists of dates and events. So long business, with your endless calculations and profit-driven corporations. Hello puppetry performance class!

In 1964 Ballard taught the first puppetry classes ever administered at UConn and just a few years later created the first complete undergraduate and graduate degree program in puppetry, right here at the University of Connecticut, the only institution in the country offering masters degrees (both MA and MFA) in the field.

“None of us would be here if it wasn’t for Frank,” says Roccoberton, the current director of the UConn puppetry arts program.

Roccoberton, who studied under Frank in the 1970s, credits Ballard with some of the priceless professional opportunities he was given as a puppetry student at UConn. “I was suddenly working with people I’d never think I’d even talk to,” said Roccoberton who worked with puppetry pros like Margaret Rose, the co-designer of Howdy Doody, and Jim Henson, one of the most well-known puppeteers in modern American history.

In 1975, Ballard was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. It started with a twitch in two fingers on his right hand, and progressed to an uncontrollable shaking of his whole hand. While he may not be able to physically manipulate the puppets, Ballard remains dedicated to the puppetry program.”The mind is sharp. It’s the physical that is challenging,” says Roccoberton.

Now at almost 80 years old, Ballard has long since retired from teaching, though his mind still lingers in the world of puppetry. During a recent visit, Ballard insisted that it was time UConn hosted another national puppetry festival, according to Roccoberton, who chuckles at the memory. Even in his old age, Ballard is a force to be reckoned with.