On an average day, Danny Black goes through two to four personality changes.

The DeWitt resident might be a clown, a doctor, a short (stripping) sheik or a singing telegram.

If it’s near a holiday, he may become a turkey, an elf, a baby or a leprechaun.

The entertainer performs at parties, gatherings and business openings as characters such as Dandy T. Clown, X-Raydar MD and Cupid. But the costumes and makeup are only part of Black’s show: At 4 feet 2 inches, he uses his height to entertain. Sometimes, he just dresses up as himself in a tuxedo.

“I started out realizing I wanted to take advantage of my disadvantage,” he said, dressed in a shirt that reads, “Shortdwarf.com reminds you to please Think When You Shrink.”

Shortdwarf.com is the Web site for Black’s talent agency for dwarfs, and is linked to the site for That’s Dandy, the one-man company Black started 20 years ago.

The business started as Dandy-Gram when Black did singing telegram gigs as Dandy T. Clown, a white-faced clown with a yellow nose, orange wig and big red bowtie. As he added more characters and routines, he changed the name to That’s Dandy.

These days, Black performs as X-Raydar MD the most. The routine offers a lot of humor, he said.

“I was going to be a psychiatrist, but I found out there was no need for pre-shrunk shrinks,” is one of the doctor’s lines.

The character’s costume - a stethoscope, doctor’s coat, mask and hat - is also easy to get in and out of, Black said. To become Dandy, Black needs about two hours to prepare for the routine, apply makeup and put on the costume. Each character’s routine lasts for 10 minutes, with the exception of Dandy. Black uses Dandy only for big events such as birthday parties or company promotions because it takes him so long to get ready.

The performances are usually a surprise. As the short sheik, Black walks in with a boombox and a dollar, dressed in black pants, a white shirt, red gloves and veil, and a cord around his waist. With the help of classic Michael Jackson songs, such as “Thriller,” he strips down to heart boxers, then takes those off to reveal polka dot boxers.

He sprinkles the performance with sexual innuendoes and at one point exposes black tassels attached to red vinyl that is rubber cemented on his chest.

Webberville resident Shelly Mills said she was very surprised when Black walked into her 40th birthday party last month dressed as the sheik.

“(The performance was) embarrassing,” Mills said. “It was pretty bizarre.”

The performances usually end with a card from the person who hired Black, which he reads before running out of the room.

Black has some regular clients. Some of his clients have suggested some characters, including the doctor and the sheik.

Because he doesn’t have a set schedule, Black’s life can be pretty hectic.

“A typical day is not typical,” he said. “Some days, the phone will not ring at all and I will do office work, whether it be Web pages nowadays or mailings.”

Other days, he can have up to seven performances. One Valentine’s Day, he visited 15 parties.

Black estimates about 5 percent of the dwarf population is involved in the entertainment industry. There are about 100 members in his talent agency. Large-scale films such as “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” - with Vern Troyer as Mini Me - have sparked interest in dwarf entertainment, he said.

“It’s become a fad, especially with college-age people and the 20-something age group,” he said.

But not everyone approves of “dwarf entertainment,” Black said.

“Thirty to 50 percent of the dwarf population is offended that we would do something like this,” he said. “They’re concerned that a dwarf entertainer’s performance is a reflection upon them and they want to rise above that.”

But Black said he has not relied on his short stature for success.

“I knew I couldn’t rely on just being short to be funny. I had to be funny, too,” he said.

But, he said, his height adds to the novelty of his performances.

“There are days I get angry and kick the wall because it’s not an easy life,” he said. “But then I realize, how else could I have this experience and learn what people are all about, and that they’re more comfortable with outward appearance than what’s inside?

“It is a gift that is unique to entertain somebody for their birthday, to give them something other than a shirt or a tie or a box of candy. I’ve seen people touched and I’ve seen people laugh so hard it hurts.”