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document.write('<p class="rss_title"><a class="rss_title" href="http://magic.about.com/">About Magic & Illusion</a><br /><span class="rss_item">Magic & Illusion</span></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://magic.about.com/b/2010/09/01/americas-got-talent-semi-finals-with-murray-and-grasso.htm"  target="feed">\"America\'s Got Talent\" Semi-Finals with Murray and Grasso</a>');
document.write('<br /><span class="rss_date">posted on September 01, 2010 09:41:16 pm </span>');
document.write('<br />(When I published this story, we did not yet know that Michael Grasso had been admitted to the finals of the show. Congratulations Michael Grasso, you are a positive representative for our art. And thanks to Murray for the excellent showing and herculean effort. -WK)  <p>Competing somewhat head-to-head against <strong>Murray SawChuck</strong> as one of two remaining magicians in the semis, <strong>Michael Grasso</strong> made a sizable impression. Meanwhile, <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/05/10/murray-sawchuck-talks-about-las-vegas-magic-and-lance-burton.htm\">Murray Sawchuck</a> ramped up the scale of his illusions (he had to follow-up a car and tiger in earlier rounds) and aimed for an emotional and inspirational connection.</p>  <p>First to perform, Michael Grasso presented his illusion with lots of style. For those who see lots of magic, there\'s a tipoff from the very beginning as to what is going happen, but the surprise riveted the attention of the audience and judges. Too bad that the editing wasn\'t better to protect the effect. One has to wonder if the judges of \"America\'s Got Talent\" are being trained to look over their shoulders each and every time a magician performs. You can watch the video <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeSWzDw695w\">here</a>.</p>  <p><strong>Inspirations and Trains</strong><br />  Judge Howie Mandell compared Murray\'s illusion to a <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicianprofiles/p/082706copperfld.htm\">David Copperfield</a> presentation. <img src=\"http://z.about.com/d/magic/1/0/V/T/050810murray.jpg\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" width=\"136\" height=\"170\" align=\"right\" />Indeed, on his \"Orient Express\" magic special from decades ago, Copperfield levitated and vanished a luxury train car. Murray, on the other hand, vanished a train engine.</p>  <p>Most significant from the standpoint of his work thus far, Murray eschewed the <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicvenues/tp/lasvegasmagic.htm\">Vegas</a> glitz and dancers for an emotional build-up and payoff, ala classic Copperfield. While I admire Murray\'s work on the show, unfortunately, the presentation didn\'t resonate.</p>  <p>With Copperfield\'s classic routines, the illusion fulfills a longtime dream: having never seen snowfall or his Grandfather\'s lifelong wish for a special car. <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/biosonfamousmagicians/a/031607wyrick.htm\">Steve Wyrick</a>, in his now shuttered Las Vegas show, \"<a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicvenues/a/091708wyrick.htm\">Real Magic</a>,\" successfully presented a relationship with his father that was combined with a dream of flying.</p>  <p>I got Murray\'s theme about leaving the family\'s traditional business to perform magic, all of which culminated in a simultaneous homage and large-scale illusion - the vanish of the train engine. But shouldn\'t the illusion have featured the production of a train engine?</p>  <p>The vanish was good, but didn\'t connect with the theme. And the relationship with his Dad, something that Copperfield is able to milk for all that its worth, in Murray\'s case, felt tacked on.</p>  <p>I suspect that there were lots of things out of Murray\'s control as his presentation felt rather rushed and disjointed. And the \"proving,\" the hammering of the train engine to show that it was solid, was a distraction in the middle of the routine. You can watch the video <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyV1LO-R7k0\">here</a>.</p>  <p>Whatever happens, the magic community can be proud of Murray and Michael Grasso. Both have been positive representatives for our art.</p>  <p><strong>More Reading</strong>:<br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicvenues/tp/lasvegasmagic.htm\">Las Vegas Magic Shows</a><br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/06/25/more-magic-on-americas-got-talent.htm\">More Magic on \"America\'s Got Talent\" (June 25, 2010)</a><br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/07/13/americas-got-talent-the-las-vegas-eliminations.htm\">America\'s Got Talent: The Las Vegas Eliminations (July 13, 2010)</a><br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/05/10/murray-sawchuck-talks-about-las-vegas-magic-and-lance-burton.htm\">Murray SawChuck Talks About Las Vegas Magic and Lance Burton</a></p><p style=\"background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;\"><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/09/01/americas-got-talent-semi-finals-with-murray-and-grasso.htm\">\"America\'s Got Talent\" Semi-Finals with Murray and Grasso</a> originally appeared on <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/\">About.com Magic & Illusion</a> on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 21:41:16.</p><p><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/09/01/americas-got-talent-semi-finals-with-murray-and-grasso.htm\">Permalink</a> | <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/09/01/americas-got-talent-semi-finals-with-murray-and-grasso.htm#gB3\">Comment</a> | <a href=\"http://magic.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/09/01/americas-got-talent-semi-finals-with-murray-and-grasso.htm&#038;zItl=\"America\'s Got Talent\" Semi-Finals with Murray and Grasso\">Email this</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/30/new-trick-for-my-strolling-crazy-8.htm"  target="feed">New Trick for My Strolling: \"Crazy 8\"</a>');
document.write('<br /><span class="rss_date">posted on August 30, 2010 12:33:05 am </span>');
document.write('<br /><p>I\'ve been presenting a new effect in my restaurants that\'s been getting great responses. And it\'s the first \"torn and restored\" routine that I have continuously presented in my close-up sets.</p>  <p>The effect is \"Crazy 8\" - a card trick that\'s combined with a torn and restored ending. You show spectators a small abstract picture and ask one to sign it. A spectator selects a playing card and loses it in the deck. After failing to find the card you tear up the abstract picture and rearrange the pieces to form a pattern that indicates the spectator\'s card. After some byplay, you completely restore the pieces into the new pattern and give the new picture to spectators. The original initials are still on the paper.</p>  <p>When I first looked learned of \"Crazy 8,\" I recognized the power of the effect and noted that I may want to eventually perform it. But like a lot of tricks that I take note of, it got placed on my \"back burner.\" \"Crazy 8\" is by Dan Harlan and he teaches it on his \"<a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=19&#38;nav=messages&#38;webtag=ab-magic&#38;tid=5352\">Harlan Live</a>\" title.</p>  <p>Fast forward to the recent <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/07/10/notes-from-the-2010-ibm-convention-san-diego.htm\">IBM Magic Convention</a> in San Diego where I listened to an excellent lecture by Shaun Farquhar. The trick that caught my eye was his amazing \"Torn 2 Pieces,\" which is based on the same principle (independently conceived) as Harlan\'s \"Crazy 8.\" Farquahar\'s version is stunning and commercial and uses a photograph. He performed the effect on his recent appearance on the \"Ellen\" TV show.</p>  <p>This planted a seed in my head. As a result, I worked on \"Crazy 8\" the following week and have been performing it since. In my restaurants, I\'ve been presenting the effect mainly to my regulars and occasionally new clients when the moment feels right.</p>  <p>Because \"Crazy 8\" features the same revelation, I will retire it after most of my regulars have experienced it. But it\'s great to have this one in my arsenal to call on when I want a stunning closer.</p>  <p><strong>More Reading</strong>: <br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2009/08/10/magic-tales-from-the-tables-magic-of-love.htm\">Tales From the Tables: Magic of Love</a><br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicreview/fr/010907jailhouse.htm\">Live at the Jailhouse: a Guide to Restaurant Magic</a><br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/restreader.htm\">Restaurant Magic Reader by Jim Sisti</a></p><p style=\"background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;\"><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/30/new-trick-for-my-strolling-crazy-8.htm\">New Trick for My Strolling: \"Crazy 8\"</a> originally appeared on <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/\">About.com Magic & Illusion</a> on Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 00:33:05.</p><p><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/30/new-trick-for-my-strolling-crazy-8.htm\">Permalink</a> | <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/30/new-trick-for-my-strolling-crazy-8.htm#gB3\">Comment</a> | <a href=\"http://magic.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/30/new-trick-for-my-strolling-crazy-8.htm&#038;zItl=New Trick for My Strolling: \"Crazy 8\"\">Email this</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/27/americas-got-talent-dan-sperrys-semi-finals.htm"  target="feed">America’s Got Talent - Dan Sperry\'s Semi-Finals</a>');
document.write('<br /><span class="rss_date">posted on August 27, 2010 03:05:08 am </span>');
document.write('<br /><p><strong>Are Mutilation Illusions a Tough Sell?</strong></p>  <p>As this season\'s \"America\'s Got Talent\" inches towards the finals, Dan Sperry\'s latest routine, an amputation illusion, encountered a critical judging panel.</p>  <p>I don\'t intend to simply recap each show, but continually comment on the show\'s depiction of magic. Like or hate the program, \"America\'s Got Talent\" is currently the largest outlet for our art that is presenting magic in millions of homes. And the comments by the judges can provide a look into the reactions of lay audiences as well as non-magic, entertainment insiders. This season, the show has featured: <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/05/03/dan-sperry-talks-about-las-vegas-magic-and-lance-burton.htm\">Dan Sperry</a>, <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/05/murray-sawchuck-delivers-on-americas-got-talent.htm\">Murray SawChuck</a>, David Grasso, Antonio Restivo and more</p>  <p>The difficulty of the show\'s weekly format - presenting a single routine for the judges - makes magicians come out on stage without the benefit of developing a character through a formal show. <img src=\"http://z.about.com/d/magic/1/0/S/T/042610dansperry2.jpg\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" align=\"right\" />The problem is, audiences don\'t get to know the performer and week by week, each appearance has to present another potential opener or closer - it\'s all big stuff. Front of curtain material, or slower, more intimate moments that allow a magician to connect with an audience don\'t exist.</p>  <p><strong>Fire</strong><br />  Restivo has done a great job of maintaining a high level of entertaining, large-scale magic that\'s loaded with fire. I understand the need to continually play it big to impress the judges, but an actual evening show with Restivo presenting large and smaller, intimate moments would create balance as well as highs and lows. And we would care about him when he\'s placed into seeming danger in his show. You can watch his performance <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbx5GjrdvL8\">here.</a></p>  <p><strong>Twisted Magic</strong><br />  Keeping in character, Dan Sperry presented a creepy amputation effect where he appeared to cut off and tattoo host Nick Cannon\'s arm. I don\'t fault Sperry\'s presentation - I think it was a clever idea that was complementary to his twisted character - but I think the comments by the judging panel say a lot about what lay audiences are thinking when it comes to mutilation-style illusions: sawing in half, decapitation, sword through neck and more.</p>  <p>When lay audiences see a mutilation style routine, they instinctively know that the magician isn\'t actually harming an assistant or volunteer. As a result, the audiences immediately search for the method. This is regardless of how good the presentation.</p>  <p>When I first saw <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/04/28/jeff-hobson-and-kevin-james-talk-about-las-vegas-magic.htm\">Kevin James</a> perform his \"Reanimator\" routine with the disembodied arm - years ago before I was a magician - I immediately figured out the secret but enjoyed the light-hearted presentation and admired the smooth transitions. Interestingly, James performed \"Reanimator\" when he was a contestant on \"America\'s Got Talent\" in season one, and it was heavily criticized by judge Piers Morgan, who also reacted in a similar manner to Sperry\'s routine, calling it \"one of the most pathetic tricks I\'ve ever seen.\"</p>  <p>When it comes to mutilation effects, are we magicians fooling ourselves when we think an illusion that is presented well can compensate for an effect that the audience figures out?</p>  <p>You can watch Sperry\'s routine <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjueImBkTDw&#38;NR=1\">here</a>.</p>  <p>Based on Morgan\'s remarks, mutilation routines have to be visual and difficult to explain, and, I\'ll add, if you can surprise the audience, it\'s even better. I\'d call the overdone twisting of the head illusion as one that\'s visual and hard to explain. And the best of the mutilation style routines in my mind include: Kevin James\' \"sawing,\" as well as the classic \"sawing\" by Richiardi.</p>  <p>In the end, both Dan Sperry and Antonio Restivo were eliminated. It\'s now up to David Grasso and Murray SawChuck to carry the magic torch to the finals. My money is on Murray.</p>  <p><strong>More Reading</strong>:<br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/12/259016.htm\">Dan Sperry\'s Showstopper on \"America\'s Got Talent</a><br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/05/03/dan-sperry-talks-about-las-vegas-magic-and-lance-burton.htm\">Dan Sperry Talks About Las Vegas Magic and Lance Burton</a><br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/04/28/jeff-hobson-and-kevin-james-talk-about-las-vegas-magic.htm\">Jeff Hobson and Kevin James Talk About Las Vegas Magic</a><br />  <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/05/murray-sawchuck-delivers-on-americas-got-talent.htm\">Murray Sawchuck Delivers on \"America\'s Got Talent\"</a></p><p style=\"background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;\"><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/27/americas-got-talent-dan-sperrys-semi-finals.htm\">America’s Got Talent - Dan Sperry\'s Semi-Finals</a> originally appeared on <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/\">About.com Magic & Illusion</a> on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 03:05:08.</p><p><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/27/americas-got-talent-dan-sperrys-semi-finals.htm\">Permalink</a> | <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/27/americas-got-talent-dan-sperrys-semi-finals.htm#gB3\">Comment</a> | <a href=\"http://magic.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/27/americas-got-talent-dan-sperrys-semi-finals.htm&#038;zItl=America’s Got Talent - Dan Sperry\'s Semi-Finals\">Email this</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/25/ariann-black-secrets-receives-a-local-review.htm"  target="feed">\"Ariann Black: Secrets\" Receives a Local Review</a>');
document.write('<br /><span class="rss_date">posted on August 25, 2010 02:57:58 am </span>');
document.write('<br /><strong>Ariann Black\'s</strong> Las Vegas show gets reviewed by a local newspaper. Overall, the writer seems to feel that Black\'s magic production, despite being one of the few with a female star, feels a lot like the others on the strip. \"Ariann Black: Secrets\" is running at the Westin Casuarina.    <p><img src=\"http://z.about.com/d/magic/1/0/r/I/121408masters.jpg\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" align=\"right\" />\"For one illusion in particular, known in the trade as \'Interlude,\' this creates a gay subtext, via some gentle caresses before Lee appears to pass through Black\'s body,\" says the story. \"Kinda hot for the straight-male demo. And the only new wrinkle on the usual display of doves, linking rings, bisecting boxes and levitations.\"  <p>\"many women have tried [to perform illusions],\" says the story, \"But few have expanded the vocabulary beyond the addition of fishnets and killer abs. Alas, Black is no exception in \'Secrets\'...\"   <p>Read the entire <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.lvrj.com/neon/-ariann-black--secrets--101146014.html?ref=014\">review</a>.   <p><strong>More Reading</strong>:<br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/u/ua/professionalmagicians/commentsmagicians.htm\">Why Are There So Few Female Magicians?</a><br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicvenues/tp/lasvegasmagic.htm\">Las Vegas Magic</a> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/biosonfamousmagicians/a/061506ayala.htm\">Interview with Jouquin Ayala</a><br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/05/03/dan-sperry-talks-about-las-vegas-magic-and-lance-burton.htm\">Dan Sperry Talks About Las Vegas Magic </a><br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/04/28/jeff-hobson-and-kevin-james-talk-about-las-vegas-magic.htm\">Jeff Hobson and Kevin James Talk About Las Vegas Magic</a>  <p style=\"background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;\"><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/25/ariann-black-secrets-receives-a-local-review.htm\">\"Ariann Black: Secrets\" Receives a Local Review</a> originally appeared on <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/\">About.com Magic & Illusion</a> on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 02:57:58.</p><p><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/25/ariann-black-secrets-receives-a-local-review.htm\">Permalink</a> | <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/25/ariann-black-secrets-receives-a-local-review.htm#gB3\">Comment</a> | <a href=\"http://magic.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/25/ariann-black-secrets-receives-a-local-review.htm&#038;zItl=\"Ariann Black: Secrets\" Receives a Local Review\">Email this</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss_item"><a class="rss_item" href="http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/23/card-flourishes-versus-card-magic.htm"  target="feed">Card Flourishes Versus Card Magic</a>');
document.write('<br /><span class="rss_date">posted on August 23, 2010 01:06:50 am </span>');
document.write('<br /><p><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/glossaryofmagicterms/g/flourish.htm\">Card flourishes </a>are somewhat controversial as some magicians feel that flourishes and impressive displays of skills detract from card magic. <img src=\"http://z.about.com/d/magic/1/0/N/C/Swivel-blog.jpg\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" align=\"right\" />The premise, a valid one, is that the presentation of manipulative feats indicate to spectators that a magician is skilled with cards and can effectively \"cheat\" with them. And a magician \"cheating\" with cards provides an explanation that nullifies any concept of magic.</p>  <p>As the thinking goes, a gambler (cheater) who is skilled with cards would never display flourishes. The gambler would handle cards as any average person does to not call any attention to his or her potential skills.</p>  <p>Card flourishers, on the other hand, display skill to capture the attention of spectators. Entire entire routines can be built around these flourishes.</p>  <p>I personally enjoy watching smooth card flourishes. And like many magicians, I incorporate flourishes in my card magic. I feel that flourishes show spectators that my magic is the result of practice and skill and not a trick deck. I also find that flourishes add a visual element to my card magic.</p>  <p>Another thought, card flourishing, or <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicreview/fr/xcm.htm\">XCM </a>(extreme card manipulation), is the only branch of magic that is great for <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2009/05/19/youtube-magic-exposure-no-problem.htm\">YouTube.</a> Here, practitioners can combine and showcase their moves and compare performances online.</p>  <p>Whether you learn and perform complicated card flourishes will depend on your personality and the way that you relate to your audiences. I can readily see the position of those who feel that flourishes do not belong in a magic routine, but I feel that the few that I perform work well for my magic. And if you really like learning and executing complicated card flourishes ala <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicreview/fr/071107trilogy.htm\">Dan and Dave</a>, definitely go for it.</p>  <p>For more thoughts on flourishes as well as a list of the flourishes that I use in my magic, you can read the entire article <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magiciansvideos/a/Card-Flourishes-Versus-Card-Magic.htm\">here</a>. Also, you can read my essay on \"<a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2009/09/14/tricks-versus-skill.htm\">Tricks versus Skill</a>.\"</p>  <p>So what prompted me to write about flourishes? For the past three days, I\'ve been working on a fairly challenging card flourish, \"Mele,\" from the new \"Bluff\" DVD (a good French title). The multi-sectional cut features spins and twirls that are different from anything that I currently perform.   <p>The cut is quite visual and cool but the instruction on the DVD was sorely lacking: no dialogue or insightful tips or video from the first person perspective. There was lots of pausing of the video with my hands in awkward positions with the cards.   <p>I learned from the DVD a fast, two-phase transposition called \"JJ\" that I may use one day. I also liked another flashy cut on the DVD called \"Moulin Rouge 2,\" but the balancing of cards on the fingertips was far too impractical for my work.   <p><strong>More Reading</strong>:<br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2009/09/14/tricks-versus-skill.htm\">Tricks Versus Skill</a><br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2009/03/19/beginning-steps-card-flourishes.htm\">Learning Card Flourishes</a><br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicreview/fr/xcm.htm\">DVD Review: Xtreme Beginnerz</a><br /> <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/od/magicreview/fr/071107trilogy.htm\">The Trilogy (3 DVD Set) by Dan And Dave Buck</a></p><p style=\"background:#f5f3ef;border:1px solid #d5d0bf;clear:both;padding:.5em;\"><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/23/card-flourishes-versus-card-magic.htm\">Card Flourishes Versus Card Magic</a> originally appeared on <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/\">About.com Magic & Illusion</a> on Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 01:06:50.</p><p><a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/23/card-flourishes-versus-card-magic.htm\">Permalink</a> | <a href=\"http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/23/card-flourishes-versus-card-magic.htm#gB3\">Comment</a> | <a href=\"http://magic.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://magic.about.com/b/2010/08/23/card-flourishes-versus-card-magic.htm&#038;zItl=Card Flourishes Versus Card Magic\">Email this</a></p>');
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