Magic has been around for centuries. It has even been associated with medieval times in stories of Merlin and King Arthur, which has made religious people believe that this was evil. And people who knew it and practiced it were considered to be heretics and were burned at the stake.

Now who would ever imagine that magic has now gained a more favorable popularity? With more than a handful of famous magicians amusing innumerable audiences, magic has never been this much loved before. This popularity has made a lot of people yearn to learn some magic tricks. One of the most basic is the use of magic cards.

A deck of cards is one of the most common props used by magicians. There are many forms of magic tricks a person can do with a deck of cards. Here’s what one aspiring magician has to learn in manipulating magic cards:

The first thing that a person must learn is how to shuffle. This is done using both hands and by having a certain amount of cards on each hand. Then alternately put one card over the other until all the cards are in one stack then putting them together to form a uniform pile.

After that, one can start performing certain tricks that will both fool and amaze the audience. Some well known magicians can make a cigarette go right through a deck of cards while others can make a card float in the air with no visible strings attached. The most basic trick that anyone can master however is letting someone pick a card and after shuffling it, picking that same card the person selected moments ago. There are so many other tricks one can do with a deck of cards and all it takes is some time to get to know these tricks, practice it then show off to friends.

Other than using magic cards, there are so many other tricks, which involve other props or paraphernalia such as a coin, a hanky, or even a small ball. The use of cards in performing a trick is merely an execution of various optical illusions and manipulation, which just goes to show that the hand is quicker than the eye.

Cards can be bought at the local specialty store or ordered online. Sometimes these come with other special packages that will make tricks more fun to perform and watch.

One secret that either a newbie or an expert can benefit on while using a magic card or just about any magic props is to not reveal the secret of how the tricks are done.

About the author:

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com

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This wonderful question has rarely bothered magicians for decades. It should. Some possible answers might include:

He is getting married today.
He just got off work as a waiter.
He is going to the prom.

Wait! The man is about to do magic. Surely anyone doing great magic wears a tux. It logically follows that a person dressed in attire not worn generally by the public in nearly sixty years must be a well trained and entertaining artist.

I encounter responses such as:

People won t know we re magicians if don t wear our uniform, bemoan penguin-like prestidigitators.

Real magicians must wear tuxes, cries the part-time professional in his ill fitted and second hand attire.

The question of what magicians should wear has been around for more than a century. The correct answer has been around just as long. Unfortunately, many magicians don t get it.

Jean Robert-Houdin, the father of modern magic, looked around at how his fellow magicians dressed. The common uniform for a real magician was to dress up like a wizard complete with a conical hat. Robert-Houdin chose to view magic as an art. He devised many wonderful effects. He would go out on a bare stage to present his magic dressed in formal evening attire. The attire was appropriate and commonly worn for evening theatrical productions. Instead of dressing in way completely different from his audience, Robert-Houdin dressed just like his audience.

The point being made is simple. If you want magic to be viewed as a fine art, take your performance and dress seriously. Let the quality of your magic performance speak to the level of your magic artistry. If you want to be a magic clown, then dress like a penguin.

What about Lance Burton? Great question, thanks for asking. Lance s performing personality makes wearing a tuxedo appropriate for his performance. Mr. Burton consciously links back to magic s historical roots. Figuratively speaking, he wears the mantel of magic passed down through the ages. He portrays the great magician out of our past. Lance performs classical magic effects while donning the classical magical attire.

This is completely different from the approach of 99.998% of the other magicians wearing tuxes. Most part-time professional magicians wear a tux without regard to their performing personality. The key to what to wear is your performing personality. Begin with the assumption that a tux is not an option. Examine the key elements of your performing personality that you want to communicate to your audience. Tailor your dress to consciously communicate those key elements.

Another factor to consider is whether you want to stand out or blend with your audience. Let s say you want to blend with your audience. This is common approach for the restaurant or corporate magician. What will your audience be wearing? Try to dress a little above your audience. Let s say you want to stand out. Find ways to contrast with your audience that communicates positively to your performing personality. For example, assume your performing personality is that odd middle aged uncle that all the kids love but make parent roll their eyes. You know the type, every family has one. His style sense will be decades out of style but he will be clueless that he isn t the hippest guy around. If that is your chosen performing personality, then the performer s style will match the outfit. The point again is that the outfit chosen by the magician must relate to performing personality.

Let s get back to the original question. Why do magicians wear tuxes? Nobody knows including the magicians. Know your performing personality. Select your dress to complement your venue and performing personality. Treat your magic performance like the artistic performance you want it to be.

Read about more controversial issues at:
Learn-Great-Magic-Tricks

About the Author

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J.L. Siefers has been performing great magic for years.
He has shown hundreds of people how to successfully
learn to do great magic tricks.
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Click now to get your FREE magic tricks!
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Children and adults alike enjoy magical shows. Magical presentations are among the most popular past times among people of all ages, especially those who are fond of seeing folks who are clever in manipulating objects or controlling natural events.

Magicians, one who is skilled in performing optical illusion or sleight of hand, are particularly clever in performing amazing tricks. These very same tricks astound people and keep them from coming back.

There are several ways by which you experience the joy of this entertainment. You can either visit a nearby circus which are either permanent or mobile, and or with your friends who are gifted with this wonderful craft.

Magic Tricks

The very core of magic display is the exhibition of tricks. All tricks are done by using objects which either take the form of an animal or are turn into something spectacular.

Humans can also become subjects for performing tricks although current federal laws limit the use of human subjects in the performance of magic tricks.

Although magic tricks make up the most magic exposition, there are those that perform magic using no other objects but themselves.

Famous magicians of yesteryears such as Harry Houdini or Doug Henning mostly make use of material accessories in the performance of their magic tricks.

They make use of illusions out of the material (hat, baton, handkerchief, flowers, paper, etc.) they use which aim to amaze and mystify audience.

Even more startling is the event when other famous magicians perceivably vanish structures such the Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal and the Space Shuttle. In a similar event, Harry Hudoini apparently made a huge elephant disappear in front of a large audience.

Modern Magic

Modern illusionists (magicians) are bolder compared with previous practitioners. Some worth mentioning are Jeff Sheridan, Franko B and the most famous David Blaine.

David Blaine rose to popularity due to the performance of outstanding, yet bold acts. He has performed levitation, animate dead insects, baffling illusions, among others.

Today’s magicians virtually abandoned the usual magic production: an illusionist pull a rabbit out of a black, empty hat, a glass of water disappear as it is maneuvered across a board, and pour coins from an empty bottle.

Current practice includes exhibition and outrageous production like being stuck in the ice for hours with no interruptions.

Aside from the aforementioned activities, the joy of magic is also incorporated in activities related to birthday parties, education programs, corporate events, and youth groups.

About the author:

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! http://www.have-fun-with-magic.com

Technorati Tags: MagicalHypnotist, Magical, Magician, Illusionist, Illusion, Hypnotist, Stage Hypnotist, Stage Hypnosis, Hypnosis, Hypnotism, Comedy, Comedian, Mark Hamilton, Hamilton