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Magicians: David Blaine
"Magic on the street, he's off his
feet"
Leonardo Di Caprio wasn't at all interested in magic
until the time he first saw a close up magic performance by his friend David
Blaine. Many other magic sceptics look certain to follow in Di Caprio's
footsteps. Blaine's illusions are not heavily reliant on intricate props, they
are primarily spontaneous and 'in-your-face' . The majority of David Blaine's
card tricks are performed using a standard pack of Bicycle Cards and are
created using only his sleight of hand. He performs, what we in the trade call
"packet tricks" examples of which are
Cigarette Thru Coin,
where he takes a lit cigarette and passes it through the coin, and the
Invisible Deck where a
card merely thought of by a spectator is reversed in the deck. Although
technically, these tricks require absolutely no skill, David Blaine has
mastered the theatrical performance necessary to turn a simple trick into an
illusion of the highest order.
David Blaine was born in Brooklyn in the
1970's and performed his first trick aged four. He continued to learn new
tricks and develop his passion for magic throughout his childhood and on to
adulthood.
Blaine first performed publicly in bars whilst waiting on
tables! He performed to small gatherings of people, perfecting his close up
expertise and exercising his natural charm and persuasion. From there, he
attended private parties, often ones that were frequented by celebrities, on a
mission to entertain and mix in show business circles. In an attempt to further
his career, Blaine turned up at the ABC Television Studios in the US and gave
an impromptu performance to TV executives. He had nothing to lose and
everything to gain from this gutsy brainstorm. And gain, he did, as ABC
executives were so impressed with his, they immediately offered Blaine a
$1,000,000 TV deal for an hour long programme. Watching Blaine in "Street
Magic", it's not difficult to comprehend his seemingly overnight success. One
moment the magician David Blaine is unheard of outside of New York bars, the
next he's an exciting new addition to the world of magic and
entertainment!
Blaine is not a member of the Magic Circle and presents
himself apart from contemporary magicians. He seduces, mesmerises, reads minds
and levitates. He shocks, bewilders and transcends rationality. David Blaine's
repertoire encompasses the "Darker" side of magic! |
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