Mandy Davis - Diva of Deception

Mandy Davis - Diva of Deception - is a professional close up magician working for banquets, dinners, receptions, weddings, bar/batmitzvahs, private parties etc. A member of The Inner Magic Circle, she serves on their ruling Council and currently holds several posts. . Mandy is also a member of Equity and twice honoured with the Society of American Magicians' Presidential Citation.

Monday, June 01, 2009

MAGIC WORKSHOPS - THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

It's official - well put it this way: I have truly discovered my metier in this uncertain world of magical entertainment.

I have alway known that i could teach - just don't have formal qualifications. My problem was that I have never been that sure that I knew enough to set myself up as a teacher, even of the basics. So although I launched highly successful one-off corporate workshops, I couldn't bring myself to suggestion follow ups. I was an excellent tutor for people who have no knowledge of magic but would love to learn a little to impress friends and even to add to their selling techniques. These workshops have been very sought after and I continue to infiltrate corners of the City, working with companies who wish to entertain top clients and offer them meals plus something extra and different. However I've always kept these as one-offs, not prepared to go back and take these people to the next level. However...

Last week I ran a series of half-term workshops for teenagers in an East London borough. This time I'd be working with the same group for ten hours of instruction.

I have to say, though, it was great! The kids were very focussed and interested, only one had short concentration span and I had a very enthusiastic teaching assistant who helped out with one boy who was autistic. She had a brilliant time learning magic - and taught the crowd the infamous 21 card trick (every non-magician who says to a magician 'I can do a card trick, can I show you?' invariably does this one! Twelve had signed up for the course but we lost three brothers due to the fact that the eldest already had amazing card skills but wasn't interested in learning other tricks such as rope magic or mind reading so they only came along for the first day.

The remaining nine had to 'put on a show' in the last part of the last day, and that was particularly worrying, but they all came up trumps; they performed for thirty minutes and had a wow of a time. We ended up with only three card tricks, two rope tricks, one book test and one escape performed by two magicians simultaneously. So it was a varied show and their performance skills improved greatly over the four days. We had started with all of them shuffling their feet, swaying from side to side and talking to the floor. We ended up with them all looking at the audience and standing relatively still... although some forgot their opening line 'Hello, my name is ......... and I am a magician!'

I really enjoyed myself and am looking forward to repeating the exercise in August. Last week's group all professed a desire to continue to work with me but the organisers are loathe to do an improvers' group so I have to start again with new kids... let's hope they are just as good and as receptive and I have a super summer too.

So - now I can say, without hesitation, that I can take a group and give them a series of basic workshops covering various disciplines of magic so that everyone will have a really great time and learn something useful too! After all anything that helps you to stand up in front of a crowd and not fall flat on your face has to be a worthwhile endeavour!

So contact me for your group - but be warned, before you begin you have to sign a Magician's Oath not to tell.

Can you keep the secrets?

5 Comments:

Blogger Jordan Pampliega said...

It was very nice that you had a succesful workshop. I agree it's always the 21-card trick that is always shown that at least someone who is a non-magician has interest in magic.

11:26 am  
Blogger Diva of Deception said...

It took me a while to find out where you live - great to hear from you. The world is a small place these days - or have you moved out?

12:47 pm  
Blogger SharonM said...

How satisfying.

I would love to learn a little magic myself one of these days.

One of my late friends was a magician and I always wished I could be able to figure out at least one of his tricks.

7:53 am  
Blogger Brian Sibley said...

And if they break the Oath...?? It doesn't bear thinking about! lizards and spiders everywhere!

12:29 pm  
Blogger Diva of Deception said...

Only you and I know for sure what will happen to them....

1:22 pm  

Post a Comment

<< Home