Balducci levitation
Encyclopedia
The Balducci levitation is a levitation illusion
that was first described by Ed Balducci
. Its inventor is unknown. It is an impromptu
magic trick
, which has been popularized by many magicians, such as David Roth
, Paul Harris
, Alex Magic, and David Blaine
.
s or setups that make them less practical than the Balducci levitation.
and acting
on the part of the performer.
These psychological subtleties increase the probability that spectators will believe the illusion:
These physical subtleties make the levitation seem more amazing:
The effects of these subtleties can be seen in David Blaine's television performances of this illusion. For example, one spectator is asked how high Blaine levitated. She gestures a height that is obviously a few inches higher than the illusion is capable of producing, demonstrating that subtleties can often cause a spectator's interpretation of an effect to be better than the effect itself.
Simply put: the magician stands on the front of one foot, while raising the one foot and the visible part of his other foot, blocking the view of the front of the supporting foot with the other foot and rear part of the supporting foot.
The reverse Balducci illusion is similar to the Balducci illusion, but the magician faces towards the audience at a 90-degree angle rather than facing away. The magician slowly stands on the heel of his 'far' foot as he lifts his 'near' foot and the front of the 'far' foot. To improve the appearance of the effect, the magician will try to maintain the near foot parallel to the ground.
Another variation that is sometimes shown on TV shows is done by performing a normal 'Balducci', filming the audience reaction, then later returning and performing the illusion with the aid of wires to get more height or to get a shot from the front or underneath. These shots will be edited into the footage of the original performance, thus allowing the levitation effect to be exaggerated, while still using genuine onlookers in the shot.
There is a principle in theatrical magic that "the audience will often remember or describe an exaggerated effect" --- so the audience members may not notice the increased height caused by the 'faked second shot' (if the additional height is not more than a few extra centimeters) when watching the combined footage later, believing that they are seeing a genuine re-creation of the performance. This is even more likely if, during the original performance, cameras are positioned in the same place as those from which the "faked" footage was later shot.
published the first known description of the illusion in July 1974 in The Pallbearer's Review, (Volume 9, Number 9, pp 755) under the name "Impromptu Levitation." Balducci ended his description by saying, Originator unknown. It was shown to me many years ago by one of the Harmonicats, a cousin of mine, Erwin Levine, known as the Baron.
Despite Balducci's disclaimer, the illusion has since been known as the "Balducci Levitation."
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
that was first described by Ed Balducci
Ed Balducci
Ed Balducci is often named as the creator of the "Balducci levitation", which has been popularized by magician David Blaine. Ed also is credited with the best Card to Wallet....
. Its inventor is unknown. It is an impromptu
Impromptu
An impromptu is a free-form musical composition with the character of an ex tempore improvisation as if prompted by the spirit of the moment, usually for a solo instrument, such as piano...
magic trick
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
, which has been popularized by many magicians, such as David Roth
David Roth
David Roth is an American magician.Roth is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest living coin magicians. Roth is known both for tremendous technical mastery and for playful and surrealistic formal performance pieces...
, Paul Harris
Paul Harris (magician)
Paul Tomas Harris is an inventor, magician, and writer. Described by the magic magazine Genii as "the most innovative magic mind of our day," Harris is listed in Magic magazine as one of "the 100 [magicians] who shaped the art [of magic] in America".He has invented many original tricks...
, Alex Magic, and David Blaine
David Blaine
David Blaine is an American illusionist and endurance artist. He is best known for his high-profile feats of endurance, and has made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic. He has set and broken several world records...
.
Effect
The performer stands at an angle facing away from the spectators. The performer appears to levitate a few inches above the ground. The effect generally does not last for more than five seconds. The performer's feet return to the ground, and the effect is complete.In and outs
Other methods of levitation allow for greater heights, longer durations, and better viewing angles (see definition of angles from List of conjuring terms) for performance; however, most of these methods can only be performed on a stage because they require special equipment or setups (such as wires). The Balducci levitation requires no preparation of any kind, and so it can be performed impromptu - anytime, anywhere. Although variations have been made to improve the illusion of genuine levitation, they are generally harder to perform, and some require gimmickGimmick
In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use. Thus, a gimmick is a special feature for the sake of having a special feature...
s or setups that make them less practical than the Balducci levitation.
Subtleties
Like many magic effects, this illusion relies mostly on subtle misdirectionMisdirection
Misdirection is a form of deception in which the attention of an audience is focused on one thing in order to distract its attention from another....
and acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
on the part of the performer.
These psychological subtleties increase the probability that spectators will believe the illusion:
- The spectators are informed ahead of time that the performer intends to levitate.
- The performer pretends to put a good deal of care in choosing a place to perform the levitation.
- The performer acts as if performing the levitation is difficult and physically straining.
- The performer emphasizes the fact that there are no gimmicks (wires, etc.) used, and encourages that the area and the performers clothing be examined.
- The performer provides a reason for the audience's position: a warning he may fall and require them to catch him.
These physical subtleties make the levitation seem more amazing:
- The spectators are misdirected from the performer's method because they are concentrating on the movement of the feet and the space that appears between the feet and the ground.
- When "landing," the performer will make a point of hitting the ground hard with the feet, and bending the knees to convince the spectators that the performer's feet were higher in the air than they actually were.
The effects of these subtleties can be seen in David Blaine's television performances of this illusion. For example, one spectator is asked how high Blaine levitated. She gestures a height that is obviously a few inches higher than the illusion is capable of producing, demonstrating that subtleties can often cause a spectator's interpretation of an effect to be better than the effect itself.
How it works
The magician positions himself at an angle to his audience a little distance away, in such a way that the audience can only see the rearward portion of one foot and most of the other foot -- concealing the toe end of the 'far' (upstage) foot. The audience group must be small enough that they can be grouped close together. The magician, with the rearward portion of his feet held together, lifts the 'near' foot off the ground, standing on only the front part of his 'far' foot (the one which is partially concealed) while lifting the rearward part of the 'far' foot and all of the 'near' foot and keeping his ankles together. The audience sees only one foot and the heel of the other (the 'far' foot), which appear to rise off the floor. The hidden part of the 'far' (upstage) foot supports the weight of the magician as he appears to levitate one or two inches.Simply put: the magician stands on the front of one foot, while raising the one foot and the visible part of his other foot, blocking the view of the front of the supporting foot with the other foot and rear part of the supporting foot.
The reverse Balducci illusion is similar to the Balducci illusion, but the magician faces towards the audience at a 90-degree angle rather than facing away. The magician slowly stands on the heel of his 'far' foot as he lifts his 'near' foot and the front of the 'far' foot. To improve the appearance of the effect, the magician will try to maintain the near foot parallel to the ground.
Another variation that is sometimes shown on TV shows is done by performing a normal 'Balducci', filming the audience reaction, then later returning and performing the illusion with the aid of wires to get more height or to get a shot from the front or underneath. These shots will be edited into the footage of the original performance, thus allowing the levitation effect to be exaggerated, while still using genuine onlookers in the shot.
There is a principle in theatrical magic that "the audience will often remember or describe an exaggerated effect" --- so the audience members may not notice the increased height caused by the 'faked second shot' (if the additional height is not more than a few extra centimeters) when watching the combined footage later, believing that they are seeing a genuine re-creation of the performance. This is even more likely if, during the original performance, cameras are positioned in the same place as those from which the "faked" footage was later shot.
Credits
Ed BalducciEd Balducci
Ed Balducci is often named as the creator of the "Balducci levitation", which has been popularized by magician David Blaine. Ed also is credited with the best Card to Wallet....
published the first known description of the illusion in July 1974 in The Pallbearer's Review, (Volume 9, Number 9, pp 755) under the name "Impromptu Levitation." Balducci ended his description by saying, Originator unknown. It was shown to me many years ago by one of the Harmonicats, a cousin of mine, Erwin Levine, known as the Baron.
Despite Balducci's disclaimer, the illusion has since been known as the "Balducci Levitation."
Elevator levitation
Elevator levitation is a variation of the Balducci levitation illusion. The magician shows himself clean in all possible ways (that is: he has no instruments to assist him with his trick). Suddenly, he levitates three to four inches off the ground, then, returns to the ground without any special apparatus.Known variations
- Antigravity boots by Peter Marvey
- King levitationKing levitationThe King Rising Levitation is a levitation illusion developed by and named after Corey King. Some consider it to be a variation of the Balducci levitation.-Effect:...
by Corey King - Criss Angel's Levitation by Criss Angel
- SoopermanSoopermanLooy's Sooperman is a levitation illusion created by Looy Simonoff. It is a variation of the Balducci levitation. The effect is currently being sold under the name Wild Levitation.- Effect :...
by Paul HarrisPaul Harris (magician)Paul Tomas Harris is an inventor, magician, and writer. Described by the magic magazine Genii as "the most innovative magic mind of our day," Harris is listed in Magic magazine as one of "the 100 [magicians] who shaped the art [of magic] in America".He has invented many original tricks... - Zero Gravity by Mike Bent
Appearances in popular media
- The "Reverse Balducci" was performed by Wade's crew members in the film You Got ServedYou Got ServedYou Got Served is a film written and directed by Chris Stokes, manager of its stars, recording artist Omarion, Marques Houston and the members of boy band B2K. The plot concerns a group of dancers, who take part in a street dancing competition...
- The "Reverse Balducci" is performed and mentioned by name in issue 25 of Y - The Last Man
- Hotel BabylonHotel BabylonHotel Babylon was a BBC television drama series based on the book of the same name by Imogen Edwards-Jones, that aired from 19 January 2006 to 14 August 2009, produced by independent production company Carnival Films for BBC One...
S3E7 features a character (Dan Black) loosely based on David Blaine, who performs the illusion in the lift; later one of the main characters (Anna) shows the other hotel staff (but not the viewer) how the illusion is performed.