So, I was thinking of doing a stage show for the upcoming Fall Festival and I was looking at different things to maybe add to my act, and I stumbled upon the dancing cane. I have a general idea how it works, but that is not my question as much as is it a worthy investment? And, most importantly, how long would it take to learn. I am sure I won't be able to do it like David Copperfield (see his beautiful performance below) but I am wondering if I can learn it in a few weeks. thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkUNYdplejU

The "Dancing Cane" is a very easy trick to learn, Noname. They are almost self working, after 10 minutes practice most of the moves you see David do, you will be doing too. I am not a particularly gracefull person and I am a dreadfull and emmbarrassing dancer but given a "Dancing Cane", I instantly start to feel and move like Nuryev.

I used to do a cabaret show under UV light and painted mine in up in UV reflective paint. With a suitable costume and darkness and a UV light source, the efect is astounding.

Its years since I ever thought about it. Thank you for reminding me.

The "Dancing Cane" is a very easy trick to learn, Noname. They are almost self working, after 10 minutes practice most of the moves you see David do, you will be doing too. I am not a particularly gracefull person and I am a dreadfull and emmbarrassing dancer but given a "Dancing Cane", I instantly start to feel and move like Nuryev.

I used to do a cabaret show under UV light and painted mine in up in UV reflective paint. With a suitable costume and darkness and a UV light source, the efect is astounding.

Its years since I ever thought about it. Thank you for reminding me.

Any recommendations on a specific one?
(http://themagicwarehouse.com/cgi-bin/newsearch.pl)

I suppose that would depend on whether you prefer Ball-Room or Disco...

That's cute. I like it.

Hi noname,

If you are familiar with the modus operandi, why not just make your own? Perhaps there is an old broom sitting in the corner that might be a fine cane when cut to length and painted (I've always prefered a bit of glitter here but that's just me). Surely you must have access to a strong piece of thread (look in your tackle box for a bit of monofiliment.) Drill a hole just a bit above the midpoint, tie the string in a loop just a bit longer than half the length of the cane, and . . . well, practice. It's not hard to do and you will certainly get the knack rather quickly.

(Oops, did I give away the secret?)

Anyway, while the performance of a dancing cane is easy, there can be problems with lighting. Be sure to have someone watch you in the venue to make sure the string maintains some small bit of invisibility.

Dancing canes are not often seen these days (I think the last time I saw one was just a quick flash in some opera. I vaguely remember a witch and her magic broom. Hansel and Gretel, perhaps?)

Do persue this and add it to your growing cache of object manipulations.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Sincerely,

bgrdnz

Thank you for that, however, Sept is a busy month for me and any free time I have I want to use for practicing, not building. Granted, I know it does not take that long, but trying to find everything I need (I live in a rectory, where we need the broom and I haven't fished in years, so I would have to buy the line). Instead of all the hassle, I just ordered one for $12 from themagicwarehouse.com Apparently, it is the one that Jeff McBride uses in his shows, and I think he is an excellent manipulator.

When I get it, hopefully in a few days, I'll let you know how it is and how I am doing. I also ordered a DVD by Paul Romhany, which seems a lot like what I do. Slowly it is coming together, slowly.

Perhaps, I will get more ideas after making my day visit to Clownfest.

BTW, if you have not seen Romhany, here he is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak1jlJjPRFo

Recomendations? Not really. As far as I can remember, the cane I bought came in a blue box and was made in India. They are very simple affairs and cheap. I am sure any you find marketed as such, will work perfectly well.

With all these kind of things, I like to buy the original gimmick or prop the first time. Once I have bought the secret, I fell quite happy to make the items myself in the future. There is a secret about the dancing cane that is not obvious from this conversation so far. I will sugest that a broom handel sugested by Bgrdnz will never work as described in his post.

Once you have aquired your cane, I wouldn't recommend buying a teaching DVD to go with it though. You will see, probably have already seen, all the moves that the cane is capable of on Youtube. All these moves are obvious and intuitive. The real magic behind performing with the cane, lies in learning to slow the movements down. The slower you manage to make the cane move, the more gracefull, animated and gravity defiante it becomes.

Recomendations? Not really. As far as I can remember, the cane I bought came in a blue box and was made in India. They are very simple affairs and cheap. I am sure any you find marketed as such, will work perfectly well.

With all these kind of things, I like to buy the original gimmick or prop the first time. Once I have bought the secret, I fell quite happy to make the items myself in the future. There is a secret about the dancing cane that is not obvious from this conversation so far. I will sugest that a broom handel sugested by Bgrdnz will never work as described in his post.

Once you have aquired your cane, I wouldn't recommend buying a teaching DVD to go with it though. You will see, probably have already seen, all the moves that the cane is capable of on Youtube. All these moves are obvious and intuitive. The real magic behind performing with the cane, lies in learning to slow the movements down. The slower you manage to make the cane move, the more gracefull, animated and gravity defiante it becomes.

Yeah, I kind of figured there was more to the gimmick than what has been suggested. I also kind of figured, that slow was the trick, since I have seen (on youtube) it being done really well and elegant, when they took the time and moved with it, and also saw it done really poorly because they rushed it and didn't dance as much as swing it around. I hope it comes soon so I can practice.

thanks again

Yeah, I kind of figured there was more to the gimmick than what has been suggested. I also kind of figured, that slow was the trick, since I have seen (on youtube) it being done really well and elegant, when they took the time and moved with it, and also saw it done really poorly because they rushed it and didn't dance as much as swing it around. I hope it comes soon so I can practice.

thanks again

Apparently, grammar isn't my thing today: "me fail English, that's umpossible"

K, I got it. I need help. It is not as easy as it appears, I am having the hardest time keeping it straight and not falling over to the side. I am also not entirely sure that the gimmick is fitting right.

EDIT: I have been practicing more and I am starting to see how it works, slow and steady and move your body with it, no wonder it's called a "dancing cane"

So, I watched the Romhany DVD last night, and I was less impressed with him, as a result. I mean I like the routine and all, but I think I was expecting more performance tips and I got how to do his rope magic routine and his mentalism routine. Both good routines, but I was looking to him for performance ideas, which, if I am not mistaken it said the DVD would talk about. All in all, not the best investment I made, not the worse, to be sure, but I guess I was expecting more than I got.

As to the cane, I got it, I am doing it, now my concern is about lighting, because in the wrong light, it does not look as magical as it does strange.

Can you do this trick with a curved cane?

And, also, the broom trick that Romhany did in that video the same as the dancing cane?

There is something about the cane that makes it unique, and, while you might be able to do it with a curved cane, I would not necessarily think it would work too well.

The broom trick looks like the dancing cane, but I don't think it is the same (he did not reveal that in his DVD)

www.midwestmagic.net (http://www.midwestmagic.net) has a Dancing Cane DVD for $5.95. Looks like it's by a different person. Might be better than the other DVD, or have some other info on it. and it's cheap. (The sell the cane itself for $17.95.)

Thanks for the site Dusty B. Now I need to earn more clown money.

I just found a tutorial on this trick at MagiXspace - Share your magic! (http://www.magixspace.com/). It's a $10 download about 20 minutes long. It goes through how to make your very own cane and perform the illusion. I think it's well worth the $10. Here's the link to the download page : Store - Stage tricks (http://store.magixspace.com/stage.php). Hope this helps anyone who wants to learn how to do this.

Well, I only paid 12 for mine, and 5 in shipping. I would imagine, after all the costs, you would wind up paying a little less, but not enough to merit making it yourself, imho.

Besides, the quality of the product determines the ability to manipulate it better, as a juggler that always rings true with me, and since this is more manipulation than "straight magic," this is where you should not skimp out on quality. Again, in my opinion.

That's cute. I like it.

But what I want to know is what you did with the bristles.

I was wondering what happened to my wife's broom. <Now she has to walk or drive like everyone else.>

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The best part of that joke is that brgdnz lives in the Dallas area...my wife get's her mail in the Ft. Worth area, just next door. rofl

The cane the guy makes in the video is pretty sweet. He shows how to balance it perfectly and make sure everything is put together right. The only downside is you need access to power tools and not everyone has that access. You don't have to make it like the one he made, but his looks pretty cool so that's what I'm going for.

Can you do this trick with a curved cane?

Here's what you can do with a curved cane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g60NKanMPUk&feature=related

Wow! That was really awe inspiring. Thanks,
Sara K.

I wish I could reach that level of super awesomeness.

I wish I could reach that level of super awesomeness.

Me too...I could use someone else at this level of super awesomeness, it's lonely being the only one here. (I'd like to thank all the little people that I used as step ladders...)

That's just the crutch you use to support your ego against an inferiority complex.

I have decided to not do this. I cannot get the lighting right and the complaint in years past has been that the stage is always too dark. It is a stage in a Church Hall, so there is not much light that gets to it, and I don't have a spotlight or anything.

I am so at a loss as to what to do this year.