Help me find a video of a Peking Acrobats magic trick
October 2, 2023 1:56 PM Subscribe
I have tried to find any information about this trick for years with no luck. Perhaps someone here can help me track it down. I attended this particular performance of the Peking Acrobats sometime around 1996. In the middle of all the fantastic acrobatic routines, one particular act stuck out for me:
One by one, women in colorful, sleeveless dresses walked out slowly from either side of the stage. They started snapping their fingers in unison and single playing cards would appear in their hands, which they then tossed on the stage. Then, every time they snapped, there would be 3 or 4 cards that they threw on the stage. This kept getting more and more ridiculous. By the end of the routine, they were producing and throwing entire decks of cards on the stage! The audience was rightly impressed, as these women were wearing sleeveless dresses, and it sure wasn't obvious where they could be getting the cards from. When they finally walked offstage, it looked like thousands of cards were littering the ground.
So, has anyone here ever seen this routine before? How was it done? I occasionally check YouTube, but either nothing is there or I am just using the wrong search terms. Please link to a video if you can find one. Thanks!
One by one, women in colorful, sleeveless dresses walked out slowly from either side of the stage. They started snapping their fingers in unison and single playing cards would appear in their hands, which they then tossed on the stage. Then, every time they snapped, there would be 3 or 4 cards that they threw on the stage. This kept getting more and more ridiculous. By the end of the routine, they were producing and throwing entire decks of cards on the stage! The audience was rightly impressed, as these women were wearing sleeveless dresses, and it sure wasn't obvious where they could be getting the cards from. When they finally walked offstage, it looked like thousands of cards were littering the ground.
So, has anyone here ever seen this routine before? How was it done? I occasionally check YouTube, but either nothing is there or I am just using the wrong search terms. Please link to a video if you can find one. Thanks!
Response by poster: Yes! That is the idea! Imagine that with multiple performers in unison, and whole decks appearing near the end. Good find!
posted by Don_K at 2:58 PM on October 2, 2023
posted by Don_K at 2:58 PM on October 2, 2023
Based on that video, my guess is that the volume of the skirt is used to hide cards and other props — she turns her body and puts her hand on her hip every few “productions,” and the skirt is full and layered enough to hide things even when she turns her back to the audience. Also, good sleight of hand can draw attention from very blatant things.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:11 PM on October 2, 2023
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:11 PM on October 2, 2023
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posted by kschang at 2:48 PM on October 2, 2023