Here's a silk routine that I plan on doing as my opening. I'm looking for ideas or suggestions to improve it. This is my first real try at putting a silk routine together, I've done silk magic before but never to this level.

Start with color changing cane black to red, then red cane to silk.

I end up with a 6 inch silk, I run it through my hands and find a 36" has appear. I take the 36" and put it aside. I ran the 6" through my hands and find another 36" has appear. I take the 36" and put that one aside.

I vanish the 6" red silk. Take a blue 12" silk, show it and produce the 6" red from the center of the blue one. I take the blue silk and vanish it. Take a yellow silk and produce the blue from the center that one.

Color change from yellow to red. Vanish red.

Take a blue silk, unroll it and produce a yellow silk, unroll yellow and produce a purple one, unroll purple and produce green, unroll green pretend to be surprised that red is not there.

I then take a newspaper show both sides, roll it into a cylinder. Take blue silk place it into the center of the roll, I take yellow silk and place that into the newspaper, pull blue through to find that blue and yellow are now tied.

Take purple and place into newspaper, pull through to find that silk tied to yellow. Take green put that into newspaper pull through to find that one tied to purple. I do a magical wave and pull silks through to find red silk tied to green.

I take silks and change into a blendo and under cover of the blendo produce a flower bouquet, then I double the flowers.

That's as far as I've gotten. I've run through it but found that something is missing. Maybe it's just me, I haven't tried it on an audience yet so I'm not sure of the reaction.

Just thought I would post it here and get professional advice. Thanks in advance to all.

Will I see you at the convention there at St. Louis in August? I'll be in the Dealer Room.

Your use of large silks is great.

My first real question is why are you using 6" silks at all on stage? They do not show well. Can you use larger silks or even diamond cut silks that take the same space?

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Yes I will be there.

Never thought of using bigger silks, I've always done vanish with 6" silks. I can see the need for lager silks. I did a show for 200 guests and used 6" silks, I can now only wonder if the back of the room saw them or just saw my hands moving and they were left wondering what happened.

Great feed back thanks!

You might throw in a bit of silk juggling -- not magic but it looks magical
to spectators and can set up a rhythm for other effects. I hope you have a sense of rhythm about your various moves.

Good idea, I never know what to do with the silks once produced. Im not much of a juggler but silks shouldn't e to tough to juggle.

Right -- they sorta hang there until you grab them in a nice floating display. If you don't know juggling at all there is a little booklet out with three practice scarves for a couple of bucks.

The use of larger silks is definitely required on a stage setting of any type. remeber that Your audience already has an Idea of the size of a standard pocket handkerchief. Now as far as the vanish and return, if you are using the method that I suppose consider changing you method to one that will allow you to use a larger silk. Once you get the hang of this you will find it easier to do as well. Talk to Bob Sanders at the convention. Otherwise seek out the Duane and get his advice on the methods. The routine does seem nice. I wonder about the cane. Is it really necessary? Noce flash but what would cause you to have a cane and to want to change its color. Michael

I see a couple of problems but the basic flow of the routine is nice.

First, Color Changing Canes do take a bit of a nack to work. I have never had any luck with them. But it is certainly possible.

When working with silks a good rule of thumb is that a silk always looks one size smaller on stage. For instance a 9" looks like a 6", a 12" a 9", etc. For stage I would use a minimum of 15" or preferably 18" silk. As for the method, there are some silks from Newspaper methods, dye tubes, Masal tubes, and hank balls that will let you use bigger silks. There are ways to gimmick the silks to allow them to self contain other silks.

I like the thinking but some things that could be made stronger.

Richard

The Fantasio Color Changing Cane is a great effect. The audience really like it and always gets good reaactions from the color changes. It is not hard if you spend several hours working with it. I use the triple and end with a plume.

I can only suggest looking at the silk routine in the book "My Best" and some of the Marconic effects in his old silk book. Additionally, Rice Silk King Studio sells several silk booklets that will help you put together a great silk routine.

This type of question is well beyond the Café ability to respond properly.

Since your posts, I have had a chance to dry run with friends and family, Michael it seems you're right the cane doesn't fit, although I want it to it just doesn't. As a magician I need to ask the question does it fit into the routine, the hardest part is getting rid of it for me. Its not a questions whether I want it in the routine but does it fit, so I have decded to get rid of it, maybe I can find somewhere else to fit it in.
Bob I look forward to meeting you in St Louis for advice and of course silks!

Thanks to all, I understand it is hard to respond but for now your comments have gotten me thinking and they do keep me going.