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Danny Diamond Inner circle Connecticut 1400 Posts |
I had a show last night for about fifty 4-5 year olds, in a school gymnasium. To make a long story short, a vital prop for my opener basically broke the night before, while I was practicing with it. I quickly came up with another opener, trying to keep it simple and silly, for this young age group. This is how it went...
I introduce myself, and briefly go over the rules of the show. Then, to see if the kids are good at listening and following directions, I ask for two volunteers who are good at following directions. I have them stand on either side of me, and I announce that I am going to teach them how to make a balloon animal. I hand them each a 260 and tell them the first direction is to blow them up. The try, and obviously can not blow them up (I thought this might get a laugh, but unfortunately, it didn't get more than a slight chuckle from one or two kids). I tell them I will show them how to blow it up, and I take my balloon and say “the secret is to stretch it good, watch”, and I stretch the thing out in a silly way, until I let the far end of the ballon snap back at me and I pretend it got me in the nose (it really harmlessly snaps into my hand near my face). This got a HUGE reaction, lots of laughs! Magician + self-inflicted pain = FUNNY! So then I say “blowing them up can be dangerous, here let's use these” and I bring out three blown up 260's. I hand them each one and I keep the third. I tell them to follow these directions carefully and follow along. I slowly hold the balloon out and slowly show them how to twist the first bubble. I then speed up my speech and my actions dramatically and start twisting and giving directions way too fast to follow: “ok now twist a two inch bubble followed by a one inch bubble and then a three inch, another three inch, and another three inch and then push the first two bubble in through the last three and finally add an ear twist to the fourth bubble, etc”. When I was halfway through with my twisting, I stopped and looked at them, still playing with the first bubble. The audience laughed a lot as I spouted out my instructions and twisted and looked over at my volunteers. Now, to end it, I simply gave a twisted balloon doggy to each of my volunteers and thanks them for helping me. I thought the opener worked great, except for the ending. The kid's didn't seem to understand that I was done with them, because it probably seemed like something else should have happened. I am going to come up with another ending for this, because the whole routine worked well up until the end. Do you guys have any suggestions? Maybe something to make them look good, instead of ending with them failing at their twisting?
You don't drown by falling in the water;
you drown by staying there. - Edwin Louis Cole |
funemagic Loyal user Asheville NC 230 Posts |
Just another idea…
First off I Really like this as an bit sometime during the show, opener, filler, anywhere, I think it's really funny as is but here is an idea to get the kids in the spot light at the end... Go through the whole routine of twisting the balloon dog, giving directions way to quickly. At the end pretend not to notice the volunteer has not tied his/her balloon, you keep talking saying…but the real trick, the magic part is seeing how fast you can “un-twist” the balloon, you pretend to start working at untwisting yours, do a double take at the kids “un-twisted” balloon and give them applause for how good they are at “un-twisting” than trade balloons with them. You are now left with an inflated 260 to make into another dog for the other volunteer…. |
Danny Diamond Inner circle Connecticut 1400 Posts |
That's a pretty good idea, thanks! It kinda makes them look good, and it makes it look like they pulled one over on the magician, because he doesn't realize that the balloons were never twisted at all. Cool!
You don't drown by falling in the water;
you drown by staying there. - Edwin Louis Cole |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Cool idea.
The capper sounds like a take off of the 4 Ring Routine by Hayden? Thanks for sharing, I like it. A new bit that I use with a balloon is to turn it into a bow, for a bow and arrow. It is a very visual bit! Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
phill Veteran user Connecticut 365 Posts |
Danny thanks for sharing the balloon opening bit. Funemagic thanks for sharing the alternate ending. I too really like that idea.....
Here is what I use for the very beginning of my show to set the ground rules for the show. It is brief, just to give you the idea. These ideas and concepts come as insiprations from Steve Taylor for the text, via a series of articles in the Christian Conjurer, published by the FCM and from Don Caldwell (an amazing balloon artist) for the simplicity of the frog. Don's instructions for the frog can be found in the twister's corner here: http://allamericanballoon.com/twistFrog.htm Introduction How are you all doing today? Before we begin today, I have a very important question to ask you. Do you all like to have FUN? How about adventure? I have three hints, or tips to follow, To make sure everyone can FUN on our adventure. [Eyes] (Inflate two 5" imprint eyes and hold them up to your eyes) The first tip is to have evryone look up here. You'll be seeing what you don’t see and not see what you do see....see what I mean? [Ears] (Inflate the 260Q and hold it behind your head like ears) The next tip is to have evryone listen & pay attention. [Ends] (Inflate the 9" round and point to and pull on the nozzle "end") The last tip is to sit on your back pockets, or where your back pockets would be if you forgot them today and left them at home. Also it will help if you sit up straight & tall. In a few moments I am going to be picking several ‘victims’, I mean volunteers, to help us up here in front. If you think you might want to help, I'll be looking for those of you who are using their EYES, EARS and ENDS in helping everyone have as much fun as possible on our adventure! Speaking of adventure……………….Complete the construction of the frog Hopefully this makes sense. After using this routine quite a few times I have found that this firmly sets the ground rules and helps the audience and I have fun in the process. peace, phill
Scripture, Sculptures & Surprises!
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todsky Inner circle www.magicstore.ca 2354 Posts |
One possible problem I can see opening up with balloon sculptures given away to volunteers, whenever you have volunteers after the opener, they may expect to get a balloon gift, or hope for one. This has happened to me.
Todsky's Magic Shop: over 15,000 tricks, books, DVD s and Card decks. www.magicstore.ca
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Danny Diamond Inner circle Connecticut 1400 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-06-08 18:46, todsky wrote: Well, if you have several other balloon animals pre-made, you can use them as giveaways to each volunteer afterwards. That is probably what I'll end up doing.
You don't drown by falling in the water;
you drown by staying there. - Edwin Louis Cole |
hugmagic Inner circle 7655 Posts |
How about cueing the one kid to switch his balloon for one that is already tied in the table while you talk in depth to the other child? Then you have cued this kid to get his balloon from the table and switch when you talk the child who had already switched.
I like the intro idea and such but this could lead into some funny bits and make the kids the stars. Richard
Richard E. Hughes, Hughes Magic Inc., 352 N. Prospect St., Ravenna, OH 44266 (330)296-4023
www.hughesmagic.com email-hugmagic@raex.com Write direct as I will be turning off my PM's. |
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