Ever since seeing Copperfield's Brazillian Water Levitation I have been enthralled with it! Once I learned of the method I have been wracking my brain to come up with a presentation that is practical and very theatrical. I, of course, do not want to make a tribal setting and play Rythm of the Heat(though I love any and all Peter Gabriel music), but something dramatic and theatrical.

Jakks

Doug Henning was one of the first to perform this illusion(in fact, I think David's was the one Doug used when Doug sold his equipment).

Doug used a lighter presentation. A girl and him walked up and played in the water and then he levitated her and they finished by playing and splashing water on each other.

I know one of the original illusions had three phases...first levitating on water, second levitating on fire, and then she vanishes. I only know of one of these ever being built for some magician performing in France. I would have loved to have seen it.

Steven

Kirby Van Birch bought Henning (gaughan)water Lev rig and is still using it in Bramson.It was the first one built.

Copperfield was a rig built by Gaughan.

Owens Magic Built a unit that incorporated the asrah for Brett without the water. They make the water fountain rig as well.

Thanks, Zigmont...My memory is failing me, I believe. Oh well....

I'm in love with the water fountain impaling. I'm gonna have to get myself one of those.

I would like to get info on where I can purchase many of these illusion systems.

John gaughan rig 25-35,000.00
Bill Smith magic ventures rig 18,000.00- 25,000.00
Owen Magic (I bought one in 1988 for 20,000 with cases) 25,000.00
Mendoza magiccraft would be 30,000.00 Plus

It a platform lev with water system so it's huge
Just do a google search....

Steve Z. I have been told by various sources that DC had the Henning prop, too. I was told how bad a shape it was and almost rusted through. I had an assistant a few years back who worked with Van Burch (that's another story) who told me she remembered the Water Levi as being a newly mfd. trick. from "someone in Las Vegas". Who is responsible for the gimmick that allows her to "float" around DC? I am not saying you are wrong, but that I heard the same thing Steve Steele said in the above thread.

Peter,

Have you actually seen the Owen's Water Impaled performed?

I am intrigued with the idea, and the picture of the effect, but, I would have to see it live to really appreciate it I think.

What is it like live?

Also, do you know anyone currently performing the effect?

I like the idea of the Asrah vanish at the end. I really like story pieces...like the tribal theme Copperfield used. I have a quick clip of Doug Henning performing the levitation and it loked good. I rememeber Brett doin this on the WGM and I just thought it loked like another levitation, but when I saw Copperfield do this I was really amazed! I think presentation really plays a part in this levi(though the girl spinning around his body was a nice touch). Any good presentational ideas?

Jakks

I don't remember Brett doing the Water Levitation on WGM. The only levitation I remember him doing was the 360 levitation where the girl appeared levitating in front of him...

Maybe I missed the water one?

I have been told by various sources that DC had the Henning prop, too. I was told how bad a shape it was and almost rusted through. I had an assistant a few years back who worked with Van Burch (that's another story) who told me she remembered the Water Levi as being a newly mfd. trick. from "someone in Las Vegas". Who is responsible for the gimmick that allows her to "float" around DC?

Kirby bought henning water lev rig for 30,000.00 and thought he bought the rights as well.
When DC performed his Gaughan model in Vegas , Kirby got mad and they made an agreement to share another illusion so kirby could do a Dc design Illusion.

I was back sateg at Dc show and hung out at the water lev rig once, so I know that they all leak and its a gaughan and not hennings.

Most water Lev are made from marine wood and don't rust thru. Kirby bought the nightmagic Owen Magic water lev rig that supplied to that show and had two at one point.

The spin around gimmick was discovered by accident by the Pendragons while working on a lev with a vanish feature. Gaughan designed that feature.

Don't listen to Dancers

I'm reminded of someone who sat in the audience as Lance Burton kissed and otherwise seduced the jumper he performed his flying effect with....

"Oh no, someone cried...not another **** levitation!!

(snicker!!)

Corey,

Brett used the Water levitation but no water, I think. I may be wrong, but that's what it looked like.

Jakks

In other words the 360 levitation as Corey rightly said.

The Water Impalement from Owen seems rather illogical to me since water of course is a non-solid medium.
The fact that water passes through the body is not strong as strong in my opinion as the levitation where the water is holding the weight of the person floating on top.

You only have to wash your hands in the tap to produce the same effect as the Water Impalement. The fountain base also looks so cumbersome?

Lee Alex wrote:
"The Water Impalement from Owen seems rather illogical to me since water of course is a non-solid medium.
The fact that water passes through the body is not strong as strong in my opinion as the levitation where the water is holding the weight of the person floating on top.

You only have to wash your hands in the tap to produce the same effect as the Water Impalement. The fountain base also looks so cumbersome?"

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Really Lee? Wow! Not to me, you have the same effect as the water holding up the weight of the person, and then the person drops and the water penetrates the body.

Putting your hand under a tap hardly recreates the same effect! The water is traveling down, not up. It is visibly clear that the water is running around the hand and not through it, and finally your wrist and arm is attached to the hand(holding it under the tap)Nothing magical there I agree! But SUSPEND a person on water that is shooting UP, and then the body drops down and is clearly being PENETRATED by the water without any visible means of support holding the person impaled on the water fountain, now to me that's pretty #$%@!^ magical! Illogical? I thought that was the name of the game.

As for the base, It's supposed to look like a fountatin, which it does. Being an Illusionist I expect to transport larger than life props sometimes. I think the fountain base looks wild. Most imapling bases I have seen are rather large with a mirror ball that holds the spike or sword, with no excuse for having it. At least with the fountain you have an excuse to have a base at all.

P.

I still love doug Henning water levitation... it was so amazing to see it! And very beautifull from the artistic point of view I think... details can be found on doug`s book

I remember years ago we were building battery powered levitations. I worked two days to modify our prototype so that it would not spin. Shortly after that everyone started doing the rotation. Two days waisted.

Back to the topic, the french magician Dani Lary used a big sea-shell with her assistant disguised as a mermaid for the water levitation.

Oliver.

My friend Terry Evanswood in Pigeon Forge does a titanic themed one.