Perform the Balducci Levitation
You're standing there at a party, when suddenly somebody across the room begins to float off the ground! You check your drink, then realize ginger ale wouldn't make you see things. You adjust your glasses and rub your eyes, but he's still floating! You know people can't levitate, so it must be a magic trick. You also know magicians never tell. Fortunately, we have no such hesitation, and will gladly show you how to do the Balducci Levitation!
Steps
- Set expectations. The key to making this work is to convince people ahead of time that you're going to levitate. Ask people to stand back, as there is an inherent risk of falling during levitation, especially if your concentration is broken. Say this with authority, and people will want to believe you!
- Prepare the misdirection. Obviously, you are not going to actually float in the air, but the key to any good magic is that you set the expectations of your audience. Ask for a volunteer to come look for wires or gimmicks of any kind—which, of course, they will not find!
- Get in position. When the volunteer returns to the group, stand in front of your audience, facing away, with your body positioned at about a 45-degree angle from them. Turn so that they can see your left foot and heel, and the back of your right heel.
- If they ask you to face them, tell them you can't, for fear of losing concentration.
- Focus the cosmic energy. Levitating is hard work: you're defying physics and the laws of gravity! Show that you are concentrating, trying to focus your energy so that you can pull yourself up into the air.
- You can put your arms out, palms down, like you're about to push something down.
- Take a deep breath, as if you're filling yourself with lighter-than-air energy.
- Levitate! As you feel the universal energy course through your body, push down with your hands as if you're trying hard to lift yourself. At the same time, use your hidden right toes to slowly push yourself up a few inches, keeping your heels together.
- Remember to keep the heel of your free foot (the one facing the audience) level with the ground. This helps the illusion of level levitation.
- Hold the position for 2 or 3 seconds, then let yourself down. You can use a number of methods to de-levitate:
- Reverse your hands so they're palms-up, and push against the sky to push yourself back down.
- Snap your arms together, and "fall" back to earth, bending your knees as if you have fallen from a greater height.
- If you're not using your arms as props, nod your head briefly and "fall" back to earth.
- Exhale clearly, as if you're deflating yourself, and settling back down.
Tips
- Turn so that they can see your left foot and heel, and the back of your right heel. If they see your right toes they will see how it's done.
- Levitation is powerful magic indeed. Appearing weakened and out of breath after settling back down is one way to illustrate how powerful and difficult levitation is.
- Angle is everything. Practice this in front of a mirror or another person. Lack of practice will surely give you away.
- Try to be subtle when doing this. Don't just say, "I'm going to float now." Say instead something like "Now watch my feet closely" to make the person focus on the illusion. Make sure every one is on one side of you.
- There's a good video called "The Self-Levitation Video" starring Michael Maxwell and Paul Harris, which is dedicated to the Balducci Levitation, and contains lots of psychological subtleties which help to sell this effect.
- This trick is best done in the evening when there are shadows to hide your right foot, also, try to position yourself so that the shadow is concealing your foot in relations with where your audience is.
- Cut a hole in the shoe on the lifting foot so that the toes and balls of your feet are free, leaving your shoe more level. This will increase your view-area (people can look from more places)
- Be careful of how tall your foot goes because people will be able to feel it.
Warnings
- Don't show the spectators this trick twice.
- Don't stand too close or far away; it could reveal the trick.
- Never tell your secret. Send them to wikiHow if they want to know more!
- Don't go up too high or they will see your toes.
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Sources and Citations
- 5min - Video on how to do the Balducci levitation. 5min is a videopedia for instructional videos. Source of images in this article, shared with permission.
