talkmagic.co.uk

Hello! My name is Cheri and I am a figure skating coach. My students are children mostly and I am doing a new competition routine with one of my skaters who is 9 years old and the theme/music is about magic.

Basically, she will do a 1 minute 30 minute skating routine, (jumps, spins, footwork) to a piece of music with a theme and a costume and use props. She is judged on the creativity, and choreography of these things which is my job. Since the magic theme is my idea and I have to not only choreograph this routine on the ice, edit the music (which is done) and need to teach her a few magic tricks to go along with it. The competition she is competing in is in February.

I have been doing some research online which is what brought me to this place. I feel we only have enough time to do 3 quick magic tricks along with her skating. I purchased a magic hat with bunny, vernet thumb and scarf, and a wand with spring flowers. I recieved the wand with flowers and was disappointed with the flowers. They are held together with strings? Is this normal? They are silk and I have a hard time getting them in and out of the wand. So I'm thinking if its hard for me to do as an adult, how am I going to get a 9 year old on ice skates to do this? Should I cut a few flowers off? She obviously has small hands. She is handling the thumb/scarf thing well so far.

Should I puchase some of the paper spring flowers? I was also looking at some of the feather bouquet ones but aren't sure they'd fit the wand.

Any advice for help with this? We will be about 20-25 feet away from the judges and audience and I want to do quick (because we need to skate too), easy, showy kind of tricks that a child can do that are big enough to be seen from far away.

Thanks in advance for any advice with helping a clueless coach here! I really want her to do well with this. She is so excited and practices so hard!! Thanks again!

Read some reviews on D'Lites and ignore my post about the warning. They can be seen from far away and can be done for and by little kids.

Don't forget to practice!

~David

Thank you David! I'll do that.

I'm lucky, she practices everything I tell her to do very hard. That is why I think she can do this and do it well.

How about an appearing cane?

I can just see her now, silk in hand, suddenly a cane appears, which she can use as part of her skating routine. If you have a top hat already, this would go perfectly.

The cane wont stand up to much, but should be perfect for this. Maybe do it near the end of the skating, when the music stops, she holds the cane in one hand, so the end just touches the ice, takes of her hat and tips it for the final pose. How you get the hat to stay on you will have more experience in.

Darrel wrote:How about an appearing cane?

I can just see her now, silk in hand, suddenly a cane appears, which she can use as part of her skating routine. If you have a top hat already, this would go perfectly.

The cane wont stand up to much, but should be perfect for this. Maybe do it near the end of the skating, when the music stops, she holds the cane in one hand, so the end just touches the ice, takes of her hat and tips it for the final pose. How you get the hat to stay on you will have more experience in.

This is a great idea! I'll get one of those.... I have a perfect point in the music when it could "appear"!! Thank you!

And the D'Lites are a must. I think these can be used well while moving in a few interesting glide positions, passing them from hand to hand, behind the back, etc!!

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!! Both of you!!!

Done! Just bought 2 appearing canes. One to practice with, the other for the competition day itself. And emailed her parents to buy the D'Lites juniors. With those 2 things, the disappearing scarf and a hat/rabbit, I think we have enough. I wish the music could be longer but it's not allowed unfortunately.

Thanks so much for all your help!

WOW,

Just 2 hours from your first post.

Glad to be of help.

That would be a very interesting combination, magic and figureskating. I'm sure the routine will look awesome!

Yes, it sounds like it will be an impressive combination when put together

just a few musings you can get a metal apearing cane now from some magic dealers either silver or black with gold ends, be warned this is much more erm powerfull but lighningly quick.

a colour changing streamer or scarf would accentuate her act as she can change it to suit her costume, once you have one you can make your own up.

bag to silk / cape is also a good option.

magicdiscoman wrote:just a few musings you can get a metal apearing cane now from some magic dealers either silver or black with gold ends, be warned this is much more erm powerfull but lighningly quick.

True, but as you suggest the plastic ones are much safer - I know of people who've gotten some cuts from the metal ones.

one of my skaters who is 9 years old

should pay more attention.

More kids should do card manipulations

For a 9 year old I recommend that she sticks to what she will be judged on - the ice skating. Magic needs quite a bit of concentration, even to use D'lites effectively and this concentration may be at the expence of the skating.

The problem with D'lites or any TT is that whilst you're wearing them it's difficult to manipulate anything else so she will be looking at a ditch before using the cane - or the other way around and it all seems too much in 90 seconds or so.

It's a nice thought but I think that she'll be skating on thin ice ( groan - just couldn;t resist that one).

dat8962 wrote:It's a nice thought but I think that she'll be skating on thin ice

Ouch

Although he does make a valid point. The magic could in theory take her mind off the skating. When i play hockey and i have a trick lined up for the boys after the game I'm sure thinking about it as i play, not always a good thing when your a netminder