Sunday, July 14, 2013

Magic As A Family Business

Have you ever noticed those girls at dance recitals or pageants with all their friends and family? You know, the popular one? The one that everyone admires, fawns over? She is the one who usually wins every trophy. The It Girl. The Star.

I believe that there is a reason for this and it also converts into the magic world.

That little girl has a large support group that is broken down into many parts. Every family member and friend have their tasks and they perform them unthinkingly, much like a magic act or show. The Magician is the axis around which this support system revolves, the central focus, the Star. The Agent/Manager is much like the father working out details big and small. The Costumer is a stage mother making sure that the costumes fit just right before you go out on stage. The Stage Hands are like siblings, holding the props or a bottle of water right before it is needed. The Dancers are the friends who tell you how perfect the show is going to be and not to worry. They are there to back you up, your emotional support system. Personal Assistants, like that aunt/uncle/family friend on the periphery, are there to manage those annoying everyday details that can be so distracting, making sure the little things are tended to. Imagine if you had all that support behind you... Wouldn't you feel like a winner, the It Person, The Star?

But you DO have all those people in your life!

Where? Look around you....
Look to your friends, your family, both real and emotional, your mentors. Look to everyone involved in your life big and small. They are all there to help. I have two costume people, a mature woman who loves to keep busy, and a dancer who loves to sew. My dancers keep me on track and think about the success of the show.  My mentor still works with me to make sure the magic is perfect, he even comes in to help stage the larger shows. I have a writer friend who knows the stories I try to tell and he crafts the words I say beautifully. I have a stage hand friend who is willing to push around the big props so that I don’t have to. He says it makes me look better in the client’s eyes, and he is right.  He also knows my limitations and has the unique ability to compensate for them. The dancers I can’t do without, because I know that if something goes wrong on stage they will provide the misdirection and fix it so the trick either works well, or we move on and the audience never knows the difference. These are all people that I have found over the years that truly believe in me and in return I believe they are the only reason I have gotten to where I am today. They are my show family, my support system. It is because of them I feel like the little Star.

So go, find your Magic Family. You'll be amazed how it can change your life.
I couldn't have my show without all the people involved making me look great.