Everything began with a magic book. It was a Christmas present from my parents and it was life-changing. Aged seven, standing under the tree in our living room, I unwrapped my gift to discover this amazing book by the magician, Patrick Page. It had so many tricks in it that I could try out on my friends. The book became so precious to me I couldn't part with it for a minute! It was because of that book that I decided to become a magician.
No one in my family had any involvement with magic. I was born in France and grew up in Paris, where my parents held administrative jobs with the French government. I attended school but from the beginning was drawn to the exciting and creative world of magic. I taught myself basic tricks like making a silk scarf disappear, cutting a cord in two and rejoining the pieces, plus some card tricks. Then, when I was 17, I met the French magician, Yogano, who had trained the famous German illusionist duo, Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn, in the art of ‘levitation'. The meeting had a huge impact on me and as a result I decided to focus on grand illusions that link the real and imaginary worlds. I went on to study magic at institutions in both France and Switzerland: having begun as just a hobby, magic became my life.
Michael Jackson was one of my role models and a big fan of illusions. I think Michael could be considered an illusionist himself because of his ability to create his own magical world in his shows. I was lucky enough to perform for him once at the Rex Club in France. I offered to teach him two popular and classic tricks - ‘The Linking Rings' and ‘Rose to Silk' - and gave him a brief lesson in the corridor of the club. The next day he came back because he wanted to learn how to perform the tricks correctly for his children. It was a magical moment. But my first role model was the illusionist, David Copperfield. He was just becoming famous in Europe when I was growing up and I followed his tricks closely. Mexico's well-known illusionist, Joaquin Ayala, was another inspiration to me.
Creating wonder and something people can emotionally connect with is difficult. Magic isn't a science, it's an art, just like cinema, music, painting and dancing. Yet, to succeed as magicians, we have to make use of science and technology! It's an art to get people to believe in you and to engage the audience's emotions, requiring lots of effort, hard work and will power. But you have to have an innate talent for magic - just knowing a few tricks doesn't make you an illusionist.
Things can go wrong and, believe me, you have to be ready for that. No matter how proficient you become, you are never invulnerable. I've had some interesting experiences during my shows. One incident that stands out is the first time I did my helicopter escape act. In this act, I am strait-jacketed and put in a wooden box, which is closed and nailed. The box is then lifted by a helicopter and I am supposed to come out of it. We were rehearsing on the ground a few days before and everything seemed fine but somehow on the day of the real performance I realised I suffer from acrophobia - the fear of heights. I just had to swallow my fear. I was shaking, but I had to continue with the show, which ended up as a great success!
We illusionists are a different breed. We always live in our dreams. We constantly use our imagination to invent new illusions on-stage; while I'm walking the streets of Dubai, I'll automatically begin to imagine what it would be to make a car or a building disappear, for instance. The most important thing is always to return to reality. We need the audience to believe in our dreams but we must not be taken in by them ourselves, which is not always easy.
Quick questions
- Your best illusion? I disappear through a giant jet turbine and reappear behind the audience.
- An illusion that backfired? A water tank escape illusion: I swallowed a lot of water and was almost too sick to go on.
- What acts are you performing in Dubai? The Water Tank, the Smoke Chamber, Torch Box, Spiker, Snowstorm and Blades of Doom.
- How long are you in Dubai for? I'm performing daily at the Dolphinarium at 6pm, but only until December 31.
