Performance and variations Cups and balls

1 performance , variations

1.1 basic routine
1.2 medieval cups , balls
1.3 indian cups , balls
1.4 owan tama
1.5 bean sowing
1.6 modern cups , balls: dai vernon routine
1.7 chop cup
1.8 3 shell game
1.9 clear cups

1.9.1 penn & teller
1.9.2 latimer clear cups , balls

performance , variations

christian farla performs cups , balls on stage.

the performed version of effect uses 3 cups , 3 small balls. magician makes balls pass through solid bottoms of cups, jump cup cup, disappear cup , appear in other places, or vanish various places , reappear under cups (sometimes under same cup), ending larger objects, such fruit, larger balls, small animals such baby chicks, , combination of different final loads. magicians tend prefer fruit, each 1 different in shape , size, increasing element of surprise.

basic routine

start 3 cups nested in stack. cups set down in line 3 balls visible. 1 of balls put on top of centre cup , other 2 cups nested above. tap of wand, 3 cups lifted, revealing ball has penetrated cup. again cups set in line, middle cup covering ball has penetrated. of visible balls placed on top of centre cup , covered other 2 cups, cups being tapped , lifted show second ball has penetrated. repeated third ball.

medieval cups , balls

in 1584 reginald scot wrote discoverie of witchcraft , within describes tricks balls. recommends using candlesticks hollow underneath, or bowls, or salt cellars covers cover balls. describes routine 3 or 4 balls, , many covers. describes placing ball under each cover, lifting covers show balls vanished, , having balls re-appear under 1 cover. although scot describes method, non-magician himself cannot trusted accurate, , considered magicians unlikely of moves described impossible perform invisibly.

indian cups , balls

in india, cups , balls performed seated on ground, audience stood, or in chairs around performer. unique line of sight audience gave rise unique sleight of hand moves. cups used shaped shallow bell, shallow bowl small knob handle on top. held between first 2 fingers handle. shallow nature of cups means large item cannot produced @ end of routine, routine ended production of many of same sized balls, although shankar junior end production of black powder 1 of bowls. number of cups , balls used varies, between 1 , 5 balls in play during routine, , between 2 , 4 cups.

owan tama

owan tama, turning of bowls japanese version of cups , balls. magician uses 3 bowls, , traditionally 4 soft silk covered balls 3, fan , 3 final productions, either oranges or boxes, of cigarettes. movements of japanese routine based on japanese classical dance. there pretty, , unusual display show bowls used called owan-gaeshi performer passes bowls hand hand, showing them empty in beautiful, dance manner. routine has reverent, ceremonial air. routine performed kneeling on floor, kneeling audience. unlike other cups , balls routines japanese magician work inside, , music.

bean sowing

the chinese routine of cups , balls called immortal sowing beans , originated in ancient agricultural society longshan culture period, pre-shang dynasty (before 1600 b.c.). takes name saying plant melons , melons, sow beans , beans immortal believed grow ordinary man capable of various magic power , longevity either accumulation of mortal cultivation or eating elixir vitae. beans in routine represent beans of elixir vitae.

the props used consisted of fan, mat, , between 2 , 6 bowls, between 3 , 10 beans. common numbers being 2 bowls 3 or 5 beans. chinese method unusual in bean or ball used. have unique methods of concealing beans. traditionally routine performed on ground, s more commonly performed on table.

another unique element of chinese routine make large productions @ start end of routine. common productions include changing small peach egg, producing water, fish, , baijiu. finale, harvesting million beans involves placing 2 bowls mouth mouth, when opened many tiny beans seen on flow lower bowl. however, indian routine, chinese not use large final production, such routine performed 王鬼手 (wang gui shou, or king of ghost hands).

modern cups , balls: dai vernon routine

the cups , balls have long history, , routines performed today s performers naturally built upon work of previous masters. in ancient greece , rome magicians perform stood behind table, opposed on ground seen in egypt, india , turkey, allow larger audience see show, tradition has continued today. tall conical shaped metal cups norm in europe , egypt until routine dai vernon became popular using shorter, more squat cups tall hand. similar squat cups popularised likes of paul fox, charlie miller , ross bertram.

dai vernon s influence can seen in many modern routines. jim cellini, student of tony slydini, , teacher of many great street performers, credits routine vernon, miller, , johnny fox. dai vernon s student, michael ammar, of whom louis falanga, president of l&l publishing, said: ammar has literally lead industry in shaping thinking , performing of generation of magicians , created own routine based upon teacher had taught him.

the vernon routine consists of vanishing 3 balls, reappear under cups, penetration of balls through cups, spectator choosing cup invisibly transport ball to, removal , return of balls, , revelation of final large production items, fruit. watching modern performances of cups , balls see similar sequence followed.

chop cup

a modern development chop cup . cup has magnet inside , magnetic ball used. ball stick in top until cup set down little bump releases ball. ball appears when cup lifted. cup invented around 1954 al wheatley performed chinese-costumed act name chop chop . chop cup variation 1 cup , (apparently) 1 ball, hugely popular because requires small flat area perform, unlike considerable table space needed classic three-cup routine. chicago close-up magician don alan performed streamlined chop cup routine on television , copied magicians on world. paul daniels routine chop cup has done lot routine s popularity. chop cup can handled entirely top, creating more impossible performance.

three shell game

the 3 shell game similar in respects 3 cup routine. in so-called game, main move steal of pea of shell. achieved using flexible pea , performing trick on soft surface. pea squeezed out under of shell fingers in act of pushing shell forward. in similar way, pea can introduced under shell drawing back. these moves made casually in swapping positions of shells. spectator supposed follow eye shell has pea, in reality, have 0 chance of success.

clear cups
penn & teller

the magic duo penn & teller performs unique version of cups , balls trick in act. initially, perform trick small aluminum foil balls , plastic cups. trick ends appearance of larger foil balls under cups, , surprise appearance of unrelated object, such potato or lime, under 1 or more cups. repeat trick using transparent plastic cups, claiming reveal how perform trick. however, part of joke, trick fast make difficult follow. claim version of cups , balls breaks 4 rules of magic: not tell audience how trick done, not repeat same trick twice, not show audience secret preparation, , unwritten rule never perform cups , balls clear plastic cups. claim version of trick got them kicked out of magic castle.

latimer clear cups , balls

the latimer clear cups , balls illusion, created , performed american illusionist jason latimer. in version of “follow ball” cups , balls game, magician uses clear glass cups , audience can watch balls visually vanish , jump underneath cup. effect debuted jason latimer in 2003 @ international federation of magic societies (fism), , on television on late late show craig ferguson in 2004.