I was wondering if there was any where to learn the floating hankerchief as performed by Blackstone.

That is called the "dancing handkerchief." There are a number of versions available from dealers. Blackstone is one, Ralph Adams has another. Go to any big dealer site and look for it, or put "Blackstone Dancing Handkerchief" in a search engine and likely you will get some hits.

quack

Check out the Utlimate Dancing Hank. It does not require the additional manpower like Blackstone's Dancing Hank.

Do you need a "busy" background to perform the ultimate dancing hank on a stage? I was told that you do need one.

Yes, you do Streetmagician - this is the disadvantage of the ultimate hank. Depending on what you want, the impossible hank is an excellent alternative.

Stuart

Where would you purchase a busy background? Or how would you make your own?

Thanks

If you are on stage, and IF the stage has a backdrop made of any material that is hanging in folds, then your background is busy enough! The vertical hanging folds create all the shadow and lines that you need to hide your “wherewithal.”

What is more important is your lighting. You will need to do two things. The first is to make sure that at least one Blue-Gel is used that floods the performing area. The second thing is to make sure that you don’t have bright white light casting a clear shadow. Flood the curtain with light from a point behind where you are performing and no shadow will be seen.

The version that Den speaks of is specifically designed and built for difficult staging areas. It is made for the platform worker that is not going to have much or any control of his performing environment.

There is a poor man’s version sold by Bob Little. It is a one-person, dancing hank that costs about $10.00. Add this gimmick to a couple of other easy to do bits and you can have a short but magical routine.

If you have one assistant, then John Calvert’s version is a good one to look at. Mr. Calvert has devised a clever, mobile anchoring method. The performer and one assistant makes for one nice dancing hank routine.

Or, do what Blackstone did and have several different set-ups on stage and several assistants off stage to make it work.

Technically, this is a very easy trick to perform. A clean white hank, a spool of the necessary, a couple of gimmicks to free the hank up at a couple of points, an assistant or two, and you fill the stage with the magical antics of a dancing handkerchief!

A backrop can be puchased on the Magic Auction. It is required to completly hide the gimmick, but a routine can be developed where you don't need the backdrop.

If you want to be able to do the dancing Hanky surrounded then check out Wayne Rogers (Chicane) website or e-mail him because he has his version where you can do it completely surrounded and it's a fantastic routine.

He uses the original Don Wayne version (his is modified) and gets a lot out of the dancing hanky. He explains it pretty much in detail in his first book, plus I think he has it in a set of lecture notes. He spent years working on his presentation and the silk jumps in to box, around the foulard etc.

You can contact him via his website at
http://www.nzmagic.com and ask him which book it is in. Well worth the money as he has lots of other routines in there, including HIS version of the colour change hanky by Billy McComb.

Wayne Rogers is the magician from New Zealand who makes all the 'pole' production items such as the Appearing Ladder, Shovel etc.

Has anyone of you seen the version performed by Lance Burton at the beginning of his show? You know what is it?

I have always wondered the same thing silhy, was he using the one Henning performed, invented by Adams with some changes?

Guiseppe,

The instructions and plans are sold at Abbott's Magic in Colon, MI. The only autherized dealer. They also make the Cabinet for the Blackstone version.

You must have a full stage with stagehands to perform this version.