It's amazing how popular self-levitation has become in recent years. I think its great that virtually all of the ones currently available have their share of fans. I have experience with the Balducci, Kings Rising, Wild Levitation, and the Elevator. But I have to say that the one that excited me most was Zero Gravity. The angles are simply the best -- it's like doing the Balducci almost completely surrounded. But for those of you who have it, you know the problem is the gimmick -- it's a bit uncomfortable. I know some people are using this effect regularly. Has anyone come up with a way to make the gimmick more user-friendly? Has anyone found a way to use it with something other than Converse? I love this effect but it has drawbacks that I'm sure some clever magi somewhere has overcome. Please PM me if you have any comments, or look for this post in Secret Sessions.

Zero Gravity enthusiasts unite!

I used a pair of high ankle biker boots, because it fit my character much better. I got them at Famous Footwear for $20, so they were nice and cheap. The thick sole helps the ilusion and I made some modifications to make them more comfortable to wear. I won't post it here to avoid exposure, but I'll IM someone if interested.

For a planned performance, you can't get much better than Zero Gravity. Maybe it's the way I perform it, but it's the only one I've found that I can do the levitation how I like. I get a bunch of people from the audience to come up and join hands in a circle around me, completely surrounded. Then I start a sort of "channeling" experiment with the spectators breathing together and focusing precisely at my feet. It comes across as sort of a no hands "light as a feather." For our stage show, I always have 1 or 2 projection TV's and we have a camera up on stage to better show what's going on. The downside to the way I like to perform this is that the view is somwhat obscured by the circle of spectators. In the right room, I like to come off the stage and perform it in the center of the room or in front of the stage. It's a little more intimate and helps me connect to the audience. It's neat to see people in the audience trying to breathe together and concentrate on the effect. I haven't performed it in a while, as I have a 7 month old baby at home and took a break for a while. But I 'm really excited about getting back out there and this effect will definitley stay on my list.

BTW, my favorite "street" or "impromptu" levitation is the Elevator hands down! And no, Peter didn't pay me to say that! I've used the elevator a couple of times in the last month to book some corporate work. ( I got both gigs! ) Thanks Peter! And thanks also to Mike Bent for his creative approach, Zero Gravity.