We’re driving to beautiful Santa Cruz, California. This photo of its Del Mar theater captures some of the deep magic that I feel there. I took it while wandering downtown in the early 2000s, another wide-eyed UCSC college kid dreaming about the future. Fifteen years and many countries later, it fills me with joy to […]
Author Archives: jculpepper
Performance at the Edwardian Ball, San Francisco — January 20-21st
I’ll be performing an illusion as Mr. Dark at the World Famous Edwardian Ball in San Francisco this weekend. Check out the promo codes for friends below: The Edwardian Ball is an elegant and whimsical celebration of art, music, theatre, fashion, technology, circus, and the beloved creations of the late, great author and illustrator Edward Gorey. […]
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An American in Châlons-en-Champagne
What a thrill to be here for the Illusions festival in Châlons-en-Champagne where the CNAC is celebrating 10-years of magie nouvelle. I would like to thank Gérard Fasoli, Cyril Thomas, Barbara Appert-Raulin, Jeanne Vasseur and the entire CNAC team for making my participation at this international event possible. Pascal Jacob, Christian William and the CNAC resource centre curated […]
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George Carl and the Magic of Pantomime
George Carl (1916 — 2000) performs one of my favorite physical comedy acts of all time. In this clip from 1969, he delights spectators at California’s Hollywood Palace with a mixture of clown, object manipulation and pantomime. The act is a comedy of errors in which Carl rapidly attempts to perform rope magic, hand-to-hand, and cigar box […]
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Hadji Ali and David Blaine’s “Beyond Magic”
I spent this morning of the US Thanksgiving weekend eating leftovers, watching David Blaine’s “Beyond Magic” TV special, reading Jarrett and learning about Hadji Ali. First, I’d like to congratulate Mr. Blaine, Enrico de la Vega, Danny Garcia, Asi Wind, Brett Loudermilk and so many involved in this project for their superb work. The shamanistic, superhuman, yet […]
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A Spectacle of Magic, Witchcraft and Politics in South Korea
The winner of best Halloween costume for 2016 may be Choi Soon-sil, whose revelation as an influential shaman-like advisor to South Korean President Park Geun-hye has created a massive scandal. Here is a recent video of Soon-sil being mobbed by reporters: The political spectacle of this event is a mysterious one of Rasputin-like proportions. From a […]
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Healthy Writing Habits Workshop at McGill this Friday, 10AM-12PM
Click on the text above if you’d like to take my workshop this Friday at McGill’s GRAPHOS writing centre for grad students and postdocs. I’m stretching right now as I think about how rewarding it is to treat the body and the mind as equal partners in the writing process.
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Two Years of Magic at the National Circus School
I had a great time today sharing highlights from two years of practice-based research at Montréal’s National Circus School (NCS) and giving some glimpses into current projects. It was quite special to have Una Bennett (a current student), Kerttu Pussinen (a circus pro and collaborator) and Anna-Karyna Barlati (head of the library) speak about the […]
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Magic in France (p.2) — Magie Nouvelle in Châlons-en-Champagne
@Sebatien Normand I’d dreamed of visiting this French circus school for four years to learn more about its magie nouvelle (“new magic”) programme. Earlier this month, I finally got my chance. Its name translates to the National Centre for the Circus Arts, but I’ll use its native acronym here and just call it the CNAC, Châlons-en-Champagne. […]
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Circus, Quantum Mechanics, Magic: Collaboration w/Kerttu Pussinen
I’m excited to announce a collaboration with National Circus School graduate and professional Finnish circus artist, Kerttu Pussinen. Just two years after graduating from the NCS, Kerttu is working on her first solo show — Particle # B. The show will use circus arts, magic effects and more to visualize principles of physics and quantum mechanics. […]
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