How to Perform a Levitation Illusion: Magician Secrets Revealed

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Make yourself and small objects float in mid-air with our expert advice
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Levitation is a classic magic trick that always wows an audience. While it’s not possible to actually levitate, there are a few simple ways to make it look like your body can float off the ground. Keep reading, and we’ll reveal the magicians’ secrets for levitation techniques you can practice right now and how to make objects float . We even spoke to professional magicians for advice on how to practice and perform your tricks so they’re the most convincing!

Simple Levitation Trick for Beginners

Stand with your back to your audience and your body turned 45 degrees. When you’re ready to do the trick, lift the foot closest to the audience and your back heel off the ground. Support your weight on your back foot’s toes for a few seconds. Your toes will be hidden from the audience so it looks like you’re floating in air.

Section 1 of 7:

How to Levitate with the Balducci Method

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  1. Stand about 8–10 feet (2.4–3.0 m) away. Face away from your audience with your body slightly turned to the side. Make sure your foot that’s closest to the audience is completely visible. Keep the heel of the rear foot visible, but hide your toes behind your front foot. [1]
    • The Balducci levitation method doesn’t require any extra equipment or setup, so it’s a popular choice for beginners and street magicians like David Blaine .
    • If the audience asks you to move closer or turn around, tell them that this exact spot on the floor is where you sense the most magic, or that you'll lose your concentration if you move.
  2. Simultaneously lift your front foot and your rear heel a few inches off the ground. Balance your entire body's weight on the toe of your rear foot, which is obscured from the audience's view. To them, it will look as though both feet lifted a few inches up from the floor. [2]
    • Hold the position for 5-10 seconds. Any longer, and your audience might try to peek behind your front foot.
    • Professional magician David Martinez notes, “the angle and positioning of your feet must be correct” for a levitation, or else the audience will see the truth of how you perform the trick.
    • Experiment with different pairs of pants to figure out which ones best obscure your rear toe without getting in the way.
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  3. End the levitation by heavily thumping both feet on the ground and bending your knees, like you just suddenly fell down. This helps give the audience the impression that you were levitating much higher than you actually were.
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Section 2 of 7:

How to Do a King Levitation Illusion

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  1. 1
    Turn your body 90 degrees from the audience. Find a small group of people and ask them if they want to see you levitate. Stand a few feet away from them and position yourself so you’re turned to the side and your shoulder points toward the viewers. [3]
    • This levitation is perfect for beginners because it doesn’t require any extra equipment and only a little bit of setup.
  2. 2
    Pinch your back shoe between your front foot and your back heel. Slip your back foot out of your shoe and turn your heel toward the audience. Push the side of the empty shoe against your front foot with your heel to clamp it in place. [4]
    • With the proper angle, your back foot will be completely hidden behind your leg.
    • If you can’t easily slip out of your shoe, hold a jacket or blanket in front of your legs to keep the setup hidden from the audience.
  3. 3
    Rise up on your back toes to levitate. When you’re ready, lift your front foot and back heel off the ground, making sure the shoes stay pinched together. Support your weight on your back toes for a few seconds before quickly dropping back down onto the ground. [5]
    • Slowly slip your foot back into your shoe when your audience isn’t looking so you can walk away like normal.
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Section 3 of 7:

How to Perform a Floating Blanket Levitation

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  1. 1
    Attach the sides of your shoes together with Velcro strips . Use Velcro strips that are the same color as your shoes. Attach one part of the strip on the right side of your left shoe, and place the other strip on the left side of your right shoe. That way, when you push your shoes together, the Velcro will hold them in place. [6]
    • While slip-on shoes work the best for this trick, you can do it with laced shoes too. Just tie them pretty loose so you can easily take them off.
    • If you don’t have any Velcro, you could also rubber-band your shoes together. Just make sure to use a band that matches your shoe color.
  2. 2
    Hold a blanket or jacket in front of your legs. Hold the top edge at waist height. Make sure that the blanket or jacket is large enough to completely hide your legs, but keep the toes of your shoes sticking out for the audience to see. [7]
    • Make sure no one is standing behind or to the side of you, or else they’ll easily see how you’re able to do the trick.
  3. 3
    Slip one foot out of your shoes. Once your legs are hidden, slowly pull your foot out from one of your shoes. Place your foot directly behind the other so it’s obscured when you perform the trick. [8]
    • Zach Waldman, a professional comedy magician, agrees that you need to “pay attention to all of the details as you're practicing.” Practice this movement a few times to get the basic movements down, and then try doing it in front of a mirror like you’re doing it in front of an audience.
  4. 4
    Balance on your back foot and lift your shoes to levitate. Bend your knees slightly like you’re about to prepare for your levitation. Then, straighten your back leg and use your front leg to lift the shoes off the ground. Balance your weight on your back leg for a few seconds before lowering your shoes back to the ground. [9]
    • From the front, your audience won’t be able to see your back foot, so it will look like both feet are magically floating underneath the blanket.
    • Try moving your shoes from side to side to make your levitation look even more convincing.
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Section 4 of 7:

How to Levitate onto a Chair

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  1. 1
    Cut a slit on the front of a pants leg. Choose an old baggy pair of pants that you don’t mind cutting to use for your trick. Find the middle of the pant leg just above where it reaches your knee, and start your cut with a pair of scissors. Cut down to the bottom of the leg, but stop a few inches above the cuff. [10]
    • You only need a slit that’s large enough to slip your leg in and out from your pants. Avoid cutting up to the waistband or through the leg cuff.
  2. 2
    Velcro or rubber-band your shoes together. Attach Velcro strips that match your shoe color to the outsides of your shoes. That way, they stick together if you push your feet closer to each other. If you don’t have Velcro strips, then hold them together with a rubber band. [11]
    • Use shoes that are loosely tied or that are slip-on so you can easily take your feet out of them.
  3. 3
    Stand in front of a chair with your back to the audience. Put on the pants you cut and your shoes. Place a sturdy chair or bench in front of you that can fully support your weight. Keep your back to the audience so they don’t see the slit you cut. [12]
    • Because this trick requires pants that are noticeably cut in the front, this trick may work better if you’re performing it in front of a camera rather than a live audience.
  4. 4
    Take your leg out from the pants slit and put your foot on the chair. With your back to the audience or camera, slowly slip your foot out of your shoe. Carefully take your leg out of your pants using the slit so it’s not visible to anyone behind you. Place your foot firmly on the seat. [13]
    • It can help to tuck your pants leg into the top of your shoe or secure it with a piece of tape to help hide the movement even better.
    • Practice filming yourself doing this a few times to check if the movement is noticeable.
  5. 5
    Step up onto the chair so both shoes are off the ground. Shift your weight onto your foot on the chair. Then, slowly raise your body as you step onto the chair. With your shoes stuck together by the Velcro, it will look like both feet are levitating off the ground at the same time. [14]
    • Take a few seconds to lift your shoes up onto the seat to make it seem like levitation takes a lot of focus and energy.
  6. 6
    Lower your body and put your leg back into your pants. To finish the illusion, slowly step back down onto the floor. When both shoes touch the ground, take your foot off the chair and put your leg back into your pants. [15]
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Section 5 of 7:

How to Levitate Objects

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  1. 1
    Floating card or dollar Tape a stiff piece of clear plastic to the bottom of the card or dollar bill that you want to levitate. Place the card or bill in your hand so you’re pinching the plastic with your thumb and pinky. Squeeze your fingers together to bend the plastic and make the card or dollar rise up and out of your hand. [16]
  2. 2
    Pencil in a bottle Tape one end of a thin black thread to the top of a pencil, and wrap the other end around something heavy in your front pocket. Place the top of the pencil inside an empty bottle. Simply move the bottle forward to tighten the string and make it appear like the pencil is floating out. [17]
    • Wiggle the fingers on your other hand to make it seem like you’re casting real magic.
  3. 3
    Coin Tape a piece of invisible thread to one side of the coin. Then, attach the other piece of tape to your thumbnail. Run the invisible thread over your head and behind your neck. When you move your hand down, the coin will move up. When you move your hand up, the coin will lower back down. [18]
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Section 6 of 7:

How to Perform a Convincing Levitation Magic Trick

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  1. 1
    Practice on your own before levitating in front of an audience. Waldman notes there are different types of practice depending on where you are in the learning process. You might practice basic movements while watching TV when you’re first starting. Then, try practicing in front of a mirror or a video camera so you can watch yourself do the movements like you’re doing it for an audience.
  2. Before you start your trick, search for a place that has "good vibes" or "feels like a portal to the other side." This continues building up the audience's suspense and makes it seem like you can only levitate under specific conditions.
    • Martinez mentions, “the key is to create an experience for the audience” that gives them a sense of wonder or curiosity so they stay entertained and engaged with your performance.
    • Make sure your audience is standing or sitting in the same area rather than scattered around the room when you perform your trick. This helps make sure no one sees how the levitation is actually done.
  3. Act like levitation is going to be physically strenuous, and that you need to loosen up first. You could also stretch, do a few jumping jacks, or do a yoga move or two.
  4. 4
    Add some humor to your performance. Pro magician Barry McDonough recommends taking a comedic approach when you’re performing magic so your audience stays engaged and entertained. He adds, “Once you have the audience liking you and finding you engaging, you can almost do no wrong because they're going to be rooting for you.”
  5. Convince your audience that you’re actually levitating by asking an audience member to check the area around you. Have them wave their hands over your head, and tell everyone else there are indeed no wires or strings waiting to lift you from the ground.
    • McDonough notes, “the audience members want to have fun, want to be fooled, and want to be entertained,” and involving them in the trick is a great way to keep the energy up.
  6. Mimic the expressions you would use when lifting a heavy object with your muscles. Have a look of concentration on your face. When you “land,” take deep breaths and act a little shaky like you used up all of your energy on the trick. [19]
    • Well-known magician David Blaine even pretends to be sick after performing the levitation to further convince the audience how difficult the trick is.
    • Try acting surprised or shocked that the levitation worked, like this is the first time you’ve been able to successfully do it.
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Section 7 of 7:

How do professional magicians do levitation tricks?

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  1. 1
    Metal supports If you’ve seen magicians levitate another person or if they’re sitting down and levitating in a single spot, many times there is a larger metal support holding them in place. The magician usually covers the support or stands in front of it so it’s not visible to the audience, and makes it look like they’re actually floating. [20]
    • Some magicians will “prove” someone is levitating by moving a hoop around the person’s body. In reality, the magician masterfully moves the hoop in a specific pattern to avoid hitting the supports. [21]
  2. 2
    Invisible harnesses When a magician levitates and it appears like there’s nothing else around them, there are usually harnesses just out of view that raise them into the air. Because they’ve practiced the trick so much, you won’t usually be able to tell when they put the harness on.
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How Do You Perform a Levitating Magic Trick?

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  • Question
    How do I know that the audience is at a good angle so they don't find out?
    Community Answer
    Practice with a friend ahead of time, and if they can see the trick, change your position until it works.
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  • Question
    What if I fall during the act?
    Community Answer
    Just pretend that you tipped over while levitating, like it is so tiring that you got off balance. Then try again.
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  • Question
    What if someone asks me how I did it?
    Community Answer
    Simply say, "A magician never tells his/her secret," then wink or give them a nice smile.
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      Tips

      • Videotape yourself practicing the levitation with the camera positioned where an audience member would be so you can see how the trick looks while you’re performing.
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      • Avoid levitating again for the same audience so they don’t catch on to how you performed the trick. Tell them that you're too tired or shaken up to do it again and that you need some time to recharge your magic.
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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about magic tricks, check out our in-depth interview with David Martinez .

      References

      1. ↑ https://magiciansrabbit.wordpress.com/2016/02/02/balducci-levitation/
      2. ↑ https://www.goodtricks.net/blainelev1.html
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/BjPKC7ejepM?t=244
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/BjPKC7ejepM?t=356
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/BjPKC7ejepM?t=464
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/HAvz_ZfuESk?t=29
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/f7r6PeUjNEE?t=157
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/HAvz_ZfuESk?t=78
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/HAvz_ZfuESk?t=105
      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/f7r6PeUjNEE?t=340
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/z2I5J1ArmeM?t=140
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/f7r6PeUjNEE?t=465
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/z2I5J1ArmeM?t=159
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/f7r6PeUjNEE?t=477
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/f7r6PeUjNEE?t=487
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/DRQ0_4kyRLg?t=84
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/DRQ0_4kyRLg?t=204
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/55IEJMzPVCk?t=92
      10. ↑ https://youtu.be/HAvz_ZfuESk?t=302
      11. ↑ https://youtu.be/z2I5J1ArmeM?t=203
      12. ↑ https://youtu.be/z2I5J1ArmeM?t=252

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      While it may not be possible to physically levitate, you can make people think you can lift yourself off the ground with a simple illusion. Stand a fair distance away from the audience at a 45° angle, with your back to the crowd. Lift your front foot and your rear heel, so all of your weight is balanced on the toe of your rear foot. Your rear foot will be obscured by your front foot, so to the audience, it will appear that you are hovering off the ground. For tips on creating a dramatic crash landing, read on!

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