- Sooperman
Looy's Sooperman is a
levitation illusion created byLooy Simonoff . It is a variation of theBalducci levitation . The effect is currently being sold under the name "Wild Levitation".Effect
The audience views the performer from the front. The legs of the performer are obscured (usually by a coat or jacket), so that only the performer's shoes are visible. The performer then appears to rise, tilt sideways, and hover at least a foot above the ground. The effect generally lasts for about a minute. When both of the performer's feet reach the ground, the performer's legs are uncovered.
Advantages & Disadvantages
The Sooperman levitation method allows the performer to appear to levitate considerably higher than in the original Balducci levitation. This levitation also has the flexibility to be performed for a larger group of spectators. However, this method requires the use of cover (such as a jacket) during the performance, which makes the levitation look less natural. Also, this illusion uses a gimmick, which means this variation is not completely
impromptu .History
Paul Harris first published "Looy's Sooperman" in the 1979 book "Close-up Entertainer".
Method
Once the performer's legs are covered, the performer's shoes are attached to one another using some gimmick (commonly a
bulldog clip , magnets, or Velcro). Anything can be used. This may be done under some guise, such as straightening the coat used to obscure the legs. The performer's foot is secretly slipped out of its shoe and positioned behind the shoes. The performer stands on a specially constructed pole that extends from one trouser leg to create the illusion that both feet (really one foot but both shoes) are suspended magically above the ground. The performer then simply reverses the process to end the effect. Another impromptu way of achieving this effect is by taking both feet out of their shoes, and instead of using the pole, the magician's glove-less hand grasps the edge of both shoes. One hand supports (and can be held up for extra height) while the grasping hand lifts up both shoes.External links
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
