You're at a party when suddenly someone across the room starts hovering above the ground! You check your drinking glass, then realize that soft drinks aren't going to make you see things that don't make sense. You adjust your glasses and rub your eyes in disbelief, but he's still floating! You know people can't float, so it must be a magic trick. You also know that magicians never tell their magic secrets. Luckily, we're not averse to sharing, and we'd be happy to show you how to do the Balducci drift trick!
Step
Step 1. Determine the estimated audience
The key to success with this method is to convince people in advance that you will be hovering above the ground. Ask people to step back because there is a risk of you falling during your flight, especially if you are distracted. Say this convincingly, and people will believe you!
Step 2. Set up a distraction
Of course you won't actually be floating in the air, but the key to good magic is determining the audience's approximation. Ask a volunteer to look for wires or other hidden devices – which, of course, they're unlikely to find!
Step 3. Get into position
When the volunteers have returned to the audience, stand in front of the audience, with their backs to them, with their bodies at about 45 degrees from them. Turn around a little so they can see your left foot and heel and the back of your right heel.
If they ask that you go to them, say that you can't for fear of losing concentration
Step 4. Focus the cosmic energy
Drifting is hard: you're against the laws of physics and the laws of gravity! Show that you're concentrating, trying to focus on your energy so you can pull yourself up in the air.
- You can position your arms at your sides, palms down, as if pressing something down.
- Take deep breaths as if you were filling your body with lighter-than-air energy.
Step 5. Soar
When you feel a stream of energy flowing through your body, press down with your hands as if trying hard to lift yourself up. At the same time, use your invisible toes to slowly lift yourself up a few inches, keeping your heels together.
Remember to keep the heel of your free foot, that is, facing the audience, at ground level. This will help create the illusion of floating
Step 6. Hold the position for two or three seconds, then let your body drop
You can use several ways to get off:
- Turn your hands so that your palms are open, and press against the sky to press yourself down.
- Clap your hands together, and "fall" back to the ground, bending your knees as if you had fallen from a high place.
- If you're not using your hands as a tool, briefly nod your head and "fall" back to the ground.
- Exhale, as if you were deflated yourself, and lower back to the ground.
Tips
- Turn around a little so they can see your left foot and heel and the back of your right heel. If they see the toe of your right foot, they will know the secret of the magic.
- Drifting is a very powerful magic. Looking weak and out of breath after dropping back to the ground is one way to describe how strong and difficult it is to float.
- Angle is everything. Practice in front of a mirror or someone else. Lack of practice will definitely make your magic secrets visible.
- There's a great video called "The Self-Levitation Video" starring Michael Maxwell and Paul Harris, which is devoted to Balducci's drift trick, and contains many of the psychological subtleties that help this effect succeed.
- Try to do this subtly. Don't say, "Now I'm going to float." Instead, say something like, "Now pay close attention to my feet," to get the audience's attention focused on the illusion. Make sure everyone is on the same side of you.
- Cut a hole in the shoe on the raised foot so that your toe is free, allowing your shoe to float higher. This will increase your field of view (more people can see).
- Be careful how high your leg is raised because people will be able to feel it.
- This trick is best done at night when there is a shadow to hide your right leg. Also, try to position yourself so that the shadows will cover your feet so that they are not visible from certain audiences.
Warning
- Don't show this trick a second time to the same audience.
- Don't stand too close or too far away; this may reveal the trick.
- Never tell the secret. Have them read the wikiHow article if they want to find out!
- Don't float too high or they'll see your toes.
