Rope Routine #2

So this is all build up for the Equal Unequal Ropes. But there is still a variety of stuff happening. First we got a little bit of rope stretching, kinda foreshadowing the final effect. Then I have the two middles link. I have never seen that in that particular context. What comes close is the old bit with two different colored ropes. Later Dean Dill used that effect in his Dean's Box Routine. But his method is entirely different.

Both rings link. Talk about an age old goodie. It plays well and it is easy to do. For the actual link and unlink I use a move from Willi Wessel's Close Up Ring and Rope Routine. A very good routine, you should check it out.

The next bit with the moving knot is taken from Flip Hallema. He uses it in one of his routines on the DVD of "Flip's Truly Magical Rope Magic" In his version he would untie the short pieces from the supposed long piece, which would then lead into a version of Equal Unequal Ropes done with only two ropes. I decided to make the knot jump back to where it came from.

Then it's cutting the rope without scissors. Now this in taken straight from the works of George Sands and Francis Tabary, who both have - similar in concept - versions of it. I do it twice. The first time to demonstrate, then a restoration and the second time the audience can decide where the rope is cut. Because of the method it really doesn't matter where the audience stops you. You can cut right there and most of the time take apart the ropes immediately. The shift from horizontal to vertical confuses the perception enough to get away with a minor changes in length of the short piece.

If the spectator says stop way later then a little extra effect is thrown in. Basically I pull on the long piece making the shorter piece even shorter. Once the short piece is a short as I need it I would take apart the ropes. Not as beautiful as just leaving it as the spectator wants me to, but it would also hint on the next part of the routine.

Equal Unequal Ropes: There is nothing special about this. Just they way I learned it from the Daryl DVDs on rope magic.

Let's talk about the premise a bit. The concept of holes and their properties. I do this routine in my kids shows and the hole concept is the whole concept of the show. Holes appear and disappear and I talk about the different holes there are. Regular holes, invisible holes, dimensional holes, black holes and so on. And each concept is demonstrated with some tricks. Of course I don't play it straight faced. The kids must be aware that all of that is make believe. And they love it. I tried doing that with adults and they found it amusing, yes, but not worth to devote an entire show to that.