Tarbell 31: Rope Magic

When it comes to versatile magic props, a simple piece of rope ranks very high on the list, and this lesson explores some of that versatility.

You’ll learn a few knots that appear, vanish, and jump from place-to-place. There’s animation, transformations, of course, cut and restored and more.



Dan begins with a quick opening effect where three knots behave quite strangely… first they appear, then they melt right off of the rope.



Next, a single knot shows off its supernatural-climbing skill by instantly jumping from the bottom to the top of its rope, with a little help from Dan.



Then, using the same one-handed move, Dan shows you how to use the rope to snatch a borrowed ring out of the air and catch it on an appearing knot.



And, he shares another nice opener where a piece of thread turns into a rope and the rope becomes animated and unties itself.



Then, Dan explores three ways to change a cigarette into a rope… one where a lit cigarette changes in your hand…



one where you visibly stretch the cigarette, and the third I dress up quite a bit by changing not only the cigarette, but just about everything else, too.



Then, you learn an easy way to tie a knot that simply vanishes, and a way to make many knots appear… and just as quickly untie them all.



Plus, Dan shows you step-by-step the correct way to tie a complicated-looking knot that is really a false-knot which fades away. And once you master it,…



Dan gives you a presentational angle that emotionally connects to let your audience know why you’re tying so many knots, and care when they all come out.



Then, we delve into a ton of techniques to cut and restore a rope and I string a few together into a cute routine of magical tug-o-war between two helpers.



And finally, Dan teaches a very clever, and unusual way to apparently cut a rope into multiple pieces and still be able to restore it quite easily.



So, if you’re like Dan, and hundreds of other professionals, you’ll realize the surprising power of a simple piece of rope when you know what to do with it.