By Tom Interval
Magician friends, if you haven’t watched Tom Frank‘s instructional DVDs on the Cups and Balls and Linking Rings, I highly recommend doing so. These are the beautiful, practical routines that have put food on his table for decades, and he teaches the moves and theory with clarity and passion. The DVDs are well thought out, professionally produced, and include footage of Tom performing each of the routines for live audiences.
Tom’s Cups and Balls routine incorporates both standard and original moves, and he offers advice and theory that any magician at any skill level would find useful. He also includes some bonus goodies, such as a tour of his Cups and Balls collection, performance footage of his mentors Larry Pringle and Cellini, and a personal anecdote about Dai Vernon he shares to make an insightful point.
The ring routine, dubbed The Legend of the Five Mystic Rings, is Tom’s version of Jack Miller’s five-ring routine mindfully performed to a beautifully written, Edgar Allan Poe-inspired poem. The instruction here is pretty straightforward, but I recommend supplementing it by reading Jack Miller’s Linking Ring Routine, by Bob Novak. It’s a 32-page, profusely photo-illustrated pamphlet you can find used online for under ten bucks.
Before watching either of Tom’s DVDs, having basic working knowledge of magic and its terminology would be helpful, if not required. The DVDs are well worth the price of $25 each (plus $5 shipping/handling). You can purchase them directly from Tom on his website: https://www.tomfrankmagic.com/products.
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