Now that the 2009 FISM World Championships of Magic competitions are over, eight "Supreme Magic" shows are set to be staged from August 1 to August 8. Nine masters will demonstrate their unbelievable repertoires each night on a high-tech, well-lit stage. All of the masters have won gold medals at previous magic competitions worldwide.

Stab, but no blood

French magician Omar Pasha, a master of black magic, successfully removed a man's head and put it into the latter's hands. The audience applauded loudly, in both awe and fear. Next on stage was a Swiss magician who "divided" a man's body.

"I know it is not real, but I just can't help but believe it is true," a girl in her 20s said to her buddy while watching the breathtaking performance. Seeing a body being split apart and then watching the legs ride a unicycle is definitely something that will put chills up and down one's spine.

Perhaps you may have seen such a scene in a horror movie: a bloodthirsty man cages a girl and stabs her several times. Surely, it would be a bloody site. Well, a Spanish magician presented a scene very similar that, only without the blood: he stabbed a box with a girl inside of it several times, using sticks and a sharp sword. Yet what would be a deadly and gory scene in the world of reality proved to be a harmless and clean scene in the world of magic. It's important to make sure you have the power of Harry Potter before trying to imitate it, as this scene could have taken a turn for the worst.

He, or They?

In Journey to the West, there is a character called the Monkey King, who is the most powerful and smartest character in the novel. Not only does he have the ability to transform himself into 72 images, but he can also produce several copies of himself (perhaps we would call it cloning.) The mystery of such a power to clone oneself was also performed on stage. A Greek magician fascinated the audience by having an identical-looking man escape from a porcelain bottle—both men then appeared on stage, only one man was behind the screen and the other man was in front of it. The men would then switch positions from time to time. Were "they" one? If so, how could the magician stand in one place and then appear in a completely different place, separated by a screen? Or, if there were actually two people on stage, how could they look so alike? Is it possible they were twins? The audience may never know.

'I can be a magician!'

Many people were quite impressed by the performance of an American magician who turned a young boy, randomly picked from the audience, into a money-producing magician. The boy himself was rather excited when he heard a coin drop from his mouth into an iron can (at least from the perspective of the audience.) As the boy imitated the magician's actions, coins would drop from his nose when he sniffed, from his upper arm when held it out horizontally, and from his right hand when he would open it. Surprise and humor overwhelmed the audience. Some people even complained that they should have sat closer to the front, so as to be lucky enough to experience the power of such an almighty magician. Touched by the inspired audience and its welcoming atmosphere, even the magician could not help but to smile occasionally. It was perhaps the best example of interaction between a magician and the audience throughout the whole show.

Magic romance

Have you ever wished you could do a wardrobe change in just one second? Even if you are well prepared, it is doubtful you could be faster than the two magicians from the Ukraine who performed that night. A graceful lady and a handsome gentleman, they brought the audience into an enchanting world with their performance. Every time the man removed a piece of cloth covering the woman, her attire would change—not only in color, but also in style. Each dress change made her appear more charming and irresistible. Love can inspire thoughts, revitalize life and temper a mind—perhaps that is why we say love is magic.

This is the first time FISM's "Supreme Magic" has come to China. Integrating spectacular stage lighting, multimedia techniques and unimaginable creativity, the show has already become a legendary success.

(China.org.cn by Fan Junmei August 4, 2009)