Cups and Balls

The Shankar family of Udupi India has hosted visiting foreign magicians for years and has also made great efforts to preserve the ancient Indian art of jadoo. They organized the wonderful Gili Gili magic conventions in 1997 and 2001.  The 1997 convention featured an outdoor performance of the famous Indian rope trick and the 2001 convention included a performance by yours truly along with an escape from a straight jacket while hanging from a burning rope performed by Dean Gunnarson.  This is a photo of Shankar junior performing a version of the Indian cups and balls that he learned from an old street magician.  The act was performed by Professor Vazhakunnam, a magician from Kerala.  Shankar learned the act from one of the professor's students.  Inspired by the traditional Indian cups and balls routine, I am working on a fusion jadoo act that combines the western and Indian styles of cups of balls.  I may perform a version of this routine at the upcoming show.