These Orlando Magicians Share the Secret Behind Their Magic—Incredible Mentors
Orlando mentalist, Meraux Dantes (third from left), cited See Magic Live founder, Kostya Kimlat (second from left), as one of his mentors, saying, “Kostya taught me that what people love most about my performances is not necessarily the tricks I’m doing but the person I am.”
What propels an amateur magician to the ranks of a master? The unyielding dedication to the art, the tenacious grip on perfection, or the ceaseless intrigue for magic itself? No doubt, these all contribute. But one crucial ingredient often goes unnoticed: mentorship.
In this post, we reveal the profound influence of mentorship through the candid recollections of our team of magicians at See Magic Live, based here in Orlando, Florida.
Expressing Artistry and Emotion
Magic is not just about the spectacle of defying reality—it’s a powerful means of artistic expression and emotional connection. For Daniel Giandoni, it was mentor Luis Otero who brought this to light. “Luis Otero, a magician from Venezuela, taught me the meaning of magic as an art; and how to pursue myself as an artist through magic,” Giandoni said. This shifted his understanding of magic, turning each performance into a personal narrative that could connect deeply with an audience.
Kostya Kimlat shares a similar story, his mentor being the late Lee Noble, a magician he met through the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Kimlat recalls, “When I was a teenager, I joined my local magic club, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Ring #170. And for the first few years, I got to interact with a magician named Lee Noble. He was 82 when I met him and he was incredibly kind. I watched him host one of the magic banquets and he was so funny and so comfortable on stage. I knew I was in the presence of a true entertainer.”
Kimlat further shares his regret about not spending more time with Lee Noble to learn from him: “After the banquet show for the local magic club where I saw him slay the crowd, Lee had offered to share with me his knowledge of performing from the stage. It is one of my regrets that my 15-year-old self didn't spend more time with Lee and take him up on his offer of learning to ‘emcee’ a show. I was really into card tricks, and I didn't see myself as a stage performer, just a close-up performer. The student wasn’t ready. I take solace in the lessons I did take away from seeing him perform: to be comfortable on stage and to be kind off-stage. I am both humbled and grateful that I got to spend time with such a wonderful person who had been studying the art of magic for so long. He was my connection to a previous century of knowledge, and I’m so thankful I got to meet him.”
The Value of Human Connection
Eric Yuhasz, another Orlando magician, credits his magical journey to the influence of Jeff Moore, an Air Force serviceman who loved performing magic. Yuhasz recounts, “The title ‘mentor’ bears such a significant weight and responsibility to it. I can’t say I have had a mentor in magic, but I have definitely had noteworthy influences. The most notable had to be Jeff Moore. That is not a name anyone in the magic community has ever heard of because he was never a professional magician. He was just someone who loved magic and used it to put a smile on the face of those he came in contact with.”
Yuhasz fondly remembers his first encounter with Jeff Moore: “Jeff was in his mid-twenties when I met him. I was just ten years old, and he was in the Air Force. We attended the same church. One Sunday, as church was letting out, he asked if he could show me something with my jacket. At that point, he magically made a small red silk disappear and reappear, apparently right from the fabric of my jacket. I was hooked! Before long, he was teaching me some of the secrets and even took me to the one magic shop in my 'neck of the woods,' which was over an hour away.”
Yuhasz highlights what made Jeff Moore’s performances memorable: “What is so memorable about Jeff’s magic performances was how he used it to connect with people. He might not have been the most technically sound magician, but that wasn’t the point. He used magic to brighten a person’s day. And more often than not, that person was a complete stranger.”
Sebastian Gerhardt, mentored by Bob Swadling and See Magic Live founder Kostya Kimlat, shares a similar sentiment. “Bob Swadling and Kostya Kimlat, both dramatically changed my life for the better and influenced my magic from a young age,” he said.
Gerhardt reflects on the impact of his mentors, emphasizing Kostya Kimlat's profound influence on his life: “On the other hand, we have Kostya, and I could write a very lengthy novel about all the ways that Kostya has inspired and influenced my life as a magician. He literally taught me how to smile. I was insecure about my teeth because they were really bad when I was a kid, and because of that, I'd spent the majority of my childhood trying not to smile. Instead, relying on a ‘mean mug’—lifted eyebrow, smug, too cool to be here demeanor that turned audiences away from me. I’ll never forget the session with Kostya in the private room where we do the dinner shows, where he taught me how to smile when I walked onto a stage. It feels so silly and inconsequential when I write it out, but it changed my life in so many ways. Not just as a magician, but as a person connecting to other people.”
Balancing Business and Creativity
For Keith Kong, the world of professional magic requires a balance between business acumen and creative innovation, a lesson he learned from Ken Dyne and Brent Braun. Kong describes his journey, saying, “Unfortunately, I went without a mentor for more than a decade until I eventually decided to hire a few consultants. One is named Ken Dyne, and the other is Brent Braun, both of whom are well-established performers in their own right.”
Kong elaborates on the guidance he received from Ken and Brent: “Ken helped me a lot on the business side, and Brent has been instrumental when it comes to developing my creativity. He was also the first person to plant a seed in my mind about performing on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and I’m glad that I listened. In recent years, both Ken and Brent have become amazing mentors and friends. Finally, while I never formally hired him, I also have to put Kostya Kimlat in a similar standing. Like Ken and Brent, Kostya has also been an incredible friend, colleague, and inspiration on both the creative and business side of showbiz.”
Noah Fay, on the other hand, finds mentorship within the diverse team at See Magic Live. He shares, “My mentors are everyone on the See Magic Live team. Every time we get together, I learn something new not only about magic but about life. That’s one of the most exciting things for me. I get to be surrounded by magicians better than myself to learn from and to help me improve in the magic I do.”
Finding Inspiration Beyond the Conventional
Mentorship doesn’t always follow a traditional path. For Meraux Dantes, inspiration came from a variety of sources: authors, characters in books and movies, and like many of his team members, See Magic Live founder, Kostya Kimlat. Dantes expresses his admiration for Kimlat, stating, “The impact he’s had in my life is tough to describe with words. His standards, both personally and professionally, inspire me to be the most authentic version of myself that I can be (for better or worse). He’s taught me that what people love most about my performances is not necessarily the tricks I’m doing but the person I am.”
Meraux Dantes also draws inspiration from various sources, including Derren Brown, Richard Busch, Alain Nu, Eugene Burger, Anthony Jacquin, René Lavand, Osho, Thich Nhat Hahn, Enrique Enriquez, Byron Katie, and Dr. Seuss.
Actionable Takeaways: Your Magic Mentorship
So, what can we gather from these insightful revelations?
Mentorship Comes in Many Forms: From professional consultants to self-taught aficionados, mentors can take different shapes.
Connection Matters: Magic is as much about connecting with your audience as it is about the tricks you perform.
Seek Collective Wisdom: Don’t restrict yourself to learning from just one source. Look around; you might find wisdom in unexpected places.
Look Beyond Magic: Look to other disciplines, such as literature and film, for inspiration.
Never Stop Learning: Even when you become a mentor yourself, continue to learn and grow.
Inspired by the stories of these Orlando magicians and looking for magic in your life or your event? Request a magician with See Magic Live. Let’s bring a little magic into your world, too.
