Jason Ladanye Card Magic By Jason — Local services in New York

Since the beginning of my magic journey I’ve always was fascinated by cards. I’ve always admired such great performers as Jack Carpenter, Michael Vincent, Darwin Ortiz. No matter how many times I’ve tried to practice with other props I’ve ended with cards in my hands after 10 minutes. I did many performances with different props but it wasn’t my cup of tea. Despite the fact that I’ve always wanted to perform only with cards I’ve never had enough courage and motivation to do so. Then, almost 2 years ago I’ve met Jason Ladanye. When I’ve heard that Darwin Ortiz’s student has his own book I knew that I need to buy it. And it was a begging of my own development as a magician. It gave me that spark and courage to make this decision. Now or never - at November 2014 I’ve made my mind. I’ve decided to go only with cards. And it was the best decision that I’ve did. Inspired by the book I’ve took an on-line lesson with Jason. He did not promised any wonders to me. I’ve even remember when he said that if I want to succeed I need to invest one thing – a lot of my time to practice. He said that it will be like a training on a gym. After those 2 years, when I look back and realize how much progress I did I know one thing – his influence and help are priceless. Currently I’m able to do stuff that I was only dreaming about. Jason is a great teacher and performer – he was able to show me all my problems and gave me advice how to get rid of them and how to improve my skills. But not only my skills improved. I’m doing more paid gigs, have more self-confidence while performing and effectively use my time during practice. In 1994 Darwin Ortiz gave us a fantastic lesson in his book: “Strong Magic.” In 2014 Jason Ladanye showed us that he learned that lesson. And he learned it well. Now I can proudly say – I’m learning from the best. I’m learning from...

Earlier this year I ordered one of Jason's "Spectral Black" close-up pads (which are EXCELLENT, by the way. More on that later...). When there was an issue with the delivery, Jason was super-responsive; he replied to my email within the hour and we got the issue sorted out right away. (The issue was on the carrier's side of things, not Jason's, by the way...)

As for the pad itself, it is an incredible value! Like all of Jason's work it is of superior quality and also incredibly functional and practical. Add to that the completely reasonable price point (I've used pads that cost 4 times as much but don't perform half as well...) and you have a product whose value feels practically magical.

Some specifics about the pad's functionality: The rubberized grip on the underside of the pad keeps the pad from sliding around amazingly well, even on very smooth surfaces like melamine (think the slick finish on IKEA furniture). I haven't tried it on something like polished marble, but I imagine it holds tight there as well.

The finish on the topside of the pad has a very slight "tooth" which keeps cards from sliding off the pad when they are pitched out in poker deals and the like; a VERY useful feature for anyone who does any kind of gambling demonstrations.

The foam interior of the pad has (in my opinion) the perfect amount spring and sponginess; not too soft and not too stiff. At 16" by 20" the size of the pad is also spacious but not overly so.

Lastly, Jason has taken great care in the shipping of the pad. It's packed flat instead of rolled (like so many pads are), so there's no flaring or other distortions in the pad when it arrives. He also includes detailed care instructions so that the pad will continue looking great after years of use.

All-in-all an excellent purchase from a...

Card magicians/ “Slight-of-Hand” Artists are often called the “Gentlemen Thevies”; Jason truly is a gentleman and the only thing I was robbed of was my sense of what is real! From our first emails to the end of his performance, Jason was: responsive, attentive, engaging, professional and accommodating on all points and at every turn. I hired Jason to provide entertainment for a small, private gathering (