Magic show jazz up Shanghai

Over a dozen international masters of magic staged a mind-boggling array of artifice as they competed at the 5th Shanghai International Magic Festival and International Magic Competition. The week-end competition served as a showcase to the world of tricks and trickery.

This magic duo from Netherlands use the shifting and elusive sands to devise an easy and stylish performance.

A magician from France conjures fluorescent objects and figures from total darkness. The illusions then vanish as abruptly as they appear,with nary a trace. The show ends with the magician himself vanishing in the same manner as his illusions; right before the eyes of the appreciative audience.

The lone Chinese magician in the competition, Shen Juan scales up the difficulty, with an air of sophistication and a sense of aesthetics. Her combined skills earn her the accolade from the jury.

The four-day event also included a competition for newcomers to the world of magic. There's also a display of magic implements and a seminar on the scholastic approach to stage magic.