(Matt McCoy • Jade - The Beauty of Magic ) Magic and men; these two words have been associated together for hundreds of years. It seems most of today's audience, magicians and laymen alike still haven't torn down the wall that separates stereotypes of sexes to magic. When people see a woman pull up to a hotel with magic tricks pillowing out of the vehicle the first question she gets is, "are you the assistant?"…
Finally women can now say “No, I'm the Magician." I am glad to say times are starting to change. Women are beginning to map out a long road in the history of magic. Being in the magic business for only eight years, even I can see that some things women can do easier than men. Sex appeal plays a big part in the advertisement, especially for the turn of the 21st century audiences. But can all women magicians pull this off? Not necessarily. Only one woman can do this with such sophisticated effects, hypnotic magic, and poetic blocking that will make you rise out of your seat.
Today's society is fast-paced, up beat, and continually moving. Magic has to be quick, transforming, and attractive to the eye. No one else, man or woman, pulls this sleek, elegant style off better than the beauty of magic, Jade. With the poise of a ballerina and a minimum of movement, Jade's performance is what cultivates today's mainstream audience to not want to miss a beat.
A name such as Jade should stand out in anyone's mind; this award-winning magician is a woman. The concept of women in magic is something that still comes as something of a surprise to non-magicians as well as some magicians in our fraternity. People still find it hard to believe that a woman is the magician.
Does being a woman make things harder or more troublesome for Jade to be accepted into the market for magic? Not according to her. "Being a woman in a male-dominated field has made the journey a little easier than if I was of the opposite sex, I think. It allowed me to stand out among the sea of male magicians and the clients tend to think this is such a novel idea to have a woman perform magic!" Boy is she ever right! Now Jade is one the hottest magic acts not just in her hometown San Francisco, California, but all over the U.S. and Europe. She has headlined conventions all over the states, performed in Las Vegas, at Hollywood's famous MagicCastle, and performed for the royal family of Monaco.
This fame and magic sensation didn't just pop up over night. Jade had to start from the beginning just like everybody else. And being a woman didn't make it any easier. Jade was born in Indonesia and then moved to Taiwan to distance her and her family from the civil unrest in her homeland. In 1971, Jade and her family decided to take the big leap across the Atlantic Ocean and directly into San Francisco.
Jade didn't really get exposed to magic until she began working at a magic shop in San Francisco. Her brother did try to attempt some card tricks when she was eleven or twelve but the bug didn't bite until her first steps into The World of the Unexplained Magic Shop. This place of secrets was nestled in the San Francisco's FishermanWharf area. Jade started out demonstrating simple tricks, and moved to being the assistant store manager. "Young children would come in and ask me to perform a trick for them. The look in their eyes during and after the effect was addictive. They would look at me as though I had supernatural powers (equivalent of a goddess of some sort). I loved the fact that I was able to make them believe in the impossible. I had achieved the status of a goddess and yet all I did was make a handkerchief come to life or made the red sponge ball disappear from one hand into another. How beautifully innocent they were. Sometimes the adults would give me those same looks and that's when I was hooked."
At the age of 26 Jade left San Francisco State University with a Communications Degree in hand and the magic shop behind her. But the idea of paying her dues by sitting in an office, answering phones, and sweeping the floor to get anywhere in television business made Jade look at magic, once again. " I chose the path least taken and it's been quite a ride!" Jade might have been ready for the path ahead, but were her parents? Her parents kept wondering when she was going to get a "real" job. That question kept popping up until Jade saved up enough money to buy her first house in San Francisco. Only then did her parents accept magic as her full time occupation. Her parents showed their support by being there to help with the many magic projects that came Jade's way. Many a night Jade and her mother stayed up late sewing together costumes and props. Being a professional seamstress, no project ever fazed Jade's mother. She was quite a trooper when deadlines were tight. Sleep? That'll have to wait. After all, the show is the day after next and Jade needs those giant butterfly wings by the morning!
Let's backtrack and dig deeper into finding out about Jade's award-winning Chinese act. While working at the magic shop and attending San FranciscoStateUniversity, Jade began working on her stage act. To set a deadline for herself, her first goal was to enter a local competition in Oakland, California. After many hard hours of practice with what little props she owned and had chosen to work with for the competition, she appeared before a crowd of appreciative audiences. Coincidentally, one of the judges that night was Channing Pollock. The pressure was on! As it turned out, a very skilled act from the Area named Roy Shank was also in the competition. At the end of the night, Roy went home with the first place trophy and Jade with the second.
Not wanting to let that be the case forever, Jade entered the competition again the next year and won first place. She also had the act taped so that she could move to her next goal, to work at the world famous MagicCastle. With 21 shows per week and three shows a night, the MagicCastle offered her the opportunity to really work out her act. She had many valuable and generous inputs from many of the magicians she met there. Jade worked the Castle as often as they would allow her. After about two years of fine-tuning, she decided to enter the International Brotherhood of Magician's competition in 1990. The event was held in St. Louis, Missouri.
Here she was among her peers, about to be judged by each and every one of them. The butterflies in her stomach would not calm down no matter what she did. When her music started, she presented that act she had worked on for years and hoped the paper butterflies would behave and that the water would not make an appearance too early in the rice bowls. She was pleasantly surprised when the judges not only awarded her with winning first place; she was also presented with the Gold Medal! It was an honor that has taken place only a handful of times since the conception of the competition. With the winnings came her first invitation to perform overseas, Japan. Jade was thrilled! This was the beginning of an adventure that has brought her to the many different corners of the globe. Jade felt she was the luckiest woman alive to be doing something she loved and to experience the world at the same time.
To this day Jade resides in the beautiful San Francisco area. She is now happily married with two young children: a boy and girl. Jade says, "They love to pretend they're performing on stage all the time. One of these days I hope to add them to my act!" Although the new life style gives Jade very little time to practice she is constantly performing shows and creating new illusions. Jade is a woman that is respected by her peers and all that see her perform.
She is truly one of the most beautiful and graceful performers that will ever enter the magic realm. On a personal note she is also one of the most humble and noble people you could ever meet. She has such an air about her that you wouldn't even know she was a Gold Medal winner unless you sucked it out of her. Her magic continues to be inspiring and gives more gifts to the magic community than I can name. Jade isn't just a magician, she's a woman who performs breath taking miracles in the palms of her hands. Her heart is filled with passion and love, not only for her family, but also for her second love, magic. Jade is a performer, artist, mother, dancer, wife, and friend all wrapped up in one. And she does it with the up most grace and beauty. Jade is truly the beauty of magic
http://www.magicexhibit.org/illusions/illusions_Ch_bio.html
http://www.genting.com.my/en/live_ent/2000/odyssey/odyssey2/jade.htm
