Showing posts with label Joan Caesar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joan Caesar. Show all posts

27 March 2023

Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Magic Ben

Next in the the series of Canada's Got Talent contestants is Whitehorse's / Saskatoon's Magic Ben!

Who inspires you that is not a magician?
 
My father, Hypnotist Corrie J and Dwayne The Rock Johnson. They are all extremely hard workers and I look up to that every day.
 
What is your first memory of magic? 

I was 9 years old the first time I saw a magician, it was at my parents’ wedding. I remember seeing him perform a linking rings routine and I ran to my dad and asked him how he’d done it. My dad told me that if I wanted to know, I'd have to become a magician. The next day I was playing with a deck of cards and it brought us here!
 


Who from the magic community inspires you?

Le Grand Sahibe, Joan Caesar, Hiawatha Johnson Jr. Shawn Farquhar, David Blaine, Dani Daortiz, Juan Tamariz. I could name so many!

 

Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?

I started competing at the Festival de Magie de Quebec in 2014 and was a finalist 6 years in a row. That and attending Tannen's Magic Camp in 2018 sealed the deal for me. Living in the arctic comes with its challenges and learning magic was one of them. 





  

Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting magic?  
 
I was 6 months old when my parents decided to move to a small fly-in and fly-out Inuit community in the Canadian arctic.  I was the only “white kid” and I grew up learning their language and culture. Magic helped me figure out my identity, who I am,  and overcome the challenges of living so remotely. Sometimes I'd quit, but it usually was only for about 2 hours!

Do you have any or pre-show rituals?
 
Two things could happen: If I am lucky enough to eat some country food from where I come from (Beluga, seal, caribou, arctic char etc.) it would be that or I will listen to some Coldplay.

 
 
What inspired you to be a part of this season of Canada's Got Talent?
 
I represent hope and inspiration to all the youth of the northern fly-in and fly-out communities that no matter where you come from in life, anything is possible. That is why I'm on Canada's Got Talent, for my friends up north!

 
 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 
I speak three languages: French, English and Inuktitut. I am hoping to be a bridge linking all Canadians together through my experiences living North, East and West. I once did a show at -48, I think that makes me the Magician of the North! 

 

 

Thank you Ben, for making the time to answer our questions!  Break a leg on CGT!


Learn more about Ben at his website MagicWithBen.com or follow him on Instagram.

 
Was that Ben's smiling face at the end of last week's episode?  Tune in tomorrow to find out! 

 
Watch Canada's Got Talent Tuesday nights on CityTV.

 

 

 

 

 

23 July 2022

FISM in the news

From the July 21st article "Merlin à Québec" by Paul Fontaine in Le Deviour (translated by Google):

As of Monday, curious phenomena will agitate the city of Quebec. More than 2,500 magicians will appear in the Old Capital, ready to amaze young and old alike during the Quebec Magic Festival. Witchcraft activities will enchant the ExpoCité site and the Québec City Convention Centre, not to mention the shopping streets of Old Québec and Lower Town.

This carnival of illusion, which takes place from July 25 to 31, will host with great fanfare the World Championship of Magic of the International Federation of Magical Societies (FISM).

The “Olympics of Magic”

“It's really a historic first,” says Luc Langevin, spokesperson for the 11th edition  of the Festival. Met under the shadow of the forest giants of Square Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier, in Montreal, the illusionist well known to Quebecers struggles to contain his excitement.

Read more.



From the July 14th article "Elora is indeed a 'magical' community" by Keegan Kozolanka in Elora Fergus Today:

Caesar said she looked forward to seeing a few tricks as she knows some magicians will leave her stumped how they pulled the trick off, which is rare as she claims to know most of the tricks of the trade.

“I’m overjoyed to finally have FISM come to North America specifically,” Caesar said, giving credit to current CAM president Renee-Claude Auclair. “I’m very grateful to Renee-Claude for having the foresight and energy to this done.”

“It’s a historic moment for Canadian magicians specifically but also North American because the FISM World Championship of Magic has never come anywhere west of the United Kingdom,” Joyce said. 

Read more.



14 November 2021

FISM 2022 Official Judges: Canadian content

Congratulations to the Canadians named as Official Judges for FISM Quebec 2022

Representing Canada:

  • Joan Caesar 
  • Juliana Chen
  • Shawn Farquhar
  • Ryan Joyce
  • Raymond Dionne

 

See all of the Official Judges at the FISM website.

 

13 February 2020

Shawn Farquhar and Matt Johnson at FISM NACM 2020

A quick reminder that the deadline to register to compete is rapidly approaching!


Shawn Farquhar and Matt Johnson will be there.  Check out the bottom of the post to see more names!


Watch a message from Joan Caesar about the competition:



From the FISM NACM 2020 Facebook page:
We are so proud to announce that Shawn Farquhar will be with us from May 6 to 10, 2020! Nous sommes très fiers d'annoncer que le magicien Shawn Farquhar sera des nôtres du 6 au 10 mai prochain!















28 October 2019

Ontario Week of Wonder recap

With thanks to Joan Caesar for sending us updates and photos from the first Ontario Week of Wonder!

Congratulations to everyone involved.  It looked like a fabulous event.

Special congratulations to Joan, who received a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the Saturday night gala show.



















(Click on each photo to see at full size)































15 July 2018

News so big, it's worthy of a second post!

Congratulations again to Renee-Claude Auclair and the FISM Quebec team (Renee-Claude Auclair, Jocelyn Guertin, Pierre Hamon, Joan Caesar, and Shawn Farquhar) for securing the first North American FISM!!!

Be sure to visit the FISM Quebec 2021 website to take advantage of early bird pricing!


See the official announcement on Shawn Farquhar's Facebook post:

10 July 2018

Breaking news: FISM 2021 will be in Quebec City!

Updated July 11th to add:

Congratulations to Renee-Claude Auclair and the FISM Quebec team (Renee-Claude Auclair, Jocelyn Guertin, Pierre Hamon, Joan Caesar, and Shawn Farquhar) for securing the first North American FISM!!!

From the Facebook page of Renee-Claude Auclair:

A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.














With thanks to Lee Asher and Joan Caesar for sharing the news with me as it happened!



03 March 2018

Interested in a pre-FISM tour of South Korea?

From Joan Caesar:
Pre-FISM tour of South Korea.
Cost each with 8 people is $1375.00 USD for 7 days.
If interested please contact Joan Caesar
jcaesar [at] sentex [dot] ca   by March 31st.


Day 1: Visit of Haeinsa temple
Saturday, 30 June 2018
Haeinsa
  • The Gayasan park is well-known for its historical sites and landscapes, and especially for the Haiensa temple.
  • Visit the temple. After the visit, spend the night in the temple.



Day 2: End of the temple stay and road to Andong
Sunday, 1 July 2018
Andong
  • The temple stay experience ends around 12 noon
  • Then you will take the road to Andong and rest in the afternoon. 



Day 3: Visit of Andong
Monday, 2 July 2018
Andong
  • Andong is the ancestralspiritual and traditional capital of South Korea because of its Confucian traditions during the Joseon era. There, you will find many relics dating back to the Joseon dynasty, such as the magnificent Confucian school and a typical village of that time.
  • You will visit the Byeongsanseowon Confucian School
  • You will visit the Hahoe village, the Hahoedong Mask Museum and the Byeongsanseowon Confucian school.  



Day 4: Road to Gyeongju
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
Gyeongju
  • Located in the Gyeongsangbuk Do region, Gyeongju was the capital city of the Silla Kingdom and one of the oldest historical cities in the world. It is a major spot for Korea’s culture and heritage today, as well as a UNESCO listed site.   
  • You will take the road in the morning to Gyeongju. 
  • Visit Tumuli Park which houses numerous royal tombs, visit the Cheonmachong tomb (the flying horse tomb), Cheongseongdae Observatory and the Anapji pond. 
  • Night in a hanok. (a traditional Korean house)



Day 5: Visit of cultural sites (UNESCO) in Gyeongju
Wednesday, 4 July 2018
Gyeongju
  • Take a trip to some of Gyeongju's historical sites: the National Museum, Tumulus Park, and the Royal Tombs of Daereungwon. 
  • Enjoy a visit of the Bulguksa palace (built in 528) and the Buddhist cave in Seokguram, national treasures registered on the UNESCO world heritage. You can go there on foot or with bicycles. 
  • Night in a Hanok.   



Day 6: Day at the Namsan Mount and Gogulsa temple
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Gyeongju
  • Considered as a Sacred site during the Silla Dynasty, the Namsan Mount is full of mysteries, temples and sanctuaries. It is a real open-air museum with 100 temples, 80 Buddha stoned-statues and 60 pagodas. You will enjoy quaint landscapes.
  • In the afternoon, visit of Gogulksa temple and a stop to the Yangdong village. 



Day 7: Busan
Friday, 6 July 2018
Busan
  • The second Korean city and the first harbour of the country. Busan is considered a dynamic city with big shops, luxurious restaurants, parks and beautiful beaches.
Highlights: 
• Visit its beaches: Haeundae beach and Gwangalli beach.
• The city centre, the Yongdusan park and the Busan tower will give you a panoramic view of Busan. 
• The Yonggungsa temple (built on the side of a cliff: unique) 
• Busan and its impressive Jagalchi fish market which show the riches of its sea and harbour.  


02 February 2018

Ryan Joyce interviews Joan Caesar

From Magic Masterclass:
Video profile and podcast with Joan Caesar, a retired teacher, magician and internationally recognized influencer in the world of magic.

In the podcast we talk about:
  • As a judge for the largest magic conventions in the world, Joan shares her perspective on what makes a great magic act.
  • We talk about her life as a magician.
  • We talk about women in magic and why it’s hard to be a woman in magic.
  • Why Joan founded the Canadian Association of Magicians (CAM)
  • Which world-famous magician was Joan’s motivation to put Canada on the international stage for FISM (the Olympic’s of Magic)
Read more and listen to interview.

03 January 2018

A new year. A new CAM.

It's time for me to renew my membership with the Canadian Association of Magicians (CAM) and I encourage you to do the same.

I recently received an email from Joan Caesar, which said in part:
Our January magazine (Northern Peeks) will be larger than in the previous few years, and there’s a drive to become more modern in every way.

Our CAMaraderie convention will be held in conjunction with the Québec Festival of Magic in the historic Quebec City May 3-6. The performers they have booked are outstanding.

We’re always looking for people to help, especially with Northern Peeks. We’d love to receive articles, big or small, from all regions of Canada, and we’d be honoured to hear from you. We can’t survive without our members and their help.

To become a member, renew your membership, or learn more about CAM, visit their website at cammagic.org

04 July 2017

Canadians competing at IBM SAM 2017

A little bird has told me that four Canadians will be competing at the upcoming IBM-SAM Combined Convention.

Keep an eye out for Philippe Theriault, Nicky Circelli, and Nicolas Dutel (stage), and Chris Bruce (close up) who all made the preliminary judges’ selection to compete for IBM and SAM prizes plus a chance to obtain a spot to compete at FISM 2018 in South Korea!

Joan Caesar is  a co-chair of the competition, along with Vinny Grosso, Past President of the SAM.

Break a leg Canada!



[With thanks to Joan Caesar for sending me the information.]

22 April 2017

Welcoming Murray Hatfield as CAM President

On Thursday, at the PCAM / CAM 2017 convention, Joan Caesar swore in Murray Hatfield as President of the Canadian Association of Magicians!

Congratulations Murray, and thank you for taking on this important role!


Watch Brent Smith's video of the event on Facebook:




Here's a snapshot of Tweets from the convention: