"I have always been a big fan in secret for years and years. She is the best female sleight of hand artist of all time. I don't know a huge amount about anything, but one thing I know a lot about is sleight of hand. And I know I'm not wrong." -Chris Kenner

"With the Penn&Teller Fool Us Fooler award, multiple other trophies and solo shows to her credit, she has built a resume that any magician would envy. But most importantly, she has been referenced by countless men and women, proving the immense impact she has had and continues to have, breaking down barriers for the next generation." -Vanishing Inc

"Alexandra's magic exudes incredible emotion, through impeccable technique and in spiritual vigilance finds the way to the hearts. Thank you for these intense, touching and lively moments."- Norbert Ferré

"Presentation, tempo, everything is perfect. Top!" -David Stone

What will she teach?

Splash- Alexandra teaches you how to take a prop that many magicians use for bottle productions and not only make it a more personal presentation and a lot more fun. The performer walks out onto the stage, and in the process of introducing herself, her shoe disappears, only to reappear with the pop of a balloon.

Sweets- Introducing a little bit of herself, as well as a smorgasbord of french confections, this excellent routine is instantly relatable to audiences of all ages. The magician offers a bag of sweets to the audience: toffee, chocolates, bubble gum, and even coca cola flavored licorice. After confirming that they are real sweets and the licorice go into the bag, and then with a magical gesture, the licorice is withdrawn from the bag, and all of the sweets are found to be threaded onto the licorice. This is an engaging take on the same type of effect as the razor blade swallow or needles on a thread, but safe and nothing goes in your mouth except a bit of chocolate.

Transmitter- A mind-reading effect that is both humorous and astonishing. A spectator is brought onto the stage and adorned with a fantastical hat made from balloons. The spectator secretly selects a card from the deck, and astonishingly the audience reads the spectator’s mind as they all shout the selected card at once.

Sense of Touch - This can be presented as a piece of mind reading or a feat of skill. A large bag of balloons is presented, and with unerring accuracy, the magician is, even blindfolded, able to select the correct color balloon from a bag filled with hundreds of options.

Transcendental Force- A coins across routine created by Dominique Duvivier in 1984 and subsequently refined over decades by Alexandra into a powerhouse routine. This has prominently featured in Alexandra’s act for the last ten years and is great on stage as well as for walk around and table hopping.

Impromptu Wild Card- Created by Dominique Duvivier, this wild card starts off looking like a game of find the lady, but with far too many cards. When asked to find the money card, in a shocking twist, what was surely the money card before is the only loser. The remaining cards have all transformed into queens. This incredible take on Wild Card uses no gaffs and only ordinary playing cards. It’s completely examinable, and your audiences will go crazy for it.

Amelie Poulain- A signature piece for Alexandra Duvivier in which she can deftly cut the silhouette of butterflies out of tissue paper and then make them dance about the stage aloft on only the breeze produced by waving a vinyl record. The stage is then filled with hundreds of brightly colored tissue paper butterflies. This piece is not only poignant but also an excellent way to fill an entire theater with magic.

Who is she?

One of the very few female members of the magic arts, Alexandra Duvivier has been the winner of the Mandrake d’Or in France and the first French female magician to fool Penn and Teller in their famous American television show “Fool Us”.

The daughter of Dominique Duvivier, a living legend in magic, she faced a double challenge: to make a name for herself under the shadow of her illustrious father and to become a highly respected artist in the predominantly masculine world of magic. Unlike many children who grow up with a talented and famous parent, her father didn’t push her to become a magician like himself. As a child he never showed her any tricks: it was only at the age of 15 that Alexandra decided to become, little by little, the worthy heiress of her father’s empire.

She has become a favorite artist of the biggest brands for their private events (Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, L'Oréal...), has been a hand double for some of the most famous names in the cinema, she has no less than eight shows to her credit: three solo stage shows, three shows performed as a double act with her father, a children’s show and a show performed entirely in English. With her sharp humor, her pure and engaging magic, her natural empathy with both young and old, she charms and amuses her ever-increasing audiences.

Beyond her artistic talents, Alexandra Duvivier is also a trainer and a business speaker (innovative methods of communication using magic) and an instructor for the first ever diploma in magic recognized by the Ministry of Labor in France.

Review from Jonathan Levit published in Genii Magazine

Alexandra is a unique talent. She has become a renowned and sought after magician in her own right and also shares stage, producing, and teaching time with her father, Dominique Duvivier at Le Double Fond in Paris, France. The moment she walks on stage, you are immediately taken by her enthusiasm, genuine character, and natural charisma. And then she draws you in with her skill. It will come at you in unexpected ways and without deeper investigation, you’ll be absolutely fooled by the complex thinking that goes into her well-crafted routines.

The discussion that takes place between Alexandra and Erik Tait is filled with her thoughts on character and her unique approach to performance that clearly comes from her extensive experience on stage.

This experience shines through in this lecture. You’ll learn the methods of the effects as well as tips and insights to apply to your own routines. And, I truly believe, you will emerge from this time with Alexandra excited and inspired to create completely new effects utilizing concepts presented in these near three hours of teaching.

As is common with Penguin Live Lectures, we are first treated to a performance, in front of a live audience, of the routines that will be taught. This format lets the character of the performer shine and gives you, the viewer, insight into how these routines are elevated through presentation.

Alexandra speaks to engaging with an audience, connecting with them in a meaningful and personal way. This is seen right away with her opening banter and routine, a shoe production. Here, she modifies a standard bottle appearance to make it unique and specific to her and her character.

Using David Stone’s “Splash Bottle” gimmick, Alexandra immediately sets up her premise of making each routine her own. In the process of discussing the effect itself, she shares her thoughts about presenting who she is to the audience and establishing herself as someone that is to be respected. In this routine, with her modification of the appearance of the shoe, she has found a way to expand a simple appearance into a routine with a beginning, middle and end.

Alexandra clearly establishes that she is not a novice performer. She is someone who has been in front of audiences night after night, offering presentations and routines that have been refined over time. They are in her bones and they are a delight to watch.

In her routine, “Sweets,” Alexandra once again transports us back in time to our childhood, presenting a bag of candies from those long-ago days. The candies are placed in a larger bag and ultimately end up tied to a piece of, well, we will call it string for the purposes of explanation. And then, the bag is ripped apart showing it to be completely empty (and no, there is no double wall).

This routine was created by Alexandra many years ago and it is well thought out, and complete. She describes the method of creating the gimmick. This alone will be worth it for many of us who love to make our own props. This one is fun. And it’s a routine that you will absolutely want to perform. Sometimes, we perform effects when we enjoy the method so much, it may be more interesting than the effect itself. This is a case where the method and the routine are both equally enjoyable.

With “Sweets," she finds a way to create a link with her audience. She doesn’t let us in on what will happen until it happens. It’s a wonderful journey and your audience will love joining you on the ride. This is a fooler. It’s devious in its method and it speaks to Alexandra’s mindset as she constructs these routines. And, we’ve only just started.

Her next routine, “Transmitter,” is a ton of fun. High energy and unique. It’s Alexandra’s take on the ole “egg beater on the forehead” but in a much more … colorful … presentation. The reveal of the playing card is seamless and motivated. The audience, as well as the spectator on stage, are fully invested. Alexandra has a way of making everyone feel comfortable. Her methods employed here take away all the heat allowing her to create a routine that just plays as fun, with a dramatic ending for the spectator on stage.

Using the “foot in the door” principle, she asks her audience member for something small before moving on to the bigger ask. In this case, the bigger ask is wearing a giant balloon hat (The Fireworks Hat). Alexandra’s approach doesn’t embarrass the spectator and creates a bit of fun for everyone, the audience, as well as the person on stage.

This routine is, as we also found in “Sweets,” so clean in method, you are able to focus on the routine itself. Many have performed this standard routine, from start to finish, without much else. Alexandra brings in comedic bits and a new approach that modernizes the effect without making anyone uncomfortable and allowing everyone to enjoy the fun.

I am kicking myself a bit. The next effect, “Sense of Touch,” has her pulling out a named balloon from a bag of balloons, appears to be quite simple. And, honestly, it didn’t have much of an impact for me. That’s how I felt during the performance. But then we arrived at the explanation and now I understand how wrong I was. There is so much more to this effect. There is a deeper thinking and more possibilities that you may realize at first glance (like I did). This one is worth the extra look. You’ll be able to apply the thinking and methodologically for other routines as well.

What follows is a quick card trick demonstrating her sleight of hand abilities. I can tell you that this effect is more than it seems. “Alladin” is a packet effect that has a surprise ending. It is from the mind of her father, Dominique Duvivier. It’s not difficult to execute if you know the Elmsley Count. And within the explanation, you’ll learn a count created by Dominique that will absolutely fool you. And you’ll be able to apply this to other effects as well.

What I’ve found in this lecture is that I’m inspired to create new effects, not just to perform the routines exactly as described by Alexandra. This is a wonderful routine that is perfect for strolling and plays big. [Associate Editor’s Note: The count described is based on the Hamman Count (credited) and is quite easy. The trick itself was originally marketed over 20 years ago using red and “negative backs.” Penguin—or your favorite dealer—has “Alladin” in stock using standard red- and blue-backed cards, along with the rainbow cards needed for the climax. It is likely that you already have most, if not all, of what you need, but all of the gimmicked cards as well as an instructional DVD are available for about $10.]

Alexandra's Coins to Glass routine, “Transcendental Force,” is straightforward and will give you a chance to demonstrate your skills. The final vanish will certainly surprise you (you’ll want to rewind, like I did, but you’ll still be fooled).

This routine, originally created by Dominique, with an ending from Alexandra, is direct, but unexpected, and, once again, we discover useful ideas that will enhance your other routines as well.

Included in the instructions are techniques and construction that improves the traditional handling of the Coins to Glass. Each phase, although mirroring the previous, will leave the audience scratching their heads. As a magician, in this type of routine, we wait for that final phase. I was looking forward to seeing how Alexandra worked through that final vanish. I was surprised when I was fooled. It took quite a bit of discipline to not advance in the video to find the answer.

Next, we witness her Wild Card routine. It’s quicker than any I’ve seen before, but that doesn’t take away from the effect. It isn’t entrenched in the standard, singular reveals of each card changing. It all happens at once and it’s very effective.

“Impromptu Wild Card” is Alexandra’s handling of Dominque’s effect, from the late 1970s. The method does not use any gimmicked cards; it’s incredibly convincing. The proving of the cards is not forced, but truly organic. There is no doubt of what the cards are. When the change happens, it is quick, not labored, and surprising. This may become your new favorite Wild Card routine.

I should note that we have been talking about Alexandra’s insightful teaching. But I would be remiss to ignore Erik Tait. He brings such a breadth of knowledge and experience and he always contributes so much to the explanations in these Penguin interviews; it enhances the overall experience for the viewer.

Alexandra ends her performance with a Snowstorm (called “Amélie Poulain” after the film of the same name) that is anything but ordinary. Leading into the final production of snowflakes (or butterflies), she presents a unique take on the torn and restored cigarette paper.

This is a wonderful mix of nostalgia and classic magic, offered in a fresh presentation. She opens with an adaptation of Dominque’s effect, “Reverse Wallet,” using two music vinyl album covers. it gives the opportunity for Alexandra to bring in a bit of her childhood, again creating a meaningful connection with her audience.

Phase two is a torn and restored cigarette paper that results in a perfect butterfly. It elevates the typical effect with a rectangular piece of paper, providing an additional effect for the audience.

Phase three of this routine takes us into a floating butterfly routine using a vinyl record instead of a traditional fan. It’s a perfect substitute that will connect with a modern audience in a new way.

From here, Alexandra immediately moves into a Snowstorm routine, producing paper butterflies, using the vinyl album as the fan. It’s a new take on a classic.

If you don’t perform the Snowstorm currently, this routine may give you the impetus to give it a try. It’s an enchanting presentation that will give you inspiration for how you may choose to change your own presentation.

In fact, that’s what this entire lecture accomplishes. It will inspire you to look closer at your own material and consider ways to modify the presentations to make each more your own.

Alexandra exhibits a skillful, diverse repertoire. Her material in this performance and lecture includes cards, coins, balloons, glass, paper, vinyl records, and candy. If you feel stuck creatively, or you are looking for new effects that you can do in a variety of situations, this lecture is definitely worth a watch.