David & Dania are exceptionally talented, and their act is second to none. But they are in between a rock and a hard place in this "talent" show. While Piers' comments may have been interpretted as hurtful, he had a point about not doing anything different. D&D can't help that - that is the act. Period. They are up against singers, for example, who CAN and WILL perform a different song as the contest progresses. Much as we support D&D, as far as a contest goes, the judge's comment was valid.

The great thing for D&D is that all of America has had a chance to see them. The bad thing for D&D is that all of America has now seen them! These two would have been rich playing the old vaudeville circuit, where they could have gone for years and never played to the same audience twice. Television is an insatiable monster that gorges itself and must be fed something new constantly...and this can mean a quick death for the short, specialty act.

My 2¢

Chris

Did you hear his comment that "If you want to see Elephants or Snow Mobiles go to Vegas." That was a cheap shot at Nathan who did an incredible job on every show.

I got to work with D & D at The SAM 100th Anniversary and saw them do magic to add more time to the act and it was in my opinion not near as professional as the costume act. It was the most child like display I have ever seen. All small prop type boxes jumping from one to the other like I was watching the Junior Competition at a magic contest.

I know that he has a high opinion of himself from the brief conversation I had with him but I don't get where he comes off bashing another magician like Nathan or any other act working in Vegas. The professional thing to do would have been to talk about your personal situation and leave the other acts out of it. He mentioned every other act as though they were just run of the mill. I think that Piers was right in calling him arrogant. I really hope that they don't fair well in the finals. I don't think the door would be large enough for him to get out of the building. I mention him only because I never spoke to Dania and no nothing of her personnality.

Just My Opinion

Puck

Puck, I did hear but had forgotten about the Elephants and Snow comment. Didn’t like it either.

I may just have to vote for Rappin Granny in the finals.

Tom

I agree, but the "Judges Choice" was a group of tap-dancers. I guess it was because they changed their costumes?

In Europe every agency, every Quick-Change artist, every showman and Mr.Piers knows the original Sudarchikowi-Act. In Europe we have some collectors of this art, I also have some very old videotapes about, even some of the Sudarchikow act. This couple was the succestfull Quick-Change Act from russia and after "perestroika" well know in all varietes. They are winners of silver clown in Monaco. But this couple was not the first, and not the one and only in russia and the rest of Europe. The art of Quick-Change is several houndred years old! In the begin of last century Quick-Change artistry dies - the reason was the movie. You can read about the very interesting book from Vivian Sobchack "Meta Morphing - and the culture of Quick-Change". The russian circus kept alive the "Transformatii". I know so many different Quick-Change Couple-acts, one of them is D+D.

D+D have make a great job in your US-talent-show. This couple makes the art of Quick-Change popular in USA and some "magic clubs". You know mind: the most Quick-Change artists are not magicians. There is a great difference between a magician performing a Quick-Change in his program, than a complete Quick-Change act. You have to live for a complete Quick-Change act. The art of Quick-Change is a several art of magic - not Illusion - not Stage Magic - not Parlour! You know mind: Quick-Change is not only magic - it is a several ARTISTRY. You can`t find it in the magic world - open your eyes - circus, variety, theater - this are roots of Quick-Change.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I was looking around the web on the subject of costume quick change and this thread came up. Since this information stays around for some time, I thought I would add a few facts to the topic.

I worked with the originators of this act, the Sudarchikovi, back in 1996 in the Big Apple Circus. David and Dania's act is an almost exact copy of their act. The interstital magic is different, but the costume changes are basically the same. It was copied without permission.

Anatoly & Liubov Surdarchikov created the act decades ago and performed it with Russian circuses. When Russia opened up, they brought the act to the Monte Carlo circus festival in the early 1990s. They closed the first half of one of the gala shows. Paul Binder of the Big Apple Circus was one of many circus owners and nightclub bookers that were standing at the Surdarchikovi's dressing room door. He cut a deal with them. The amusing thing about it was that Anatoly only spoke no English, only Russian and some Italian. Paul spoke only English and French. Paul grabbed an Italian actrobat he knew that happen to be walking by and had this man translate.

Anatoly & Liubov Sudarchikov closed the first half of the Big Apple Circus's Medicine Show (1996-7). David and Dania came to visit. Dania had worked the BAC several years before with her hula hoop act. The reception from the the Sudarchikovi was very icy. From what I was told by their dresser, David and Dani had commissioned the Russian seamstress that sewed the costumes for the Sudarchikovi to replicate the act for them. Permission to copy the act was never given.

Though David and Dania did not create the act and did not introduce it here, but they have worked it a great deal here in the USA. They are now one of many doing the act.

I don't know if the patent story is true.

What I do know is that this is a video of the Sudarchikovi doing their act at the BAC. The fellow in the yellow coat standing off to the side at the beginning of the act is me.

http://www.circopedia.org/index.php/Suda......96_Video