Glad to have you on the Cafe Ben.

I have admired your work for years.

The first effect of yours I purchased was the manuscript, Fandango.

A couple of questions...

First - where does the name come from?

Second - while working, which did you perform more, the gaffed or ungaffed version?

Third - any tips on the move? At times it felt awkward.

Hi JR

The name Fandango was used simply because I liked the sound of it. Later I found out it was a certain kind of dance.

The routine I most often used was CLICK CLICK CLICK which used Fandango to print three selected cards.

This routine used to be the hit of my lecture tours. If I do a video it will be included.

Cheers mate

Ben Harris

PS: the only way to really be good with the move is to do it all the time. You need to keep the muscles trained as there is one split second when one card is actually free in the air. It can be dropped if the timing is not spot on.

In playing with the Norway Addition to the Fandango, I find that after the move, the cards are in a very haphazard state. Am I expecting to much in trying to finish with a close to perfect fan?

More often than not, the two cards that have been shifted are left sticking out the front of the packet. Any tips?

Hi Sean,

This is something that I will deal with if I put out a video/dvd.

It's been years since I've toured and shown people what these things look like.

So, as Fandango is still one of my fave things with so many possibilities, it is a must for the video.

I'm always keeping the cards moving too. By the time the Fandango move is completed, my free hand has reached the cards and smoothed them into a neat display.

Almost immediately, the changed card is stripped from the fan, and displayed.

So, rather than use the final display in Fandango as a climax, I use it as the precursor.

By the time the climax is registered, the card has been stripped from the fan and is being displayed as a SINGLE entity.

However, PLEASE NOTE, the above does not imply a rushed handling. Smoothness and
"fluidity" are the keys.

Hope this helps, Sean.

Cheers

Ben