Hi David, hello everyone else.

This is a questions I had posted previously when other special guests were here, but I think the question is still as important as ever, so here it is:

How do you get the most out of your pracice sessions? How much time to you spend to learn new moves and new effects, how much to hone your skills at old ones?
HOW do you practise? Do you look for new effects on a regular basis, or don't you start working on something new until the old stuff is polished well enaugh that you have to gain some performance experience before going back to it for refinements?
What is the ratio between your practice of moves and your practice of tricks?

Practice is of course very important in magic. It is crucial to performing sleights and moves with confidence and conviction. But practice is only one step toward a polished performance. I often think that too much emphasis is placed on practice in magic and not enough on rehearsal. As Eugene Burger has so eloquently pointed out, there is a difference between the two. I can (and sometimes do) practice moves while I am watching TV or doing laundry. Rehearsal requires full concentration. It means performing the script and the moves straight through from beginning to end. In fact, prior to performance, I need to rehearse my entire show from top to bottom, beginning with my intro and including (this is important) all the transitions BETWEEN routines.

This is right on point David. I used to consider the two to be the same.

dominik, you really need both. If you practice and practice without rehearsal, you will look a bit off in a show. You'll just be doing a string of magic tricks. Rehearsal puts meaning into your act/show. You will not only have to think about the effects you will perform, but the how's and why's as well. Yes, it takes more work, but the end result is worth it.