Hello,
As many of you may already know, I have a sleeve-less dove act. You may see a small sample of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZOvuY7FW5o

You're first class all the way, John!

I have a friend, named Alan Smoala, who is currently working with a dove act that requires no body loads. It keeps him free, and he really enjoys it. I'm sure he would be helpful to you.

Justin Holbrook

In my honest opinion, a dove act can be free of body loads, but I think it may lack a certain feel to the act. There is a great difference to the production of a dove from a dove pan versus a steal and flash paper. However, still, it's a good idea for commercial situations where loading may be a problem.

Dave Womach has a sleeve-less dove act. Check out a few clips on his demo...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hNIru94oi_c

Just because you're talking about doing a dove act with out the use of body or sleeve loads does not mean that you have to use dove pans or other self-working bird productions/vanishes, etc. If you carefully research and develop the act with creativity, the possibilities are endless. However, I do agree there is more magic when the bird appears on your hand from a flash of fire versus a pan with fire in it.

The silk fountain to dove works well in this type of situation. Colorful with a nice finish of the dove coming out of the center of it.

Rob

I'm looking forward to seeing your act up. It'll be cool to watch a full sleeveless act. Plus, without the use of body loads. There's been a recent rise in magicians pouring water into a container (glass or paper cone) and producing the dove from within. I think it was made popular by Jonathan David Bass... Let's not see another version again...

Michael,

This little confession might shock a lot of people. This is especially true considering that I am also the guy who started and wrote Dove Hotline on the Internet for magicians since the early '90s.

For my first three years or more as a dove magician, I NEVER used doves as body loads and I was doing about 200 stage shows a year with doves! Yes, I did practice, practice, practice with dove body loads, but they were not in my shows. I even had dove pockets in my costumes and dove harnesses in my war bag. Other magicians made assumptions, but I didn't feel "ready". Mercer Helms was just too much better! (And many of you probably have no idea who he is. He was the first HBO dove magician. But that was later!)

In the '70s, I produced my first dove from a body load in a real show. The encouragement from Bill Pitts was priceless. I've done it a few thousand times since. One day, I'll get it right!

Thank you, Mercer and Bill.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

PS --- You never know whose good example you may be.

Bare handed dove productions with no body loads - Nathan Kepner's "Jacketless" is awesome.

Check tony clarck unmask II this dvd is dedicated to dove magic without body loads

I like this topic. I have been performing and lecturing on my dove act that has no body loads. I do however use some props such as silk fountain to dove and dove tray and a few other things.

there are things out there like the sketch pad to dove or parrot and tony Clark has a few things that he shows using to produce the doves from as well that are not body loads.

I also steal from my open top table and the back of my assistant.
there are tons of ways to get your dove with out body loads on yourself. you just need to walk thru the routine you want and come up with ways to make the steals.

some great suggestions here as well.

sam