Tricks of skill is young magician’s game

What started as a couple of tricks to impress his friends has turned into full magic routine for 17-year-old Greg Rava.

The Kellenberg High School senior and Valley Stream resident was featured at the Henry Waldinger Library on Dec. 12 for an afternoon magic show. More than 30 children attended and many got to help out with his act.

Rava, a.k.a. Greg the Incredible, describes himself as a self-taught magician. He started learning magic from a book his aunt sent him for his 8th birthday. When he was in the gifted and talented program at Wheeler Avenue School, he went on a trip to Hofstra University in which he attended a magic workshop. Other than that, he said he has never taken a class.

In fact, Rava said, he learned a lot of tricks from books he took out from the very library he performed at two weeks ago. He has also watched a few television specials on magic secrets revealed.

Rava’s first show for a crowd was earlier this year. He performed at his girlfriend’s younger sister’s birthday party and entertained a dozen 8-year-olds in the basement. “They loved it,” he said.

Since then, Rava has done two other birthday parties leading up to his most recent performance. Mamie Eng, director of the Waldinger Library, said she found out about Rava’s magic shows through Facebook and invited him to do a performance. Rava went from someone who used to participate in the library’s programs, to someone leading one. “It’s good to give a local student an opportunity to perform,” Eng said.

At the library, Rava performed several card tricks, pulled red balls out of the air, found a few quarters behind the childrens’ ears and, of course, pulled a rabbit out of a hat. “That’s really the fun part about performing magic — the skill that it takes,” Rava said.

The most difficult trick to do, he said, is being able to pull a coin out of thin air. “It requires a lot of dexterity,” he said. “You have to work on the speed.” Card tricks, he added, are among the easiest.

Whenever he performs, Rava said he prefers to set up in a corner of the room so all the kids can see his tricks, but at an angle where they can’t figure out his secrets.

His library performance was his biggest crowd so far and he admitted to having some nerves. “Every time I’m always nervous about it,” he said. “When I hit the first trick and I do realize I know what I’m doing, that sort of helps.”

Rava said he and his father build a lot of his props together. He has only had to buy a few items for his magic kit such as cards, balls and ropes.

Magic is a fun hobby and Rava would like to continue performing at birthday parties, but he said he doesn’t plan to make it a career. Next fall he plans to go to college to study either English education or video game design.

Until he leaves for school, Rava said he hopes to continue entertaining children with his special skill set. “I like to see the kids smile and the laughter,” he said. “I like to know when they like the trick. I only have fun when they have fun and when they’re enjoying the show.”