While most traditional magic books teach card flourishes: fans, shuffles, springing and more, a new generation of card manipulators are performing amazing cuts that separate a deck into multiple sections and juggle the portions by twirling and tossing them in visual ways.
Flourishes are somewhat controversial as some magicians feel that flourishes and impressive displays of skills detract from card magic. The premise, a valid one, is that the presentation of manipulative feats indicate to spectators that a magician is skilled with cards and can effectively “cheat” with them. And a magician "cheating" with cards provides an explanation that nullifies any concept of magic.
As the thinking goes, a gambler (cheater) who is skilled with cards would never display flourishes. The gambler would handle cards as any average person does to not call any attention to his or her potential skills.
Card flourishers, on the other hand, display skill to capture the attention of spectators. Entire entire routines can be built around these flourishes.
I personally enjoy watching smooth card flourishes. And like many magicians, I incorporate flourishes in my card magic. I feel that flourishes show spectators that my magic is the result of practice and skill and not a trick deck. I also find that flourishes add a visual element to my card magic.
Another thought, card flourishing, or XCM (extreme card manipulation), is the only branch of magic that is great for YouTube. Here, practitioners can combine and showcase their moves and compare performances online.
I regularly perform Chris Kenner’s “Sybil,” The Buck Twin’s “Worm” and Lee Asher’s “Fabrication” and “Sibling” cuts. In my arsenal, I sometimes perform Benjamin Earl's "Chrisbuckgreenhoff and Sybil Show," as well as a sequence by Etienne Pradier. Another favorite, although I can only perform it at half the speed of its originator, is Nathan Gibson's “Captain Crunch Cut,” a one-handed triple cut.
Whether you learn and perform complicated card flourishes will depend on your personality and the way that you relate to your audiences. I can readily see the position of those who feel that flourishes do not belong in a magic routine, but I feel that the few that I perform work well for my magic. And if you really like learning and executing complicated card flourishes ala Dan and Dave, definitely go for it.
