Tina Lenert Connects the Dots

[Dustin Stinett]

When was the last time you were inspired by a magic lecture? Im not talking about being inspired to do a new trick or add a move to your toolkit of sleights. Im talking about being inspired to change an aspect of your being. Becoming more disciplined, or looking outside your insular world for motivation. Coming to the realization that your circumstances are your circumstances and taking control of them is up to you. These are just a few of the messages attendees of Tina Lenerts talk at the Magic Castle took away from her first ever lecture to magicians.

The standing room only groupthe talk was held in the Parlour of Prestidigitation on Sunday, February 26was unanimous in their praise for the unique presentation. No one cared that there were no tricks. After all, most of us have plenty of those already. The question is what to do with them. In this talk, Ms. Lenert shares her process for answering that most pressing of all questions.

Ms. Lenert has been a performance artist for virtually all of her adult life, and even into her teens if you count her stint as the guitarist in an all-girl rock & roll band in high school. She has learned a thing or two over the decades and her willingness to pass on what she has gained is our good fortune.

Her capacity for hard work is staggering. I am convinced that she accomplishes more in one day than a legion of those among a bloated generationwhose only vision of a blue sky is that part which is not obscured by the high resolution smoke and explosions of computer generated warfaredoes in a month.

For a magician who wishes to perform, being inspired by her devotion and applying just some of what she does to push herselfand she imparts that informationcan lead to riches once only imagined. Oh, not necessarily the monetary kind, but the personal riches that come from accomplishment and wellbeing. And who knows, maybe the money will follow that too. Its happened before.

Her talk is autobiographical. She takes us through her life as a performer. Though she focuses on the four acts she has developed as a magician, she expertly shows how the other artistic disciplines in her lifemime, music, and danceare woven into the fabric of not just her magic, but her life. So too are the other aspects of her existence; those we might not consider art but, as she shows us, are all equally important to the overall tapestry the audience experiences through her performances (if I may borrow and paraphrase her husband, Mike Caveney).

Ms. Lenert claims no originalitywith one small exception (and it is something that the average male magician will never be able to do)and she freely names her inspirations and collaborators. These too are part of the process and she goes a long way toward reminding us that neither is something to be feared.

Her goal, I believe, is not to create a room of Tina Lenerts. That, after all, is impossible. Here we have a woman in her sixties, who looks like shes in her forties, and has the physical ability to do things with her body the average person in their twenties would find difficult on a good day. Ive always been limber, she quips, after demonstratingtwicesomething that gave me a pulled muscle just watching. No, she understands that the world is made up of individuals each with different dots to connect. Her goal is to show us how she connected hers and how we might consider setting out on our own journey of discovery.

After the talk, one person boldly noted that she set a high bar for the Magic Castles Lecturer of the Year award. While I concur, I also know that is not her goal: she already met that by delivering this premier of her presentation. And she knows full well that she will be followed this year by dozens of lecturers sharing countless tricks. What I know is that none of those tricks will be inspiring.

Dustin

[Donal Chayce]

I was so bummed when I saw that Tina's lecture was scheduled for "Oscar Sunday". Duty called and I was unable to attend. I hope she will consider giving the lecture again, if not at the Castle then perhaps at a convention.

[James Foster]

Dustin - You've done a great service by writing an excellent review of what sounded like an important and inspirational lecture. In fact, I'd even say your review was inspirational and inspiring.

Thanks so much!

James Foster
Austin, Texas

[Dustin Stinett]

Thank you for the kind words James.

Donal, contact Tina through her site (or Mike through the Magic Words site) to see if the notes are for sale. It is recommended reading!

Dustin

[Donal Chayce]

Good idea, Dustin--thanks!

[caveman]

Great review Dustin and I'm happy to report that Tina's Lecture Notes are now available at www.mcmagicwords.com. At fifteen bucks I'd say they are a steal. So far the response has been fantastic and she already has booked a few more lectures.

Mike Caveney