Review: Master Class Dani Daortiz

Departure from Turin at 6AM to reach what will be proven as my most beautiful birthday ever. Oh yes… the Dani Daortiz Masterclass is the gift Daniela made me for my 42s.

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Flight to Malaga; a 1-hour bus ride, and finally I’m there, Estepona.Meeting point at 6PM in a coffee. No issues in finding the guys who’ll be with me for the weekend: a table in a corner, each of them with a card deck in the hands. Here they are, no doubts!! We start chatting, 3 Americans, 2 Finnish, 6 Spanish and 2 Italians (and no, that’s not a joke!)

Finally, Dani arrives, we welcome him as an old friend, and he answers in the same way. A quick talk, coffee (it’s vital for him!) and we leave to the real destination: Villa Kaps.

20 minutes from Estepona, on the hills, and hidden to most as it were the Batcave, here it is the Villa, a marvelous place also featuring a swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna… But most of all, coming and going of very important magicians, such as Tamariz, Gea, Engblom… a place that exudes magics from all bricks.

They’re still renovating it, to enlarge the structure which will utterly become the official Grupo Kaps headquarter, but you can already find there a super stocked magic library, and a lot of relics owned by old and famous magicians – one for all, Mr René Lavand’s shoes.

Here, in the wonderful patio, we spent three days (well, better, three nights!) talking, discussing, dreaming and clapping to a living myth of magics. A unique atmosphere only interrupted by moments dedicated to eating (with Spanish times – dinner at 11PM!) and to the unmissable coffee!

The masterclass has been interesting and useful, and beyond the tricks Dani shown us, fundamental have been the explanations and methods which can be applied to everything concerning the magic activity.

On the last night I also starred as audience in a short video broadcasted on Enfilo, where Francesco Fontanelli (the second Italian guy) performed a card trick from Dani, slightly changed. A real masterpiece!

As required by the Spanish school, Dani has no secrets. He illustrates everything and all you can request, including previously unreleased contents, or ideas that are still just drafts. It’s not everyone, so much for those who say: “My secrets will die with me”. For this reason, Dani, “chapeau”!

And beyond the magic training, this has been a very nice life experience, thanks to Dani who’s not only an outstanding magician, but also a great person, and a great host, giving us the feeling to be at home.

by Claudio