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Reviews
In
September 2007 Joanie lectured at the I.B.M. British
Ring's Convention in Southport, England. Here is
a review of her lectures by David Hemingway
for the British Ring's magazine, "The Budget."
The
Joanie Spina Workshops
Took place in two sessions, both were different and
both were such revelations that for a change I'm
lost for words. Simply, in fifty years of attending
conventions, I've never seen any lecturer who came
even close to being as aspirational. What Joanie
Spina gave us was worth the price of the convention.
No, two minutes of Joanie's comments and suggestions
on any of the innumerable subjects she addressed
were worth more than the registration. No, still not
right, the first thirty seconds of this eloquent,
graceful, charming and enormously talented lady's
opening remarks were worth the cost of the whole
week, because you knew instinctively you were in for
the most valuable teaching experience possible from
someone who really knew the answers. Topliners Mac
King and Jeff Hobson, lecturing at recent
conventions started by telling us one or two things
"more important than the tricks" as they both put
it. Joanie Spina personifies this phrase to the
highest level.
Who were the two luckiest
conventioneers? Two young people who bravely
submitted themselves to the ordeal of letting their
act be watched and then appraised by an expert; all
this in front of a room full of magicians. Would you
have dared? The first, James Milner, aged only
fifteen, did his act live on the stage of the Arts
Theatre, it was videotaped played back and we
eavesdropped on Joanie's comments and suggestions;
in real life usually a one-to-one situation behind
closed rehearsal-hall doors. The second, in a
smaller room that didn't have space for a live act
performance, was a similar scrutiny of twenty-two
year-old Alex Lodge's shield competition act
videotaped live on Wednesday. What did Joanie Spina
say and do? Well, you will have read her impressive
credits in Paul's recent column, and I can't write
the book for you, it's both on DVD and between
covers, but I can define her job description of
performance coach, I've taken advice. "An
experienced performer, who is also a skilled teacher
and director with the highest artistic standards,
who honestly assesses the possibilities within an
act, and helps the performers achieve their aims
through suggestions and the application of
expertise.' Well, Joanie did all this and more, and
did it better than anyone I've ever worked alongside
in television or anywhere else, and moreover did it
with enormous grace, kindness and humanity as well
as authority. Afterwards, I asked both James and
Alex if they had enjoyed the experience: They both
said "Oh yes." I would venture too, that the morning
after, they both felt greatly encouraged and more
confident; such is the effect of the best teachers..."
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