Dan Mindo - Children's Party Magician

About

Make you next Children’s Event a Magical Experience! Perfect for Birthday Parties, Festivals, Block Parties, Libraries, Park Districts, Schools, Family Reunions or anytime you want to have FUN!! Dan Mindo performs interactive magic shows with lots of audience participation that create memories that last a lifetime. If you looking for laughter, wonder and mystery fun that keeps everyone involved you have found the perfect entertainment for children and adults alike. Magic is a wonderful way to bring excitement to any type of event and gathering. Visit our website and take a look at our Videos then give us a call to book you next event! Dan looks forward to bringing Magic your way!!!

Dan Mindo became interested in magic after seeing the movie Houdini starring Tony Curtis. He then spent much of his childhood seeking out magic books at the local library and learning as much as he could about magic. While still a teenager, Dan began performing magic at parties. His passion for the art of magic has remained a constant throughout his life.

Dan is the founder of the latest incarnation of the Chicago Magic Roundtable, a monthly gathering of Chicago-area magicians. He is the creator of a mystifying escape stunt that was published in The Mystery School book and featured on the Masters of Illusion television special. Dan performs his magic at parties and events throughout the Chicagoland area.

If you are planning a child’s birthday party or would like to entertain your adult guests with magic that delights and mystifies, please contact Dan at: dan@danmindo.com

Personnel

"Puddles" the Bunny Puppet: Hogging the limelight!

Influences

Jeff McBride, David Parr, Eugene Burger, Doug Henning, Mark Wilson and some guy that showed me a trick when I was 7 years old!

What to Expect

“Magician Dan Mindo Wows The Crowd”! – The Daily Herald – 6/20/10

Stage/Setup Requirements:
I come pretty much self contained. Just add water!

Additional Notes:
FAQ

Q: Why hire a magician and specifically Chicago Birthday Magician Dan Mindo?

A: Live entertainment is something of a novelty today when children are faced with so many options; the Internet, ipods, video games, endless programming on cable an so on. Many children will never see a live performance in their own home. I truly believe that by hiring a magician you are creating a lasting memory for your child that will remain with them long after their Xbox has been cast aside in favor of the next game, toy or TV show.

Why hire me specifically? First, I am the father of a little girl and I have been creating entertaining magic for children for many years. Also, I have studied many styles of performance for children and I have found that children crave being the star of the show. My show is designed to make that a reality! My goal is to make your child feel special on their special day and to make your event stress free when it comes to my involvement. That is why I feel it is important to give you as much information as possible. Look for other tips about party planning on this site. I will be posting regular updates and much of this will benefit the party planner regardless of whether they hire me or someone else.

Q: Can you perform the birthday show in my home?

A: Yes, the birthday show can be performed in your living room, family room etc.

Q: How much room do you need to perform?

A: That is dependent upon the size of the audience. I can set up in a 6 foot by 6 foot space. Ideally you would want your audience to be 5 to 7 feet back from this space. Also, in my experience kids tend to sit on the floor in clusters and you will probably have more room than you think!

Q: Can you perform the birthday show in my backyard?

A: Yes, although it is advisable to have a back up plan in case of inclement weather. Performing outdoors presents several problems, the most serious being the wind! Even in ideal weather a small gust of wind can have an impact on the show. If your party must be outdoors then consider setting up the magician in the garage! Ah the glamorous life of the professional magician! Seriously, setting up inside the garage removes many of the weather hazards that can occur during a performance. I also can provide my own tent that serves as my stage (you can see this in photo’s on my site) although the extra work involved in bringing the tent (set up, take down, hiring a helper to assist me) will drive the cost of the show up. That being said if you are having a large outdoor party and your budget allows, then the tent show is the best way to present the show outdoors.

Q: Is there any danger to the children during your show?

A: No, I am the father of a little girl ( and a little neurotic when it comes to safety) and I would never do anything to put a child in a situation where they could be harmed.

Q: The bottom line, how much does it cost?

A: This is dependent on several factors and I would really want to speak with you first before giving you a one price fits all answer.

Q: How do I book you? What is the process?

Contact me by email or phone (listed on this site under contact info) Typically if the show is several weeks away or more I will email you a contract. Generally I will request a deposit of roughly one third of the agreed upon price. Once I receive the contract and the deposit I will sign it scan it and email it back to you. If you are trying to book me and the show is days away then we can discuss terms by phone in order to expedite matters.

Q: What if I just want you to do balloon twisting?

No problem. I usually try to close the balloon twisting show with one magic trick. I feel it adds a finale to the show so that everyone knows this is the end and it also adds additional entertainment at no extra cost to the client.

Q: I have never hired a magician to perform for my children, do you have any advice for me?

Yes! In many cases parents want their children to be on their best behavior when hosting a party and that is understandable however if the children are warned in advance to sit quietly and behave it may have a chilling effect on their enjoyment of the show. I begin the show by trying to warm them up and getting them to understand that we are there to have fun and make a little noise. My best advice is to let them be children! After all they are constantly being told what to do, how to behave, etc. This is their special day and they should feel empowered by the experience not stifled by it. If they are free to make a little noise then the show will be more fun for all of us.

Experience

2006: 57 gigs
2007: 64 gigs
2008: 78 gigs
2009: 97 gigs
2010: 147 gigs
2011: 183 gigs
2012: 227 gigs
2013: 44 gigs (so far)

Available for Your

Birthday Party

Here are testimonials Dan Mindo - Children's Party Magician has chosen to post.