Prestidigitation

Sleight of hand (also known as prestidigitation or legerdemain) refers to fine motor skills when used by performing artists in different art forms to entertain or manipulate. It is closely associated with close-up magic, card cheating, card flourishing and stealing.

Because of its heavy use and practice by magicians, sleight of hand is often confused as a branch of magic, but is in reality a separate genre of entertainment, as many artists practice sleight of hand without the slightest interest in magic.

Sleight of hand pioneers with worldwide acclaim include Dan and Dave, Ricky Jay, David Copperfield, Yann Frisch, Dai Vernon and Tony Slydini.

The word sleight, meaning "the use of dexterity or cunning, especially so as to deceive", comes from the Old Norse. The phrase sleight of hand means "quick fingers" or "trickster fingers". Common synonyms from the Latin language include prestidigitation and legerdemain.Seneca the Younger, philosopher of the Silver Age of Latin literature, famously compared rhetoric techniques and illusionist techniques.

Sleight of hand is often used in close-up magic, where the sleights are performed with the audience close to the magician, usually in physical contact or within 3 to 4 m (9.8 to 13.1 ft). This close contact eliminate theories of fake audience members and the use of . It makes use of everyday items as props, such as cards, coins, rubber bands, paper, phones and even saltshakers. A well-performed sleight looks like an ordinary, natural and completely innocent gesture, change in hand-position or body posture. In addition to manual dexterity, sleight of hand in close-up magic depends on the use of psychology, timing, misdirection, and natural choreography in accomplishing a magical effect.

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