Kostya Kimlat

Last updated
Kostya Kimlat
Kostya Kimlat, Sleight-of-Hand Magician & Keynote Speaker.jpg
Kimlat delivers his "Think Like a Magician" keynote
Born1983 (age 40–41)
Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Kyiv, Ukraine)
OccupationMagician & Speaker
Known for Sleight of Hand Magic and Mentalism
Television Penn & Teller: Fool Us
Website kostyakimlat.com

Kostya Kimlat (born 1983) is a magician, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and business consultant. With the use of magic tricks, Kimlat helps companies train employees. [1] As a speaker, he lectures on the importance of perception in daily life through magic and sleight of hand. [2] [3]

Contents

In January 2006, Kimlat became the youngest magician to be featured in Magic Magazine. [4] The cover story centered upon his technical skills and early business success. [5]

In August 2015, Kimlat fooled the magician duo Penn & Teller with an original card trick on their TV show, Penn & Teller: Fool Us . The appearance was notable for the duo's extreme bewilderment. Entertainment Weekly described Kimlat as the series' "best fool yet." [6]

Early life

Kimlat was born in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Kyiv, Ukraine) in 1983 to a Ukrainian family, and immigrated to Orlando, Florida with his parents, sister, and grandmother in 1992. [4] His parents wanted a life away from communism and the lingering effects of the Chernobyl disaster, and a life in which the family's Judaism would no longer be called into question. [5] Both of his parents, Irina and Boris, had earned master's degrees in engineering in the Soviet Union. Boris had received two such degrees and held multiple engineering patents. According to Kimlat, "... that didn't matter when we got here. So, they just started all over." [7]

Kimlat first became interested in magic when he was 12 years old from watching The World's Greatest Magic on television. [8] At age 14, he was regularly working in restaurants and at private events as a sleight-of-hand magician. [5] By age 18, after graduating Winter Park High School, Kimlat had written his first book of magic and toured the United States lecturing to other magicians. [4]

He attended the University of Central Florida, where he studied philosophy, psychology, and literature. Kimlat graduated with an honors degree, after completing a thesis on the connection between philosophy and magic. [7]

Business highlights

Kimlat is the CEO of Event Magic International LLC, which includes keynote speaking to business audiences, corporate entertainment, as well as sub-brands See Magic Live and Restaurant Magic Business. [1]

Businesses

Motivational Speaker

Kimlat began delivering corporate keynote presentations in the early 2000s, combining magic performances with business messaging. [9] [4] He has spoken at events for organizations like NASA, GE, and NASCAR. [10]

His speaking work centers on presentations that integrate magic principles with business concepts: [10] [3]

  • “Think Like A Magician” - Examining how magicians influence perception and shape audience experiences, and teaching business professionals to apply these psychological principles to strengthen business relationships and communication. [11] [3]
  • “Personality Magic” - Using playing cards as a framework to teach rapid personality assessment, based on how magicians quickly read and adapt to different audience members during performances. [12]
  • “Astonish Them” - Applying principles from magic performance to help businesses transform routine customer interactions into memorable experiences. [13]

Discussing his approach to business communication, Kimlat stated, “The biggest lesson for businesses, or really, for anybody, is that you have the ability to influence people’s perception with your language, the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you present yourself. Everything we do creates perception. In order to avoid miscommunication and misperceptions, we have to be able to see things from our audience’s point of view, whether that audience is a client, a customer, a patient, a child, or a spouse.” [7]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kimlat adapted these presentations to virtual formats, continuing to deliver keynotes through digital platforms. His company maintained both virtual and in-person speaking offerings after pandemic restrictions eased. [14]

See Magic Live

Based in Orlando, Florida, See Magic Live is a company of magicians that performs for corporate events, non-profit galas, trade shows, and private celebrations throughout the country. [1] They perform regularly for fans at Orlando Magic NBA games. [4]

Restaurant Magic Business

Restaurant Magic Business places performing magicians in restaurants, consults restaurant operators, and also trains staff on customer service. [15]

Virtual Magic Shows

Kimlat was among the early adopters in transitioning magic performances to virtual platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. His company adapted its corporate entertainment services to a digital format during widespread lockdowns. Following the pandemic, Kimlat maintained both in-person and virtual magic performances as part of his corporate entertainment offerings. [14]

Book

Think Like a Magician is the title of Kimlat's best-known keynote presentation and forthcoming book. [16] Kimlat helps businesses drive relationship-based growth by using the lessons of magic to see things from another person’s perspective. [8]

Television appearances

Kimlat first appeared as a contestant on the 117th episode of Nickelodeon’s Global Guts at the age of 12. He placed 2nd and won the silver medal for his country.

Kimlat appeared on Season 2 of Penn & Teller: Fool Us on The CW Network and fooled Penn & Teller. [17] On the episode, Kimlat performed a card trick using an original method, which involved shuffling a deck face-up-into-face-down and then making all of the cards instantly face the same direction, except for Penn & Teller's selected cards. Penn, failing to understand how the trick worked, reacted with mock anger, lifting his stool over his head and throwing cards in Kimlat's face, while Teller reacted with delight, emitting audible giggles (rare for the typically silent performer). [6] [18]

Penn highlighted Kimlat's performance on his podcast, Penn's Sunday School:

We did that exact trick on The Today Show. Teller and I know every method of doing that trick. We know it inside out. That was [Kimlat's] kind of 'oh well, that trick you did on The Today Show? I'm now gonna show you how it's done.' When Teller saw his name pop on the introduction ... I saw Teller just go, 'we've lost.' You know he's just that good. And when I finally found out how he did it, I was so much more amazed. I wanted to run up and tell people, 'do you know that he actually did this?' It's mind-blowing. [19]

Kimlat returned to Penn & Teller: Fool Us in 2018. This time, he performed an effect in which he "dribbled," or cascaded a deck of cards from his hand down to the table. From the middle of the falling deck, he plucked out Penn's chosen card. The duo correctly guessed that Kimlat was not, in fact, performing a "trick," but displaying a talent of skill. Penn said, "We don't think there was a trick...We think you actually did what you said you were going to do..." [7] [20] In reference to not fooling Penn & Teller the second time, Kimlat said:

It was a huge compliment. I selected this trick, knowing that if they figured it out, they would essentially be acknowledging to the world the time and effort that went into it. This was the rare opportunity to have the method be acknowledged publicly and serve a greater purpose—to showcase to the public the work that goes into perfecting a magic effect. [7]

After the "bust" Penn & Teller left their seats to shake Kimlat's hand on stage, an honor typically reserved for those magicians who fool them. While walking back to their judge seats, Penn told the audience, "He's better than you think, I'm telling you that." [20]

Community involvement

Kimlat's team of See Magic Live magicians regularly perform at Orlando-area non-profit fundraisers. His team has also taught magic summer camps and classes for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Orlando. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn & Teller</span> American illusionists and entertainers

Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette and Teller, are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific skeptics who have performed together since the late 1970s. They are noted for their ongoing act that combines elements of comedy with magic.

Sleight of hand ) 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 magic, card flourishing and stealing. Because of its heavy use and practice by magicians, sleight of hand is often confused as a branch of magic; however, it is a separate genre of entertainment and many artists practice sleight of hand as an independent skill. Sleight of hand pioneers with worldwide acclaim include Dan and Dave, Ricky Jay, Derek DelGaudio, David Copperfield, Yann Frisch, Norbert Ferré, Dai Vernon, Jerry Sadowitz, Cardini, Tony Slydini, Helder Guimarães and Tom Mullica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mentalism</span> Performing art in which practitioners appear to demonstrate exceptional mental abilities

Mentalism is a performing art in which its practitioners, known as mentalists, appear to demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities. Mentalists perform a theatrical act that includes special effects that may appear to employ psychic or supernatural forces but that is actually achieved by "ordinary conjuring means", natural human abilities, and an in-depth understanding of key principles from human psychology or other behavioral sciences. Performances may appear to include hypnosis, telepathy, clairvoyance, divination, precognition, psychokinesis, mediumship, mind control, memory feats, deduction, and rapid mathematics.

Penn & Teller's Magic and Mystery Tour is a 2003 television documentary miniseries starring Penn & Teller. The program was created by the CBC in association with Channel 4 Film. Ric Esther Bienstock was series producer and writer. She also directed the China episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Gertner</span>

Paul Gertner is an American close-up magician from Pittsburgh. He is best known in the magic world for his Steel and Silver book and set of DVDs.

John Max Thompson was an American comedian and Las Vegas illusionist who performed under the stage name The Great Tomsoni with his wife, Pamela Hayes. They had a comedic slapstick act with the well-dressed Thompson and his gum-popping assistant, Pam, performing illusions while enduring a series of mishaps. Within the magician community, Tomsoni was considered a virtuoso, widely known as a mentor and teacher of magic, and a creator of tricks, as opposed to simply a performer. He worked behind the scenes with magicians such as Penn and Teller, Lance Burton, Criss Angel and Mat Franco. In 1999, he was awarded one of the highest honors in the magician community, a Masters Fellowship with the Academy of Magical Arts. January 30, 2020, Showtime released a documentary about Thompson written and directed by Emery Emery called Gambler's Ballad: The Legend of Johnny Thompson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Jay</span>

Joshua Jay is an American magician, author, and lecturer. He has performed in over 100 countries and was awarded top prize at the World Magic Seminar in 1998. He worked with Penn and Teller on the show Fool Us, and he holds a Guinness World Record for card tricks. Jay has performed on shows including Good Morning America and The Today Show. In January 2018, Jay was recognized by the Society of American Magicians for his contribution to the art of magic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Close-up magic</span> Magic performed in an intimate setting

Close-up magic is magic performed in an intimate setting usually no more than 3 meters from one's audience and is usually performed while sitting at a table.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Farquhar</span> Canadian magician

Shawn Farquhar is a Canadian magician and illusionist notable for his title as the "Grand Prix World Champion of Magic" from the International Federation of Magic Societies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic (illusion)</span> Performing art involving the use of illusion

Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close-up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It is to be distinguished from paranormal magic which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means. It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gazzo (magician)</span> British street magician (born 1960)

Gary 'Gazzo' Osbourne is a British street magician. Osbourne moved to the US in the 1980s, where he befriended Walter Irving Scott, also known as The Phantom. He is Scott's only pupil and the only person with whom Scott entrusted his biography and life's work at card cheating and sleights.

Michael Vincent is a British magician. He won The Magic Circle's Close-up Magician of the Year award three times and was also awarded the title of International Magician of the Year in 1993.

Michael Kent is an American comedian and magician from Columbus, Ohio, United States. He tours internationally, primarily performing a stand-up comedy-style magic show in American Colleges and Universities, cruise ships and on overseas military bases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piff the Magic Dragon</span> British magician and comedian

John van der Put is an English magician and comedian, who performs under the stage name Piff the Magic Dragon. A winner of multiple awards from British magic societies, he toured as a supporting act for Mumford and Sons and has appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and America's Got Talent. In June 2019, van der Put was named one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch for 2019. Van der Put lives in Las Vegas and has a residency at The Flamingo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Ward (magician)</span> American magician

Joel Ward is an American magician. A Magic Castle favorite, Joel has been seen on The Tonight Show, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, as well as Comedy Central, Bravo, The CW, Fox, and more. He has served as a magic consultant for film/TV projects such as Arrested Development, Netflix's Magic for Humans, Hulu's Shut Eye, Disney's Magic Camp, and for Jane Lynch and Jordan Peele on Funny or Die. He served as Emma Stone's magic consultant for a Vogue original, directed by Ruben Fleisher. He tours regularly with his comedy & magic show and performs full-time at private parties and corporate events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahdi Gilbert</span> Canadian magician

Mahdi Gilbert is a Canadian professional sleight of hand card magician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noel Qualter</span> English magician

Noel Qualter is an English close up magician, magic creator and magic consultant. He is a Member of the Inner Magic Circle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shin Lim</span> Canadian-American magician

Liang-Shun Lim, known professionally as Shin Lim, is a Canadian-American magician, recognized for his use of card manipulation and sleight of hand. He is known for elaborate close-up card magic routines, during which he remains silent with the tricks set to music. He is self-taught, having learned most of his skills from watching YouTube, and has in turn shared some of his own techniques in videos on the site.

Ryan Lam known professionally as Ryan Hayashi, is a Chinese Canadian magician, mentalist and performer. Hayashi focuses on coin magic and is known for his coin matrix. He also works in other forms of magic including cards, mentalism and displays of skill such as blindfolded performances with a samurai sword. Hayashi has performed magic in 18 different countries. He is a self-described "samurai entertainer" and has performed on multiple talent contests including Germany's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent and Czechoslovakia's Got Talent.

Wesley Barker is a Canadian magician and YouTuber, known for starring in the TruTV stunt magic show Big Trick Energy. He has appeared on Ellen and America’s Got Talent as well as fooling Penn & Teller on their show Fool Us. His YouTube and Facebook channels have received 100s of millions of views. He is also the co-host of the Bottom of the Barrel Podcast with Chris Ramsay.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kostya Kimlat uses magic to help companies train employees - Orlando Business Journal". Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  2. ↑ "Kostya Kimlat — Motivational Speaker & Business Magician". KostyaKimlat.com. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Sleight of Hand - Smart Meetings" . Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kostya Kimlat hosts Orlando Magic Mansion". Heritage Florida Jewish News. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  5. 1 2 3 "Kostya Kimlat MAGIC Magazine" (PDF). kostyakimlat.com. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  6. 1 2 "'Penn & Teller: Fool Us' recap: The best fooler yet". EW.com. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Slater Tate, Allison (1 September 2018). "Fool Me Once". J Life Magazine. 2 (3): 24–27. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Story of a ... Magician". www.orlandomagazine.com. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  9. ↑ Fluker, Anjali (2013-05-07). "Kostya Kimlat uses magic to help companies train employees". Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  10. 1 2 "Central Florida magician works to trick Penn and Teller". West Orange Times & Observer. 2015-08-12. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  11. ↑ "US Trademark Office" . Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  12. ↑ "The Power of Perception". businessinaction.com. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  13. ↑ david.lias@plaintalk.net, David Lias (2019-05-31). "Kimlat: Every Perception Is A Choice". Vermillion Plain Talk. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  14. 1 2 "The Magic Touch: The UCF Alum Couple Behind See Magic Live". Pegasus Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  15. ↑ "Abracadabra! Better customer service!" . Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  16. ↑ "Schwartz — Kimlat | Baltimore Jewish Times". jewishtimes.com. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  17. ↑ "Did Kimlat fool Penn & Teller?". Heritage Florida Jewish News. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  18. ↑ Penn & Teller: Fool Us Video - Penn's Favorite Card Trick | Watch Online Free , retrieved 2015-08-18
  19. ↑ Jillette, Penn (2015-07-05). "Episode 175 - Jonathan Ross". Penn's Sunday School. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  20. 1 2 "Penn & Teller Fool Us: Kostya Kimlat's IMPOSSIBLE Card Trick // Season 5". YouTube. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  21. ↑ "You can do magic: Kostya Kimlat to lead magic classes at Dr. Phil summer camp" . Retrieved 2015-06-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.