Ladera Ranch Has Got Talent
by Jim Schmitt When you attend an elementary school talent show, you expect to enjoy the usual fare of singers, pianists, dancers, cheer teams, and similar acts. But a major magic trick performed brilliantly by two third-graders at the recent Chaparral Elementary Talent Show stunned the audience.
The magicians were Carter Hodges, 9, and Nikaela Goodman, 8, both now in the fourth grade at Chaparral (photo above). The illusion is known as Metamorphosis.
Everyone has seen it since it is the centerpiece of the acts of many magicians, including the legendary Harry Houdini who made the trick famous.
Although there are numerous variations of the trick, the basic theme, as shown in the series of photos on the right, goes like this: The magician (Carter) ties up the assistant (Nikaela) in a cloth bag and locks her in the trunk. Carter gets on top of trunk and pulls a curtain up over his head and immediately drops it to show Nikaela in his place. Nikaela then drops the curtain, unlocks the truck, and reveals that Carter has replaced her in the bag. Poof! In a split second the trick is over leaving the audience stunned.
The amazing thing is, Carter researched the illusion and, with the help of his dad, Chris, built it from scratch. It started five years ago when Carter’s grandmother gave him a magic trick as a gift and had him perform a magic show for her. He then saw The Pendragons -- Jonathan and Charlotte -- perform on TV.
The Pendragons are famous for their light-ning fast per-formance of Metamorphosis. And it turns out, Jonathan grew up on the same street as Carter’s dad.
It was love at first sight for Carter who decided he not only wanted to perform the Metamorphosis, but wants to become a professional magician.
Carter is also skilled in singing and dancing, and has acted in several plays. “I love performing on stage and experiencing the reaction and enjoyment of the audience,” he said.
When asked how Nikaela got into the act, Carter said, “She’s my best friend and the only one I could trust with the secret of how the trick works.” He and Nikaela have been close friends since kindergarten.
When asked why she would agree to be tied up in a bag and locked in a trunk, Nikaela said, “Carter’s my best friend, and I love magic too.”
An accomplished pianist in her own right, Nikaela is also a purple belt in karate.
Much to this writer’s surprise, the first public appearance of the two budding magicians was at the Chaparral talent show, but you’d have never known it as they performed like professionals.
Frequent visitors to a local magic shop, Carter and Nikaela perform other tricks, including card tricks, sponge balls, and disappearing and appearing canes.
But their real love is stage illusions, and they plan to continue to perform together and expand their act.