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Dale Salwak is
known as “The Gentleman of Magic.” Skilled in the classics of magic, his
elegant style has made him a favorite
for many years in the finest clubs, showrooms, and theaters throughout
the world. As director since 1978 of the California-based Chavez
Studio
of Magic (founded in 1941 by Ben Chavez), he has led hundreds of
magicians in pursuit of these same values. A London reviewer says
it best: “Dale Salwak doesn't just do magic; he is magic!”
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Dale Salwak offers for your enjoyment a fast-moving, elegant presentation of the classics of magic, performed to a full orchestral background and appropriate for any venue – from the largest of theaters to the most intimate of settings. He performs smooth-as-silk magic with an easy skill and grace that testifies to a drive for absolute perfection. Twice-nominated Stage Magician of the Year as well as Lecturer of the Year at the Hollywood Magic Castle and recipient of the prestigious Jack Gwynne Award for Excellence in Magic and the Chavez Memorial Trophy for Excellence in Manipulation – he has been a featured performer at top showrooms around the world and on numerous television shows including Merv Griffin from Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas.
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Dale Salwak’s real association with magic began at the age of five when he met Mr. White, a magician who happened to be living close to his Massachusetts home. One day (after Dale’s repeated pleas), he showed him two tricks: how to “vanish” a half-dollar and how to “change” a scarf from green to yellow just by pulling it through his fist. The thrill of discovery he experienced that afternoon has stayed with him all of his life, and there’s never a time as a performer or as a spectator when he doesn’t re-experience it.
Dale’s father had a copy of G. S. Ripley’s Magic for Boys (a title which, in our enlightened era, would have to be altered!). Each evening Dale and his mother learned how to put together the materials for one of the tricks and then how to perform it. At age ten he debuted his act and was paid two dollars plus a twenty-five cents tip. His parents had hired him for his own birthday!
A classified advertisement in the local newspaper – “Magician for All Occasions, Call Dale Salwak” along with his telephone number – brought him additional work, and slowly his reputation, and confidence, grew.
Later his family moved from Massachusetts to Indiana. There he founded the Magic Club of America and published for eight years Magic Carpet – a magazine devoted to the Art of Magic and subscribed to by magicians all over the world. He also wrote and published three books on magic, and his writings began to appear in international journals.
Dale went on to earn his B.A. degree in English (with a minor in science and mathematics) at Purdue University; and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English literature at the University of Southern California. He is the author of twenty-three books on literary or inspirational subjects and numerous scholarly essays. In 1987 Purdue University awarded him its coveted Distinguished Alumni Award.
But Dale’s education did not start or stop there. He studied piano, both classical and popular, as early as 1953, and from 1963-70 he studied tap dancing and modern jazz. The call of magic lured him to the Chavez Studio of Manual Dexterity and Prestidigitation in 1963-65. Later he assisted at the studio as an instructor and since 1978 he has been the owner and director of the studio’s West Coast division. To round out his education, he also trained with Ron Carver at the Hollywood School of Comedy Writing in 1970.
During those early years he kept polishing his act by appearing in showrooms, hotels, theaters and on television. With a company of other performers his travels have taken him across America and Canada, to Europe (eight tours), to Asia (six tours), and the Hawaiian Islands (two tours). In addition, he has performed countless times for the Motion Picture Home benefit show and with the Bob Hope USO Clubs. He has appeared at every magician’s convention in the country, and most in Europe and Asia, including Abbott¹s Magic Get-Together (twenty- three times), where he was awarded the prestigious Jack Gwynne Award for Excellence in Magic; at the Hollywood Magic Castle (regularly since 1970) where he has been twice-nominated Stage Magician of the Year and has received the Lecturer of the Year Award; at the Magic Island in Newport Beach (1978-88) and Houston (1984-91); at the Pasadena Ice House (regularly since 1971); at Wizardz, Universal CityWalk (regularly since its opening in 1993 until its closing in 2003); and in three Las Vegas showrooms – Caesar’s Palace, the Riviera, and Bally’s.
For two consecutive years he was featured in the “Magic of Fashion” production in the Celebrity Room, Bally’s. And ever since 1974 he has appeared in and produced for college and university audiences across the country his annual “Stars of Magic” – an elegant, enchanting, all-new stage production featuring internationally recognized magicians. For this he received an Award of Merit from the Academy of Magical Arts. He is also Talent Chairman/Executive Producer of Shows for the International Brotherhood of Magicians annual convention - a position he has held since 1995 - and interim Entertainment Director for the Magic Castle, Hollywood (Palace Theater and Lectures) - a position he held from May 2006 through December 2007.
Then there are the television appearances. In Indiana he appeared weekly on a Saturday morning children’s program broadcast from Indianapolis. Since then his television appearances include “Matlock,” “MacMillan,” “The Merv Griffin Show” (six appearances), “Hollywood Squares,” “To Tell the Truth,” “We’ve Got Each Other” (a comedy series that ran eleven weeks starring Tom Poston and Beverly Archer), “Masters of Illusion,” as well as variety programs in Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Holland, and the People’s Republic of China plus numerous charity telethons.
Today as performer and teacher, Dale Salwak is a leader and one of the most popular men in the field of magic. He mirrors the professionalism of working the entire spectrum of show business. He is a celebrated entertainer and an entertainer of celebrities.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES – A SELECTION
MAGIC CONVENTION (PERFORMANCES AND LECTURES)
Abbott’s Magic Get-Together (23 times since 1965)
Asian Magicians Convention, Osaka
Atlanta Harvest of Magic
Blackpool, England
British Ring, Eastbourne and Scarborough
Canadian Association of Magicians
Cavalcade of Magic
Columbus Magi-Fest
Fellowship of Christian Magicians National Convention
Festival of Magic, Seoul, Korea
Flasoma, Colombia
Hank Lee’s Magic Conclave
Holland National Convention
Houdini Club Convention
Hull (England) Magician’s Society
International Brotherhood of Magicians (5 times)
It’s Amazing, Long Beach Mystics
Japan National Convention
Magic on the Beach
Magic Worshop
Pacific Coast Association of Magicians
Shenzhen, China International Magic Festival
Society of American Magicians (4 times)
Tannen’s Magic Jubilee
Texas Association of Magicians
Winter Carnival of Magic
World Magic Festival, Shanghai
World Magic Seminar, Washington, D.C.
CLUBS
Magic Castle (stage) – since 1970
Ice House, Pasadena – since 1971
London Society of Magicians
Magic Circle, London
Magic Island, Newport – 1978-88
Friar’s Club
Magic Island, Houston – since 1984
Comedy and Magic Store, Hermosa Beach
Krazy J’s, Redondo Beach
THEATERS
ABC Entertainment Center (Variety Club)
Anaheim Convention Center (with Edgar Bergen)
Brown’s Hotel, Loch Sheldrake, New York
California State University, Fullerton
Cincinnati Playhouse (“Abracadabra”)
Citrus College, Glendora (annually since 1974)
Disneyland
El Camino College
Forum, Yorba Linda
Fullerton College
Her Majesty’s Theatre, London
Hunter College, New York City
Knottsberry Farm
Leisure World, Laguna Hills
Loeb Playhouse, Purdue University
Los Angeles Regional Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek
Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium (with Connie Stevens, Jackie Gayle)
Luther Burbank Center, Santa Rosa
McCallum, Palm Desert
Magic Mountain Showcase Theater
Mayfair Music Hall, Santa Monica
Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina
Motion Picture Home, Woodland Hills
Music Center, Los Angeles
Norris Theater for the Performing Arts, San Pedro
Poway Center for the Performing Arts
Robert B. Moore Theater, Orange Coast College (12 consecutive years)
Screen Actors Guild Variety Show, Century City
Smothers Theater, Pepperdine University
20th Century Fox Studios
Variety Arts, Los Angeles
Westwood Playhouse
Wilshire Ebell
Zephyr Theater, Hollywood (7-week production, “Abracadabra”)
HOTELS/CASINOS
Bally’s (Celebrity Room), Las Vegas (“The Magic of Fashion” with Mr. Guy)
Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills (with Peggy Lee)
Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills (with Gloria Loring, Mel Torme, Bob Newhart)
Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas (Merv Griffin Show with the Les Brown Orchestra)
Century Plaza, Beverly Hills (with Bob Hope)
Golden Gesakai, Tokyo
Hilton, Honolulu (with the Citrus Singers)
Hollywood Palladium (with Tony Bennett)
Hotel Bilia, Saint-Vincent, Italy (with Silvan)
Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
Mona Kea, Honolulu
Riviera, Las Vegas (with Rich Little)
Riviera, Palm Springs
TELEVISION
“Affair of the Heart” (NBC movie with Rock Hudson, Martha Raye, Stephanie Powers)
“Dale Haney Show,” Calgary Television
Dateline (NBC)
Easter Seals Telethon (ABC)
Fresh Look (NBC)
Grand Illusions: The Story of Magic (Discovery)
Hollywood Squares (NBC)
International Magical Competition (Osaka-TV)
Lifestyle of American Magicians (Osaka-TV)
MacMillan (NBC)
The Magic Shop (KHJ-TV, Los Angeles)
Masters of Illusion (FOX)
Matlock (NBC)
The Merv Griffin Show
Shanghai International Festival of Magic
To Tell the Truth (CBS)
Variety Club Telethon (ABC)
We’ve Got Each Other (CBS)