David Blaine (born David Blaine White on April 4, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American world record holding magician and endurance artist. He made his name as a performer of street and close-up magic.
On May 19, 1997, Blaine's first television special, David Blaine: Street Magic, introduced his unique brand of street magic to the world when it aired on the ABC network. With its strong focus on spectators' reactions and showmanship, Street Magic revolutionized the way magic is performed and portrayed on television. According to The New York Daily News, “Blaine can lay claim to his own brand of wizardry. The magic he offers in tonight’s show operates on an uncommonly personal level.
In Street Magic, Blaine is shown traveling across the country, entertaining unsuspecting pedestrians in New York City, Atlantic City, Dallas, San Francisco, Compton, and the Mojave Desert only recorded by a small crew with handheld cameras. Many magicians respect Blaine's choice of material and give him credit for creating an image of the contemporary magician distinct from other magicians in recent television history. Jon Racherbaumer commented, "Make no mistake about it, the focus of this show, boys and girls, is not Blaine. It is really about theatrical proxemics; about the show-within-a-show and the spontaneous, visceral reactions of people being astonished."
