A little rehab magic coming to Burnsville

Illusionist Kevin Spencer passes through the razor-sharp blades of a whirling industrial fan. He escapes handcuffs while submerged in a tank of water and glides through a cinderblock wall. It's all part of the suspense and drama wrapped into his traveling magic show, "Theatre of Illusion," coming to the Burnsville Performing Arts Center on Thursday.

"I want it to be hip and sophisticated and contemporary. I want them to come in and experience magic as an art form," Spencer explains in describing his show.

But it's his simple magic tricks done with paper clips and rubber bands taught to recovering patients and children with disabilities that really make some hearts jump.

For the past two decades, Spencer and his wife, Cindy, have performed their illusions around the world. On the days they're not on stage, Spencer visits hospitals and classrooms and shows therapists and teachers how to use magic tricks in occupational and physical rehabilitation.

Spencer also works directly with patients and students, revealing the secrets and showmanship necessary to master these simple illusions.

His programs are called "Healing of Magic" and "Hocus Focus."

Spencer will visit Courage Center Burnsville, a nonprofit rehabilitation center, on Tuesday and could pop into some local classrooms this week as well. He says he's visited more than 2,500 hospitals, clinics and schools in more than 30 countries.

Spencer explains how magic can be therapy: A simple trick which involves making paperclips jump off a dollar bill and link in midair helps amateur magicians work on fine-motor skills. Memorizing a magic trick requires following directions, sequencing, memory skills and communications.

The allure of magic motivates students and patients. Struggling to repeat the same therapy exercise can feel monotonous and frustrating, but patients and children happily repeat a magic trick dozens of times in an effort to perfect it, Spencer says.

"Kevin is very knowledgeable. We have a huge respect for him," says Rebecca Phillips, administrative director of rehabilitation for Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, Fla. Spencer visited the pediatric rehabilitation ward there.

"They used the magic as a tool to help motivate the child," Phillips explains. "It enticed them to walk a little farther, reach their arms out a bit more. They kind of forgot they were in therapy."

Spencer studied clinical psychology at the University of Tennessee. He worked his way through college as a magician, then decided to pursue a career in magic full-time. In the process, he realized his art form could serve as a useful tool for recovering patients.

Spencer says he understands the patient perspective. He recovered from a closed brain injury and lower spinal cord injury.

"I have a very personal connection to this," Spencer says. "I was involved in a really bad automobile accident. The car I was in was crushed by a semi. I know firsthand the frustration, the struggles and the extreme boredom of doing the traditional forms of therapy."

Spencer says the medical community initially looked upon his magic therapy with skepticism.

"They said this is crazy. What could this magician bring to what we're doing?" Spencer said. "It took a little convincing -- one hospital at a time. If you really dissect the movements to perform a magic trick, you can see it's great therapy."

He's now an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Alabama-Birmingham's Occupational Therapy Department, teaching one course a year.

Cockerell says they have continued to use magic tricks to motivate kids who often struggle. She calls Spencer the "kid whisperer," describing how he coaxed some of her most tentative students to participate.

"It's an awesome way for our kids to develop a lot of different skills -- communications and fine motor," Cockerell says.