Today we’d like to introduce you to Jorge.
Hi Jorge, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story with magic began shortly after I came to the United States from Puerto Rico. I was about five or six years old when I arrived in New York City, and one of my earliest memories in America became the moment that changed my life.
My mom was taking me to see our family doctor in manhattan. While we were waiting for the subway, I noticed a magician performing a sponge-ball trick. There was a small crowd of children and adults gathered around him, and I was fascinated. I walked closer because I wanted to understand what was happening.
The magician looked at me and said, “Hey, let me show you something.” He gave me a sponge ball and showed me how to squeeze it in my hand. He explained what I needed to do and then demonstrated the magic. He squeezed his hand, blew on it, and slowly opened his fingers one at a time. The sponge ball had disappeared.
He told me to try it myself. I concentrated as hard as I could, trying to make the ball disappear just like he had. I thought I had done something wrong, but when he asked me to open my hand, something amazing had happened: his sponge ball had somehow ended up in my hand along with mine.
I was completely stunned.
My mom, however, did not see it the same way. She told me it was “the devil’s stuff,” grabbed me, and took me away. But the experience had already planted something in my mind that would never leave.
When we arrived at the doctor’s office, I encountered another magician, this time dressed as a clown with a red nose and colorful hair. He showed me two solid metal rings that appeared to be linked together. I examined them and even tried pulling them apart. They were solid. Then he told me to blow on them. When he did it, the rings suddenly came apart as if the metal had melted through itself.
Once again, my mind was blown.
Then I heard the doctor call, “Jorge Cruz.”
I had to go into the examination room. I remember wanting to get through the appointment as quickly as possible because I wanted to come back out and see the magician again. But when I came out about ten minutes later, he was gone.
I never forgot those two experiences. Somewhere in that moment, I knew I wanted to become a magician.
When I was growing up, I didn’t have a lot of magic tricks, so I had to be creative. I remember learning a trick and then using my own lunch as a way to learn more. I would tell another student, “If I give you my lunch and show you my trick, you show me yours.”
That was my beginning.
One trick became two. Then I would use those two tricks to learn another one. Little by little, I built up my knowledge of magic through trading, practicing, and learning from anyone willing to teach me.
What started with two chance encounters as a young boy eventually became a lifelong passion. More than 20 years later, that childhood fascination has grown into my career as a professional magician and the creation of my business, Magic De Jorge.
Today, I perform for children, families, adults, businesses, schools, libraries, private parties, and community organizations. I still love the same thing that fascinated me as a child: seeing someone’s face when they experience something they can’t explain.
Looking back, I realize that my career in magic started before I even understood what a career was. It started with a sponge ball, two metal rings, a subway station in New York City, and a little boy who simply wanted to know, “How did he do that?”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I think some of the hardest parts of my life are also what eventually brought me back to magic.
When I was a kid, magic was something I was completely engaged with. I loved learning new tricks, practicing, performing for people, and finding creative ways to learn more. I had a lot of excitement and ambition, but I was also very young and didn’t really understand what my future or career could look like.
I got married at 17, and unfortunately, I went through a very difficult marriage. At that age, I was still trying to understand myself and my life, and the problems I experienced eventually led me to step away from magic completely. I stopped performing for about 15 years.
During those years, I never really forgot about magic, but I also didn’t think I would return to it. Eventually, I started working at Top Notch Car Wash on West 12th Street in Erie. One of my good friends, Spencer, is a content creator, and he knew about my background in magic. He encouraged me to start performing again and, more importantly, to share it on social media.
At first, I didn’t want to do it. I honestly didn’t believe I still had the talent or ability to perform magic the way I used to. Spencer kept pushing me to give it a try and record a video.
So I finally did.
After posting that first video, something clicked. I realized that the passion I had for magic as a kid was still inside me. That experience inspired me to start performing again, creating content, and sharing magic with people through social media.
I’ve now been back performing magic for about 5–6 years, and it has become a major part of my life again.
Looking back, I don’t think the 15 years away from magic were wasted. They were part of my journey. I went through difficult experiences, grew as a person, and eventually found my way back to the thing I loved as a child.
Sometimes you don’t lose your passion—you just lose your way back to it. For me, magic was always there waiting for me to find it again.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Today, I am a professional magician and the owner of Magic De Jorge LLC. I specialize in close-up and strolling magic, where the magic happens directly in front of people and often right in their own hands. I perform for a wide variety of audiences, including private parties, families, schools, libraries, businesses, community organizations, and corporate events.
My style is very interactive. I don’t want people to simply sit back and watch me perform tricks. I want them to become part of the experience. I use cards, coins, money, watches, everyday objects, and other things people recognize and see every day. My goal is to take something ordinary and turn it into a moment that feels impossible.
I’m known for being energetic, friendly, playful, and approachable. I enjoy working with different ages, from young children to seniors, and I try to make everyone feel comfortable. I also believe that the connection with the audience is just as important as the magic itself. I like learning people’s names, making eye contact, getting them involved, and creating genuine reactions.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that I was able to turn something I loved as a six-year-old child into a professional career. After walking away from magic for about 15 years, I found my way back to it and built it into a business. Today, I travel to different communities and events to share the same feeling of wonder that first captivated me as a child.
What I believe sets me apart is that I don’t approach magic as simply performing a list of tricks. Every audience is different, so I pay attention to the people in front of me and adjust my performance to them. I want people to feel like they experienced something personal rather than watching a routine that could have happened anywhere.
At the end of a performance, I’m proudest when people aren’t just saying, “That was a good trick.” I’m proud when they’re still talking about what happened afterward and trying to figure out how it was possible.
For me, magic is about creating memories, making people laugh, surprising them, and giving them a moment they didn’t expect.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as being able to do what I love while making a positive impact on the people around me.
For me, success isn’t just about how much money I make, how many performances I book, or how many people follow me on social media. Those things are nice, but they aren’t what originally made me fall in love with magic.
I feel successful when I can walk into a room, perform for someone, and see their face light up because I gave them a moment of genuine wonder. If I can make someone laugh, bring a family together, give a child an experience they remember, or simply make someone’s day a little better, that means a lot to me.
I’m also proud of the fact that I was able to find my way back to something I loved after being away from magic for about 15 years. Building Magic De Jorge into a professional business has shown me that it’s never too late to return to your passion.
To me, success is being able to wake up and know that I’m doing something I genuinely love, continuing to grow, and leaving people with memories they can take with them after I leave.
Pricing:
- 1hr $175
- 2hr $300
- 3hr $425
- 4hr $550
- 5hr $675
Contact Info:
- Website: https://magicdejorge.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magic_de_jorge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100086399840023/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@magicdejorge
