How Magical Bones turned dance, magic, and storytelling into a life on stage

Published October 2025

In this episode of In the Making, we meet Magical Bones, a magician and performer whose work blends illusion, storytelling, and movement into a distinctive stage presence.

Before magic became his profession, Bones built a career as a breakdancer, performing in competitions, music videos, and major productions across Europe. His early years were shaped by street dance culture in London, where experimentation and creativity were part of the language of performance. 

Magic, however, had always been there in the background. Bones first discovered it as a child after receiving a simple magic kit and later deepened his practice through classic books and mentorship from his drama teacher, who was also a member of the Magic Circle. What began as a “secret geeky hobby” eventually evolved into a serious craft built through discipline and repetition. 

Over time, the two worlds began to merge. While touring with a circus production, fellow performers encouraged him to experiment with combining dance and illusion, leading to the creation of his first hybrid stage pieces, including a striking visual idea: breakdancing while escaping from a straightjacket. 

From there, Bones began developing a unique performance language that blends magic, movement, and storytelling. One of the most powerful examples is his tribute to Henry “Box” Brown, the formerly enslaved man who famously mailed himself to freedom in the 1800s and later became a touring magician. The story became a central inspiration in Bones’ work, particularly when he realized how rarely such histories were told in the world of magic. 

Throughout the conversation, Bones reflects on the deeper purpose of performance. For him, magic is not simply about fooling an audience, it’s about creating a moment where people suspend disbelief and reconnect with a sense of possibility. As he explains:

“Magic isn’t really about the secret method. It’s about the feeling. The moment where someone experiences wonder and remembers that imagination has no limits.”

Themes in this episode

• What it takes to hold an audience’s attention, and how stage presence is built through discipline, rhythm, and storytelling.
• Bones reflects on evolving from a professional dancer into a magician, and how creative practices grow by merging unexpected influences.
• Beyond the trick itself, magic becomes a narrative form. A way of communicating emotion, history, and imagination through performance.
• Why the real purpose of magic isn’t the secret method, but the moment of “wow” that reminds audiences anything might be possible.

“I want people to feel magic. That moment where anything feels possible.”

About Magical Bones

Magical Bones is a British magician and performer whose work blends illusion, storytelling, and street-dance culture into a distinctive stage presence.

Before focusing on magic, Bones built a career as a professional hip-hop dancer. Known for his powerful breakdancing style, the origin of the nickname “Bones”,  he performed internationally and worked with major artists including Madonna and Alicia Keys, and appeared in the music video for Mint Royale’s chart-topping Singing in the Rain.

Over time, he began merging dance, music, and illusion into a performance language that feels uniquely his own. Today, Bones is widely recognized for bringing a contemporary energy to stage magic, combining sleight of hand with rhythm, storytelling, and theatrical presence.

His performances have reached global audiences through television appearances including Britain’s Got Talent, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Pure Magic (BBC), and Around the World in 80 Tricks (Amazon). On stage he has headlined the West End magic show Impossible, toured internationally, and created his own productions including the sold out show Black Magic and the touring performance Soulful Magic.

Across stage and screen, Bones continues to expand what modern magic can look like, drawing from movement, music, and personal storytelling to create moments of genuine wonder.

From the Archive

This conversation was originally recorded during the early phase of the podcast when it was known as RATT – Rebel Artists Through Time. It remains part of the Piperlime Studio archive and is now presented within the In the Making series.