Dr. Geoff Grimes will delight families with his Chinese Mop Sticks and other magic tricks at Mountain View College's fourth annual Summer Family Magic Shows.
Contact: Debra Dennis
214-378-1851;
ddennis@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — June 3, 2016
(DALLAS) — Dr. Geoff Grimes has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
He has to — he juggles two careers. Grimes is a semi-professional magician, and he also teaches literature and composition at Mountain View College. Plus … he is hosting the school’s fourth annual Summer Family Magic Shows, which are free and open to the community.
“We love magic. It tells a happy story,” said Grimes, an accomplished magician who also heads a magic club at Mountain View College. Magic, he said, promotes confidence and enhances communication skills.
The performances showcase three nights of magic from June 14-16, beginning at 6 p.m. in the foyer of Mountain View’s performance hall. Several promising young magicians will warm up the crowd with their own talents: Christian Lopez, 7; James Irwin, 10; and Ava Byers, 9.
After the early warm-up, the main show starts each evening at 7:15 p.m., featuring professional local magicians from the Dallas and Fort Worth Magic Clubs.
Ventriloquism, sword-throwing, sleight-of-hand or perhaps a conjured rabbit. Who knows what the audience will see? That’s all part of the magic. The acts are child-friendly and interactive. Families are encouraged to attend.
“We have wonderful magical entertainers in the greater Dallas area,” Grimes said. “These friends love to come together to perform. Families can expect lively, interactive programs with lots of audience participation.”
“Magic is a public service,” added Grimes, who co-sponsors the “Mark Wilson” Magic Club at Mountain View. Mark Wilson is credited as the first television celebrity magician.
Grimes got into magic the same way most magicians do. He started as a child with a trip to a magic store. “Oh, I was awed,” he said. “I started at 9. I wasted the first eight years of my life.”
Grimes’ father purchased a few tricks for him, set up a card table in front of his family’s garage and invited the neighborhood kids and their dogs to watch. Following some trials and a few errors, Grimes perfected his act and left his audience spellbound.
Since then, Grimes has performed hundreds of shows in homes, entertainment venues and schools. “Those who are interested in magic tend not to be interested in other sorts of things, like running for office,” said Grimes, a member the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Grimes also has a serious side. He has worked with organizations seeking asylum for victims of civil wars in both Guatemala and El Salvador and also with the Dallas Center for Survivors of Torture.
His teaching career dates back several decades. In addition to Mountain View College, he has served as a faculty member at Amberton University, Tarrant County College, Navarro College, Paul Quinn College and Northwood University. Creative thinking, business report writing and English composition are some of the subjects he has taught. He also toured as “Mark Twain: His Own Self” — taking on the persona of the humorist and author.
The free magic performances are sponsored by MVC’s Office of Student Life, in cooperation with the Arts and Communications and “Mark Wilson” Mountain View College Magic Clubs. Mountain View College is located at 4849 W. Illinois Ave. in Dallas.
For more information, contact Debra Dennis at 214-378-1851 or at
ddennis@dcccd.edu.
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