Local High School Senior Skyler Jade Brings Magic to Pacific Palisades
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
You may have seen young Palisadian Skyler Jade showcasing her magic at venues across town—and with her level of skill, you wouldn’t believe she took on the craft only four years ago.
Jade recently spoke with the Palisadian-Post, sharing about her journey building a budding career in the industry.
She recalled being exposed to magic at a young age, when her grandfather would show her card tricks.
“I always had this strong perception of how awesome of an art form magic is,” Jade said to the Post.
It wasn’t until she met the magician who performed at her bat mitzvah that Jade decided magic was something she wanted to pursue.
During her freshman year of high school, Jade said she would peruse the internet and YouTube to teach herself magic tricks—including card tricks and sleight of hand rules—then put it all together to build a routine.
She quickly progressed and realized her passion for magic.
Wanting to take her skills further, she submitted an application to The Magic Castle—an exclusive private club in Hollywood as part of The Academy of Magical Arts. The COVID-19 pandemic forced Jade to audition for the program virtually.
“It was definitely weird,” Jade said with a laugh, “ … but it worked out because I got in.”
Magicians are accepted at the discretion of the Junior Society, based on the performer’s creativity, originality, proficiency and knowledge of magic.
“The mission of the Junior Society is to provide mentoring for gifted and dedicated young magicians between the ages of 13 and 20 years old,” according to The Magic Castle’s website, “in order to develop their magical interests and prowess through exposure to leading professionals in the field, performance workshops designed to improve knowledge and technique, and a network for meeting and interacting with others.”
Because of the pandemic, Jade’s introduction to the program was via Zoom—which admittedly had its silver linings.
“A really cool thing about me starting on Zoom was the opportunity for magicians to lecture that wouldn’t have been possible before,” Jade said. “We got to meet really cool people on Zoom.”
Being a member of the Junior Society has allowed Jade to partake in workshops and showrooms, and offered her additional resources, helping her grow her skills.
Since being accepted, Jade said she has extended her magic to her hometown and high school.
In the Palisades, Jade approached Hank’s in Palisades Village in October 2021 with interest in performing her magic at the eatery.
“After I got into [the Junior Society] … they were like, ‘The best way to get better is at a restaurant because you are meeting new people and doing the same material over and over, to the point where it becomes second nature,’” Jade explained. “I chose Hank’s because I thought, of all the restaurants in The Village, it was the most family oriented and had a large enough space.”
She visited, introduced herself and dropped off her business card. Shortly after, she became a regular act, performing her magic every Saturday night.
“It’s been really awesome,” Jade said. “I come in with as much confidence as I can and try to make it the best experience.”
Locally, Jade also took her talent to the annual Halloween Spooktacular at Palisades Recreation Center in October 2022. Fellow Palisadian magician Greg Victoroff was on hand for an indoor magic show, while Jade entertained guests outdoors.
“I’ve grown up going to the [Halloween Spooktacular],” she said. “It was a full circle moment for me to be doing that, and I had so much fun. I definitely plan on continuing to do local events.”
Jade said she also launched a magic club at her school, Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, that meets once per week.
“It’s so much fun, I really like the teaching aspect,” Jade boasted. “I feel like it takes away this barrier that I think magic has, where I ‘can’t’ reveal anything.
“I also think it’s really cool to see a younger generation of magic … not only be such a diverse group of people, but offer a different and unique perspective on the art form … A lot of people have this particular perception of magic, of a magician.”
Jade shared that some of these perceptions could be an older gentleman, with a cape, top hat and the bunnies.
“I hope that the work I’m able to put into the art form can help shift the perspective for people,” she added.
With the support of her family, Jade has been able to broaden her horizons like she never imagined. From her parents alternating driving her to The Magic Castle, accompanying her to magic conventions in Las Vegas and her younger brother sitting through her routines, Jade was nothing short of thankful for her family’s encouragement.
“I’m really lucky,” she said to the Post.
A senior in high school, Jade recently submitted her college applications—applying to University of Southern California, a number of University of California campuses and more. She said she hopes to stay in-state to continue attending The Magic Castle and performing locally.
“My plan right now is to go to college,” Jade said. “But if I am given the opportunity to continue to pursue this as a career, I definitely would. Looking ahead, my goal is to build off of what I’ve learned and continue to grow this skill, write more shows, and perform more.”
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