Fancy-ness

A DVD on card flourishes crossed my desk this week and got me thinking.

Many "old school" magicians (for lack of a better term), pooh-pooh the current wave of Cardistry pioneered by the Buck Twins, De'vo, Brian Tudor and others. "It's not magic, it's juggling," is the oft-heard refrain.

I suppose that makes me an old-schooler, too, since I think that most of the overly flourishy card stuntery is, essentially made up of complicated overt displays of skill. "Look at me, man. I can really flip these things around, can't I?"

What got me thinking is the fact that to a layman, even a simple pressure fan or ribbon spread and turn-over can be considered knuckle-busting card jugglery. For the uninitiated, springing the cards, the Long-Distance Spinner and other (to magicians) commonplace show-offy moves look incredibly difficult.

So, where does the line lie? What is Cardistry, per se, and what is not? Does anyone care?