By Staff Writer, Allen Zakaria

            There are three steps in a trick. First comes the pledge, when the magician shows something that appears ordinary. Then comes the turn where he takes something ordinary and makes it extraordinary. The last and final step is known as the prestige, when you see the most unbelievable and shocking outcome of the trick.
            You may ask who can provide such magic for you; the answer is no one other than our very own Narek Petrosyan. Petrosyan is a senior this year, but unlike most seniors, Petrosyan is somewhat magical.
            Petrosyan has been performing magic for about twelve years. Since the age of six, he has showcased his magic. He has gone from performing in front of hundreds of people to just a handful.  Before he even learned how to tie his shoes he was taking on magic. Petrosyan has impressively even performed for the president of Armenia .
            When asked who or what inspired him to become a magician, he said that it runs in the family. His father and mother, Rafael and Larissa Petrosyan, are also great magicians.
            At the young age of 18, Petrosyan is already a seasoned performer. Upon immigrating to America, Petrosyan and his family had many offers. In fact they were asked to be in a Las Vegas Magic show, but due to housing situations they were not able to take advantage of that opportunity.  However, this did not stop them from pursuing their dreams.
            Just recently Petrosyan along with his parents had a show at the Glendale Stars, where they performed hypnotism and magical illusions.             
            “Becoming a magician and performing your tricks is not easy work” said Petrosyan.
            It costs a lot of money, especially if you involve animals in your tricks. Not only must they be bought, they also need to be trained. Petrosyan loves to do magic with doves, and in order to get these doves, he must purchase them.
            When asked what his favorite tricks were Petrosyan said, “I don’t have any favorite tricks, I just try to improve them as much as I can”.
            As for his favorite magicians, he had a couple. He admires Lance Burton and Harry Houdini. He hopes that one day he may be able to follow in their footsteps.
             Many of Petrosyan’s teachers respect his love for magic. English teacher Charles Brogdon looks forward to Petrosyan performing for his class sometime this year. Brogdon and fellow English teacher Carrie VanAckeren, were two of the several teachers who had the pleasure of watching Petrosyan perform at the Glendale Stars Theater.
            “Narek was more quiet than a normal student; I was very surprised when I saw him perform with so much presence and outgoingness said VanAckeren. “He seemed very confident and natural”           
            While Petrosyan would love to make magic his career for now, he has decided to set it aside and focus on school related things for now.