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Este informe no está disponible en español. Orlando SentinelHis Job Is Sheer Magic With Spanish AccentBy Jamie J. AndersonJune 17, 2001 When Niels Sayers was a boy growing up in Puerto Rico, he spent a lot of time at the doctor’s office. His family soon would discover that he wasn’t sick, just clever. "My pediatrician was the owner of a magic store in Puerto Rico," Sayers explained. "I would pretend to get sick just to go see him and get to go to the [magic] store." When Sayers was 12, he began working at the magic shop and became a member of the Society of Young Magicians. His flair for illusions would land him an appearance on Los Angelitos, a Saturday-evening variety TV show in Puerto Rico. In 1989, he founded the Puerto Rico House of Magic Academy, the first school of magic in Puerto Rico. He also was honored with several awards in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, including first-place finishes at the Grand Contest of Magic Aficionados and the World Congress of Young Magicians. When Sayers’ popularity in Puerto Rico was at its peak, he set his sights on a new target -- Florida. In 1994, he moved from the island to Winter Park to pursue a full-time magic career. "It was completely different from what I thought it would be," Sayers said. "I wanted to get a job at Disney or Universal, which was completely wrong to expect. I had a great act, but magicians have to talk. So I had to make sure that my language was understandable. I think that was my biggest concern. "It was very difficult," he added. "I used to watch a lot of cable TV in Puerto Rico so I could practice, but there were still some words and conjugations of verbs that gave me problems." Sayers spent the next three years honing his English skills and improving his magic act. His continental United States magic debut was during the Florida State Magic Convention in Daytona Beach in 1997. Today, Sayers places an emphasis on his Latin roots during each show. "I try to bring Puerto Rico up whenever I can. It’s where I’m from, and I’m proud of that. We are a very small island, but we have great talent there. In the past three years, the Latin explosion has taken off, thanks to performers like Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin," said Sayers, who returns to Puerto Rico every year on vacation. "I’m not a singer or a dancer, but there are no Latin magicians, so why not me?"
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