@Maaz Hasan I suspect your experience may be different. I work a lot with high school kids through scouting and I get the sense that there still are groups and cliques and a fair share of people who act like jerks. However, even within a group of friends, there typically is some level of competition for standing within the group. The various theories of how groups interact recognizes that this sort of competition arises soon after the formation of any group. After a group has been functioning for a while, people assume specific roles within the group and there is a level of trust. At that point, the competition is more friendly and good natured.
The first thing is to change how you view your performances and what you want to get out of them. As magicians, we want people to be impressed at what we do. We work hard and we want someone to tell us that we are awesome. The key is shifting from that mindset to a mindset that we want our audience to be entertained and to have fun. One thing that I encourage others to do is change how they talk about magic. I don't perform "tricks" because the use of that word focuses on tricking the audience but I perform "effects" because the use of that word focuses on what the audience sees. A trick is about you, an effect is about the audience.
The second thing is a bit harder. Try to get away from "say-do-see" presentation where you say what you are going to do, do it and tell the audience to see the results. Eugene Burger calls this narrating the adventures of the props in the magician's hands. When you focus on WHAT you are doing, the audience is going to think about HOW you are doing it. A good example of this is one of my favorite routines from The Jinx (a publication from the 1930s and 40s) which is called The Dead Man's Hand where the magician shuffles and deals the cards (while telling the story) with a spectator getting the hand of cards that was dealt to Wild Bill Hickok when he was murdered (with a cap gun bang going off as soon as the spectator sees the hand). Contrast that with trick where you announce you are going to deal the cards with your hand being best and then do it.
The third thing is to involve the audience. Make it seem like they are part of the magic. Part of this is showing that you are having fun by smiling. Part of this is selecting effects that the audience can participte in. Take an ambitious card routine - you could do the whole routine without the audience touching a card, or you can at various points have the audience member stick the card in the deck or turn over the top card. Even when you turn over the top card, you can have the audience member make a magic gesture or say a magic word. How about asking the audience member if they want the card to go to the top or the bottom of the deck -- if they say bottom, you turn the deck upside down and then take the bottom card with a smile. A great example of this is Aaron Fisher's performance of Search and Destroy.
Any tips on how to present card tricks without seeming like you're showing off?
I think that when I perform tricks I may be coming off a bit like I'm trying to be a show off.
The first thing is to change how you view your performances and what you want to get out of them. As magicians, we want people to be impressed at what we do. We work hard and we want someone to tell us that we are awesome. The key is shifting from that mindset to a mindset that we want our audience to be entertained and to have fun. One thing that I encourage others to do is change how they talk about magic. I don't perform "tricks" because the use of that word focuses on tricking the audience but I perform "effects" because the use of that word focuses on what the audience sees. A trick is about you, an effect is about the audience.
The second thing is a bit harder. Try to get away from "say-do-see" presentation where you say what you are going to do, do it and tell the audience to see the results. Eugene Burger calls this narrating the adventures of the props in the magician's hands. When you focus on WHAT you are doing, the audience is going to think about HOW you are doing it. A good example of this is one of my favorite routines from The Jinx (a publication from the 1930s and 40s) which is called The Dead Man's Hand where the magician shuffles and deals the cards (while telling the story) with a spectator getting the hand of cards that was dealt to Wild Bill Hickok when he was murdered (with a cap gun bang going off as soon as the spectator sees the hand). Contrast that with trick where you announce you are going to deal the cards with your hand being best and then do it.
The third thing is to involve the audience. Make it seem like they are part of the magic. Part of this is showing that you are having fun by smiling. Part of this is selecting effects that the audience can participte in. Take an ambitious card routine - you could do the whole routine without the audience touching a card, or you can at various points have the audience member stick the card in the deck or turn over the top card. Even when you turn over the top card, you can have the audience member make a magic gesture or say a magic word. How about asking the audience member if they want the card to go to the top or the bottom of the deck -- if they say bottom, you turn the deck upside down and then take the bottom card with a smile. A great example of this is Aaron Fisher's performance of Search and Destroy.