Ruiz snagged first place in the stage magic division at the annual International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) convention last month in Tacoma. Now he's taking his powers of prestidigitation to Dallas to compete for a coveted spot at next year's edition of the World Championship of Magic, which will be held in Italy next summer.
Ruiz's Tacoma triumph was no small feat. Competing against top magicians from around the globe, Ruiz wowed the judges with an inventive blend of horror and magic inspired by the Resident Evil series.
"I am a big fan of the Resident Evil movies and games. It was what I played throughout my childhood, and until now, it has been my only vice," Ruiz confesses to New Times. He's particularly fond of the show's dastardly Umbrella Corporation — so much so that it found its way into his act. "It gave me the perfect affinity to make a mix of elements of history and magic," he says, "in which I could distinguish myself among all the magicians in the world."
Born in 1988 and reared in Havana, Ruiz was drawn to magic at age 17 when he discovered the work of master illusionist Criss Angel and card trick wiz Lance Burton. His fascination grew when he entered military service in Cuba a year later and met a magician named Rubén, who took him under his wing.
"I started practicing with a Ping-Pong ball and a coin, and Rubén, who had a teacher at the National Circus School, helped me access more advanced learning," Ruiz recounts.
By the time he was 19, Ruiz was studying manipulation magic and winning local competitions in the Cuban capital. In 2010, he earned the title of Cuba's national champion of magic. He moved to Varadero, where he started his own company, RuizMagic, in 2015.
Ruiz's path to success hasn't been without its challenges. Reflecting on his journey from Cuba to Miami in 2022, Ruiz attributes much of his success to his newfound liberty.
"From Cuba, I studied each world magic champion in detail, and I still study them," he says. "That is why when I arrived in this wonderful country and lost the chains that bound me in Cuba, I was able to prepare myself to win in such a short time. Freedom is what has helped me the most because I can finally be free to do in the best way what I love the most, which is the art of magic."
That said, having never lived outside Cuba, abandoning Varadero and RuizMagic to start over in Miami wasn't easy.
"It was hard to leave a company that I founded and directed for more than eight years, especially the people I left behind who were more than workers — they were family," Ruiz says. "Starting from scratch was even harder for me since I had to start from the bottom again. All beginnings are difficult, but it helps a lot to be in a free country with so many possibilities."
His determination paid off, and within a year, he established RuizMagic Entertainment, once again parlaying his passion into a full-time job. Better still, he runs RuizMagic with his wife, Cosette, who also directs Moulin Blue Professional Entertainment, a nonprofit that offers a range of professional performances and shows for events. The collaboration has brought a diverse array of performances to South Florida, ranging from circus acts to burlesque, all of them incorporating Ruiz's magical touch.
"Cosette and I create our shows by mixing the classic with the modern, using classic, refined, and spicy acts such as burlesque, and recreating thematic shows with great illusions and dangerous acts such as the whip act, which are highly acclaimed by the Miami public, thus having exclusivity in our shows which give us unparalleled prominence."
The magic doesn't stop there. Ruiz is preparing to take his talents to Texas, where he'll compete for a chance to represent the U.S. at the World Championship of Magic in Italy in 2025. He's laser-focused on perfecting his routine for an opportunity that could propel him from local hero to global superstar.
"August 30 to September 2, we have the FISM (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques) of North America, which is the most important magic convention on the entire North American continent," he says. For him, it's a potential gateway to the World Championship — the magic Olympics. "I prepare for the championship by rehearsing at least once a day," he says. "Then I study the routine from my perspective and try to show it to others and hear their opinions and criticisms, bringing out the best in the end."
And after the competitions? Ruiz has big plans for magic in Miami.
"I want to focus on my production of different shows of great illusions to offer here. Also to bring spectacular acts for television," he says. "We have a lot of material to show, and we are confident it will be a success."
He also aims to collaborate with his wife's nonprofit to stage annual family-oriented shows that enrich the "cultural theme of the city."
When it comes to capturing the essence of Miami in his magic, Ruiz has a nostalgic idea in mind.
"I would love to do a 1984 routine reflecting the popular series Miami Vice, which was a cultural phenomenon at the time and is still popular at many parties in Miami," he shares.
In the meantime, Ruiz's journey from Cuba to Miami and the world stage is a testament to the magic that happens when talent meets opportunity in the Magic City.
