A time-honored and pervasive tradition has taken root in art classrooms. It goes like this: The art teacher plans experiences, often called "visual problems" (Vieth, 1999, p. 4), for pupils to execute. Students are then encouraged to "solve" these problems in their own way, but the end result, more often than not, is predetermined. Art teachers may agree that these assignments are open-ended and produce diverse results, and while variations on the theme are noticeable, it seems an exaggeration to claim that each piece is unique. In this article, Nan Hathaway, a Middle School Art Teacher in Duxbury, Vermont, and past chair of the National Association for Gifted Children Creativity Network, contends that art teachers do a disservice to students when they assume too much control over their students' work and perform a sort of magic act in the name of art education. She writes here that Art educators would better serve their students by stepping out of the spotlight to engage students in authentic, meaningful learning. Hathaway's philosophy is that rather than using smoke and mirrors, good teaching is more like a dance between teacher and student: a dance in which the child leads.