@LivingCorpse apparently it's not a big trick, it just relies on misdirecting the initial efforts to ensure it doesn't work - IE: saying "give it a shot" without any guidance or coordination - and then coordinating the 'real' attempt so everyone lifts properly.
You can actually lift a lot with a finger, and eight fingers all working together will get someone off the ground.
Everything else is a bit of performance to make it all seem bigger than it is. You'll barely get someone off the ground, but the voodoo dance and excitement makes you remember it as if you were swinging them around effortlessly.