People always think of the aura, the artist’s skill with the audience’s applause. However, to have a moment of sublimation on stage, circus artists have to exchange sweat, effort and even their lives.
“I felt like they poured hot water on my hair”
“At first, when I was learning, it felt like they were pouring hot water on my hair,” former circus performer Marguerite Michelle Ayala said in an interview with The New York Times.
Marguerite Michelle Ayala while performing.
Circus artists are used to pain, she said. In 1982, while performing in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, she fell and broke her neck when a cable suddenly snapped, and was in a coma for a week.
Hair hanging is an art form in which the hair is wrapped around a ring or hook fixed high above the ground. The performer is suspended or rotated in the air. The performer’s hair and scalp must be trained to withstand the weight. To pursue the profession, Marguerite Michelle Ayala has to adjust her diet to keep her hair healthy. However, this art form also causes neck, shoulder and head pain for the artist.
“This is probably the last time I will perform circus...”
That is the confession of circus artist Kazushi Ito, who has more than 30 years of experience in the profession before he successfully performed the Ashige Fusuma move - one of the difficult moves that requires high expertise.
Circus performer Kazushi Ito.
Ashige Fusuma is a foot-operated Fusuma - an object known in Japanese architecture as a vertical rectangular panel that can slide from side to side to divide a space or act as a door. They are typically about 90 cm wide, approximately 180 cm high and 2-3 cm thick.
Fusuma Panel.
Despite many years of experience, it took Kazushi Ito 4 years to master the Ashige Fusuma. In particular, placing a bucket on his feet and using it to lift the Fusuma made the audience's hearts skip a beat because of the difficulty of the technique when the feet did not directly touch the lifting object. In the end, Kazushi Ito performed it successfully despite the tension and anxiety.
Image of male circus artist successfully performing difficult moves.
Accidents are always lurking…
On April 15, 2023, Chinese people were shocked by the incident where two lions suddenly jumped out of their cages during a circus performance, causing panic among the audience.
A lion was walking in the parking lot near the circus.
According to the scene, the circus was performing a lion act, and the stage was separated from the audience by an iron fence. However, because the trainer carelessly did not close the door, the lion suddenly escaped from the cage. In just a few seconds, the two animals sneaked into the staff passageway and approached the audience.
One of the lions was captured before it could escape. The other lion was photographed “walking” near a parking lot. Video footage shows people running away in fear at the heart-stopping scene.
Lion "torn to pieces" right on stage
The incident occurred during a circus show in Doullens, Northern France on May 7, 2017. A trainer at the Buffalo Circus was violently attacked by a male lion he had trained for many years.
The male trainer was attacked by a lion.
The lion continued to throw the male trainer around to the screams of the audience, until his wife used a fire extinguisher to spray all over the stage to distract him.
The trainer was airlifted to Amiens hospital for emergency treatment. He underwent a five-hour operation for serious injuries to his neck and legs caused by the lion’s claws and teeth. Fortunately, he is out of danger.
Thai circus artist bitten by crocodile
In June 2017, the press continuously reported on the incident of veteran Thai circus artist Grantham having his head bitten by a crocodile while performing.
Amarintv reported that the unfortunate incident occurred on June 10 at a famous tourist area on Koh Samui Island, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. During the performance, Grantham used two wooden sticks to control the crocodile's mouth. Then, he actively put his head into its mouth to create a dramatic scene.
Thai artist had his head bitten by a crocodile while performing.
However, the crocodile deliberately bit deeply into the head area. Many spectators were shocked and frightened by what happened on stage. After that, he screamed loudly until the crocodile crawled away. Grantham was immediately taken to the emergency room. When he was admitted to the hospital on June 10, the artist was in a coma, with very deep bite marks on both temples.
Died from falling from a height of more than ten meters
On the evening of April 15, 2023, a Chinese acrobatic actress suddenly had an accident and fell to the ground during a performance in Yongqiao County, Suzhou, Anhui. She was taken to the emergency room but did not survive.
Some videos of the scene show that the male and female actors were performing acrobatics at high altitudes. While being lifted, the actress suddenly fell from a height of more than 10 meters onto the stage. Investigators said that there were no safety measures for the artists.
There were no safety measures for the actors.
Aerial acrobatics is a highly skilled art form, requiring performers to perform difficult maneuvers at various heights. This requires professional training and strict safety measures. However, high-altitude performances always carry certain risks that cannot be foreseen.
(Source: Vietnamnet)
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