Flying Circus – Motivated Artists
The video above was made for a 72 hour International Film Festival. This circus story goes behind the scenes with the trapeze artists of a flying circus (a flying exhibition team) to ask famous trapeze artists and circus performers what their biggest fears are. There are several different types of flying circuses emphasizing different aspects of the art. There are the “showy styles”, and the more self-expressive, story-telling circus styles. So, are the aerialist afraid of flying in the air, way above the ground? What keeps them focused? For all circus trapeze artists, barophobia must be overcome.
Flying circus artists, also known as aerialists, are performers who specialize in acrobatic feats while suspended in the air. These artists often use equipment such as aerial silks, aerial hoops, or trapeze bars to perform their acts, and they may also incorporate elements of dance, theater, and gymnastics into their routines.
Flying circus artists, also known as aerialists
Flying circus artists are typically highly trained and skilled athletes who have mastered the physical techniques and choreography required for their performances. They may have backgrounds in dance, gymnastics, or circus arts, and they often spend years practicing and perfecting their routines before performing them in front of an audience.
Flying circus artists are a staple of the traditional circus, and they have also gained popularity in recent years as a form of entertainment at events such as corporate functions, festivals, and parties. They are known for their grace, athleticism, and ability to captivate and awe audiences with their impressive feats and acrobatic skills.
Flying circus artists have words to live by
Aislinn Mulligan’s definition of fear is “All things you haven’t done yet. Not dying would be good. There are things that are dangerous but that’s how I like to live my life,” the trapeze artist stated. “I like to do things that push me, challenge me, that scares me. So I don’t really experience fear as a negative thing, I experience it as a positive, thrilling thing.”
But, for Alisabeth Gifford, a trapeze artist, it is quite a different circus story. She is afraid frequently. She relays that she knows that it isn’t a good thing for a circus aerialist to say. Alisabeth is afraid when she makes a mistake on the trapeze. Therefore, she doesn’t know exactly where she will be caught. As a result, the trapeze artist learns to trust her teammates. To her, though, her art form represents a quality of life. Her specific expertise is in telling a story and using her strength and body to tell it.
Famous circus performers don’t let fear stand in their way
Some famous trapeze artists worry about breaking bones. On the other hand, another has an internal mechanism, a switch that turns on at certain heights and says you can do it. For Sarah Swanson fear is real. She admits that she is actually afraid of heights.
When they are high up in the air practicing trapeze art, they must focus on what they are doing. Certainly, they can not think of anything else because their life depends on it. Above all, these everyday heroes’ message is to follow your dream. To sum up, do not give up or let fear stand in your way.
What is barophobia?
Barophobia is the irrational fear of gravity. Famous trapeze artists and circus performers suffering from barophobia can either have the fear that gravity might crush them, in the same vein, the fear of falling because of the gravity involved (distinct from the fear of heights), or even the fear that gravity might cease to exist and they will float away.
The fear of gravity. Further, this phobia can take two forms. It can be the fear of being crushed by the sheer weight of gravity, or just the opposite, falling off the face of the Earth if gravity were to ever stop existing.
In short, over 19 million people or about 9% of the population have a specific phobia. Teenagers and women are more likely to have specific phobias than adult men. To sum up, trapeze artists are able to overcome this fear.
Famous Trapeze Artists Face Death
Part of the thrill of flying circus’s is the element of danger that a trapeze artist faces on regular basis as they perform their day job. As flying circus’s continue to push death defying boundaries to keep audiences in awe of the aerial feats they perform, unfortunate accidents happen, and have been known to occur throughout history.
first recorded accidents
One of the first recorded accidents happened in 1872, when trapeze artists Fred Lazelle and Billy Millson plummeted to the ground and landed on top of gymnast George North, when their equipment failed. All three men survived, but were never able to perform again.
In 1962, the Flying Wallendas, a family of stunt performers, were completing their “Seven-Person Chair Pyramid” on a tight rope, when one of the men faltered, causing three of them to fall. One man survived and was paralyzed, but the two others died in the accident.
Trapeze artist Eva Garcia had been a working as an aerial silks acrobat since she was just seven years old, but during an August 2003 performance at England’s Hippodrome Circus, she lost her grip and fell thirty feet to her death.
Aerial chiffon acrobat, Dessi Espana was working at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in May of 2004, when a technical failure with the equipment caused her to drop from a height of ten meters. She succumbed to her injuries on the ambulance ride to a local hospital.
What is the most dangerous circus act?
Acrobats
Knife Thrower.
Lion Tamer.
Human Cannonball.
Flying Trapeze.
Tightrope Walker.
Do famous circus performers get paid?
Entry-level jobs in the circus might pay around $300 a week, while featured performers like acrobats, contortionists or trapeze artists can make between $40,000 to $70,000 a year. You also get free room and board while you’re traveling with the show, which is an added perk.
What is the main attraction in a flying circus?
The trapeze artists are usually the focal point of each flying circus.
