Move over jugglers, lion tamers and clowns! Today’s circuses are very much about wowing audiences with their wonderful feats and death-defying acts. From dizzying heights to shocking precision, check out these amazing big top acts from around the world:
The Wheel Of Death, Cirque du Soleil
Reminiscent of two giant, rotating human mice-wheels, the Circle of Death is so dangerous that it was temporarily retired from Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas shows after a performer fell and injured himself. During this act, performers keep us on the edge of our seats as they struggle to keep up with the wheels hurling through the air – talk about skill!
Female Contortionist, Circus Stardust Entertainment
It seems that medical scientists have been wrong this whole time; it is possible for human beings to survive without bones! The star of Circus Stardust’s act demonstrates this by effortlessly folding and bending herself into insane positions, even touching the top of her head to her back.
Motorbike Highwire, Martin Espana Circus
People can only fly through the air so fast. That’s the fact the folks at the MRV-Espana Circus in Spain were lamenting when they harnessed the power of motorbikes to pull their performers on high wires over 30 feet off the ground!
Fire Skipping Rope, African Roots Circus
Would you jump over a rope that was on fire, just for fun? The African Roots Circus sure would! These performers show off their amazing acrobatic skills by playing a casual game of jump rope with this fire-laden skipping rope. We’re most impressed by the flip jumps they do and the performer who jumps the rope on all fours!
Nineteen Bike Backflips, Nitro Circus
They might not be a traditional circus, but Nitro Circus’s Guinness World Record breaking act is mind blowing at best. In this stunt, nineteen dirt bike daredevils perform nineteen synchronised back flips at an outrageous height – it might look easy, but one mistake at the front of the line would’ve spelled disaster for everyone behind, making this a heart-stopping feat for performers and spectators alike!
Russian Bar Act, Circus Stardust
An act which involves a single pole, two men and two fearless women, Circus Stardust’s Russian Bar Act makes trampolines look like a waste of space! The women stand on the flexible bar, which is carried by the two men, and get flung into the air while performing flips and spins before landing back on the bar. Let’s just hope they’re in for happy landing…
Tournik, Cirque du Soleil
Spinning around bars, barely missing their fellow performers, mirroring each other’s movements and also demonstrating their solo talent, the gifted acrobats involved in Cirque du Soleil’s Tournik Act make the Olympic Games look like pre-season warm-up! Precision timing is essential here, as is an immense level of athletic ability.