Cirque du Soleil performer dies in Tampa

[musicman691]

Sad news:
A Cirque du Soleil aerial straps performer has died in a tragic accident during a show last night in Tampa. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/18...rformance.html

They cancelled the remaining two shows for today. No word yet on whether they'll continue on with the shows coming up the end of March and into April at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford NJ. The wife and I have tickets for a performance there and are taking a couple of friends of ours with us.

Been to many a Cirque show in the Big Top and it's always been fun. Some acts have been scary but they've always made it through. The problem with a straps act is there's no easy way to put a net underneath it as the act encompasses the entire stage and sometimes the aerialists go out over the audience.

[albee1952]

Sad news! Cirque does amazing stuff, but some of it can get pretty risky.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Sad news! Cirque does amazing stuff, but some of it can get pretty risky.

Indeed.
A few years back we saw Kooza and they had what's called the 'Wheel of Death' which are two wheels on a central strut that spins on an axle. One person on the outside of each wheel doing various stunts. This contraption spins by way of the performers energy alone. They got the wheel spinning faster and faster as the act went on and each time it got horizontal they would jump off their own wheel and land back on it. As it got faster & faster the entire audience held their breaths and wondered the same thing: will it get fast enough they can jump up and get airborne enough they can switch wheels?

They did and you could hear the collective relief when the performers switched wheels and landed perfectly. I don't think they had a net under that one. Most times they do or have what's called 'catchers' underneath the performers while they're in the air. Or the performers are wired to the apparatus or roof of the tent. Like when Pink does her aerial stuff in her concerts - she's wired in. Not sure but I think she worked with some Cirque people on things.