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The Wheel of Death, in the context of acrobatic
circus arts
Circus skills are a group of disciplines that have been performed as entertainment in circus, sideshow, busking, or variety, vaudeville, or music hall shows. Most circus skills are still being performed today. Many are also practiced by non-perfo ...
, is a large rotating apparatus on which performers carry out synchronized acrobatic skills. The "wheel" is actually a large
space frame
In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure ( 3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with ...
beam with hooped tracks at either end, within which the performers can stand. As the performers run around on either the inside or outside of the hoops, the whole apparatus rotates. Performers also perform balancing skills with the wheel in a stationary position.
The Wheel of Death is said to have originated in America during the early 1930s and was also known as the Space Wheel. Some early versions were performed by a single artist and incorporated a counterbalance on the other end. Following fatal accidents, the apparatus fell out of favour for a time until it was re-introduced in the 1970s under the name ''Wheel of Death''. For its 2007 touring edition,
Ringling Bros. started using the name Wheel of Steel, as the word ''death'' was not seen as "family-friendly" from a
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
perspective.
Noted artists who have performed on the wheel include
Nik Wallenda
Nikolas Wallenda (born January 24, 1979) is an American acrobat, aerialist, daredevil, high wire artist, and author. He is known for his high-wire performances without a safety net. He holds 11 Guinness World Records for various acrobatic feat ...
,
Elvin Bale Elvin Bale (born 1945 in London, England) is a former artist and daredevil with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, among many other international circuses. He performed a single trapeze act which finished with a heel catch. Among his other ...
and
Bello Nock
Bello Nock (born September 27, 1968), often known simply as Bello, is an American daredevil clown and circus performer. Nock has been listed in the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' for his highwire walk over a cruise ship. He has performed s ...
.
See also
*
Cyr wheel
The Cyr wheel (also known as the roue Cyr, mono wheel, or simple wheel) is an acrobatic apparatus that consists of a single large ring made of aluminum or steel with a diameter approximately taller than the performer. The performer stands insid ...
*
Wheel gymnastics
Wheel gymnastics (German: Rhönradturnen) is a form of gymnastics that originated in Germany. Wheel gymnasts do exercises in a large wheel or hoop known as the Rhönrad, gymnastics wheel, gym wheel, or German wheel, in the beginning also know ...
References
External links
BBC Norfolk feature*
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H43NsRujmlg Performers on the Wheel of Deathon the
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
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{{Circus skills
Circus equipment
Circus skills