Dan Meyer
Born
Daniel Henry Meyer

(1957-04-07) April 7, 1957
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWaldorf University Indiana State University
Occupation(s)Extreme Sword swallower, Performance artist, Got Talent danger act, TEDx speaker, Motivational speaker, Author
AgentCutting Edge Innertainment
Known forWinner 2007 Ig Nobel Prize
Parents
  • David Meyer (father)
  • Malinda Meyer (mother)
Awards2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine

Dan Meyer (born April 7, 1957) is an American sword swallower, multiple Guinness World record holder in sword swallowing, global TEDx speaker, finalist on America's Got Talent, Golden Buzzer finalist on Sweden's Talang, and recipient of the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine at Harvard University.

Meyer is president of the Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI). He has performed in more than sixty countries on six continents, on fifteen Got Talents, at fifteen Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditoriums,[1] at several Las Vegas casinos including The Mirage and Paris Las Vegas, and on numerous films and television programs including Stan Lee's Superhumans.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Early Life

In his shows and TED talks, Meyer has cited extreme fear and being bullied as a child as defining moments of his childhood, and a near-death experience with malaria fever as a missionary in India as a major turning point in his life.[11]

Got Talent Auditions

Meyer was one of the Top 50 finalists on America's Got Talent Season 3 (2008) and returned to compete on America's Got Talent Season 11 (2016). Meyer also auditioned on the Italian talent competition Tú sí que vales Season 3 (2016), on France's Got Talent Season 12 (2017), Israel's Got Talent International All Stars Edition Season 2 (2018–19), Australia's Got Talent Season 10 (2021-22), and was a Golden Buzzer recipient and finalist on Sweden's Talang Season 13 (2022–23). Meyer went on to compete on Croatia's Supertalent Season 10 episode 10.1 (2023), and Got Talent España Season 9 episode 6 (2023).

In 2008, Meyer auditioned for the third season of the NBC reality competition America's Got Talent. In episode 303, Meyer swallowed a series of progressively longer swords which he removed by flinging them into the air. As he was swallowing seven swords at once, judge David Hasselhoff buzzed Meyer, causing him to jump and nearly puncturing his stomach. Although Hasselhoff voted "No," claiming the act was too scary and hard to watch, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne both voted "Yes," sending Meyer on to the Las Vegas round.[12]

In his Vegas audition episode 309, Meyer swallowed a curved sword, a flaming sword, and had a sword whipped from his throat while juggling 6 juggling clubs. Meyer was eliminated before being brought back as a Top 40 Wildcard in the Finals in Hollywood, where he was eventually eliminated again in episode 310.

In 2016, Meyer returned to audition for the eleventh season of America's Got Talent, where in episode 1105 he swallowed a car axle and pulled host Nick Cannon across the stage in a 1974 Triumph Spitfire car by swallowed sword.[13] He received a standing ovation and four "Yes" votes.

In October 2016, Meyer auditioned for Season 3 of the Italian talent show Tú sí que vales in Rome Italy, where he swallowed a variety of implements and pulled Argentinian model Belén Rodríguez across the stage in a Triumph Spitfire by swallowed sword.[14] Meyer received four "Yes" votes and a "Yes" vote of 82% from the studio audience.

In August 2017, Meyer auditioned on Season 12 of France's Got Talent, where he had judge Hélène Ségara remove a sword from his throat, before pulling host David Ginola across the stage in a car by swallowed sword.[15] He received 4 Yes votes.

In October 2018, Meyer auditioned on Israel's Got Talent International All Stars Edition Season 2, episode 17. As part of his act, he had judge Uri Geller remove a sword from his throat, and for his finale, he pulled hosts Ofer Shechter and Asi Israelof across the stage in a 1954 BMW Isetta by swallowed sword.[16] He received a standing ovation and four "Yes" votes.

In June 2022, Meyer auditioned on Australia's Got Talent Season 10 where he received a standing ovation for pulling judges Shane Jacobsen and Kate Ritchie across the stage in a 1964 Triumph Spitfire.[17] He received a standing ovation and three "Yes" votes.

In October 2022, Meyer auditioned on the thirteenth season of the Swedish talent competition Talang. During his audition in episode 13.2, Meyer swallowed part of the microphone stand, a long sword, and a car axle that was verified by a metal detector wanded by Helena Bergström, and removed by judge Johanna Nordström.

At the end of his audition, Meyer pulled judge David Batra across the stage in a 2022 Mini Cooper weighing 3,144 lbs. He received four "Yes" votes and a standing ovation. In the judges’ deliberation, Meyer was given the Golden Buzzer by David Batra advancing Meyer directly to the Finals. Meyer’s audition was broadcast on Season 13 episode 2 on 20 January 2023 on TV4.[18]

On March 17, 2023 during the live finals of Talang, Meyer swallowed the blade of an antique Swedish Sparkstötting kick sleigh which was lowered from the ceiling and down his throat. He then swallowed a serpentine sword, a curved sword, and a large saw before the judges. Meyer finished his act by inviting David Batra onstage to whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Episode 13.10 was broadcast live on TV4 on 17 March 2023.

In June 2023, Meyer competed on Season 10 of Croatia's Supertalent at Nova TV in Zagreb, Croatia. In his audition, Meyer swallowed a long sword, a serpentine sword, a curved sword, and a large handsaw that Croatian popstar judge Maja Šuput pulled from his throat for a standing ovation. For the finale, Meyer had judge Fabijan Pavao Medvešek whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Croatia's Supertalent episode 10.1 aired on 24 September 2023 on Nova TV to an audience of 1.5 million viewers.

In June 2023, Meyer also competed on Got Talent España Season 2023 at Teatro Nuevo Apolo in Madrid Spain. During his audition, Meyer swallowed a long sword, a curved sword, a serpentine sword, and a large handsaw that was removed by Spanish popstar Edurne. For his finale, Meyer had judge Risto Mejide whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Meyer received three Yes votes and two standing ovations for his audition, which aired on 14 October 2023 on Spanish TV Telecinco as Season 2023 episode 6.[19]

Awards and honors

References

  1. ↑ "World Sword Swallowing Day Celebrated: Ripley's Believe It or Not! Features 22 Performers Swallowing 138 Feet of Solid Steel | Ripleys Newsroom". Ripleysnewsroom.com. 2010-03-03. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  2. ↑ "Will Season 4 Of 'American Horror Story' Have Sword Swallowing? Pro Dan Meyer Says Stunt Is Too Dangerous, Even For 'Freak Show'". ibtimes. 7 April 2014.
  3. ↑ "Ripley's Believe It or Not celebrates 10th annual World Sword Swallowers Day". attractionsmagazine.com. 30 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "'Hot Winter' thrills; Sword Swallowers". bransontrilakesnews.com.
  5. ↑ "AGT: Sword Swallower Dan Meyer Helped By World's Shortest Man (22")". 2paragraphs.
  6. ↑ "Overeating at the Super Bowl Is Bad, World's Least Surprising Study Finds". gizmodo.com. 3 February 2017.
  7. ↑ "5 Penetrating Facts About Sword Swallowing". time.com. 28 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "Dan Meyer Swallows Sword While Pulling Car At Ripley's Baltimore On Sword Swallowers Day 2013". huffingtonpost.com. 24 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "Oral Hygiene Habits of the Interesting: America's Got Talent Sword Swallower Dan Meyer". huffingtonpost.com. 13 September 2012.
  10. ↑ "Juryn i total panik när svärdslukaren Dan tar över scenen".
  11. ↑ "Cutting through fear: Dan Meyer at TEDxMaastricht".
  12. ↑ "America's Got Talent 2008 - Dan Meyer Swallowing Swords". YouTube.
  13. ↑ "America's Got Talent 2016 Auditions - Dan Meyer Sword Swallower Pulls Car With Only His Mouth". YouTube.
  14. ↑ Witty TV. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Dan Meyer - France's Got Talent 2017". YouTube.
  16. ↑ "פסיכי לגמרי: הנאמבר המלא של דן מאייר שבולע חרבות". YouTube.
  17. ↑ "65-year-old Swallows A Sword... THEN Pulls A Car With His Mouth! Australia's Got Talent 2022". YouTube.
  18. ↑ Talang 2023: Se Johanna Nordström få panik Aftonbladet. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  19. ↑ Spain's Got Talent: This sword swallower manages to get down... a saw! | Audition 6 | Spain's Got Talent 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Ripley's Believe It or Not! Sword swallowing with sharks". YouTube.
  21. ↑ Witcombe, Brian and Meyer, Dan. ' 'Sword swallowing and its side effects.' ' British Medical Journal. 23 Dec. 2006. Retrieved 16 Sept. 2009
  22. ↑ "The 2007 Ig Nobel Prize Winners".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.