Wheel of death (Impalement arts)
Encyclopedia
The Wheel of Death, in the context of the impalement arts
, is a classic moving target stunt sometimes performed by knife throwers. The thrower's assistant or target girl
is secured to a large, generally circular, target board that is free to spin about its centre point. As the target rotates the thrower must execute a series of rapid, consistent and carefully timed throws to land knives on the segments of the wheel not covered by the assistant's body.
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. Sometimes the "wheel" might not actually be circular: shield shapes and rectangular rotating boards have been known and all will work as "wheels" as long as they are correctly balanced to rotate smoothly when the assistant is in place.
The most challenging version is the Veiled Wheel, in which the target is covered with a paper screen so the thrower can't see the assistant. Only four artists are known to have attempted this dangerous stunt. It was first performed by The Gibsons in the 1930s; a duo named The Zeros followed them in the 1940s, Fritz Brumbach did it in Monte Carlo in 1978 and The Great Throwdini revived it in New York in October 2010 with hula hoop artist Melissa-Anne Ainley acting as his target girl.
Impalement arts
Impalement arts are a type of performing art in which a performer plays the role of human target for a fellow performer who demonstrates accuracy skills in disciplines such as knife throwing and archery. Impalement is actually what the performers endeavour to avoid - the thrower or marksman aims...
, is a classic moving target stunt sometimes performed by knife throwers. The thrower's assistant or target girl
Target girl
Target girl is a term sometimes used in circus and vaudeville to denote a female assistant in "impalement" acts such as knife throwing, archery or sharpshooting. The assistant stands in front of a target board or is strapped to a moving board and the impalement artist throws knives or shoots...
is secured to a large, generally circular, target board that is free to spin about its centre point. As the target rotates the thrower must execute a series of rapid, consistent and carefully timed throws to land knives on the segments of the wheel not covered by the assistant's body.
History
Moving targets were an innovation used by European impalement artists in the 1930s. Husband and wife act The Gibsons, from Germany, have been credited with introducing the Wheel of Death into the USA in 1938, when they featured in Ringling Bros, and Barnum & Bailey's shows at Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
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Variations
There are variations in the exact configuration of "wheels": in some the assistant is positioned with their arms at their sides while in others the assistant is spreadeagledSpreadeagle (position)
The spread eagle is the position in which a person has his or her arms outstretched and legs apart, figuratively resembling an eagle with wings spread. It is a style that appears commonly in nature and geometry. In human style it is represented by the letter "X".A spreadeagle is a common position...
. Sometimes the "wheel" might not actually be circular: shield shapes and rectangular rotating boards have been known and all will work as "wheels" as long as they are correctly balanced to rotate smoothly when the assistant is in place.
The most challenging version is the Veiled Wheel, in which the target is covered with a paper screen so the thrower can't see the assistant. Only four artists are known to have attempted this dangerous stunt. It was first performed by The Gibsons in the 1930s; a duo named The Zeros followed them in the 1940s, Fritz Brumbach did it in Monte Carlo in 1978 and The Great Throwdini revived it in New York in October 2010 with hula hoop artist Melissa-Anne Ainley acting as his target girl.