{{Short description|Australian sideshow entertainer based in Amsterdam}} {{multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=September 2014}} {{fan POV|date=April 2018}} }} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Aerial Manx | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|03|18}} | birth_place = Melbourne, Australia | occupation = Performance Artist | website = {{URL|http://www.aerialmanx.com/}} }}
'''''Aerial Manx'''''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aerial Manx|url=http://www.aerialmanx.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126044633/http://www.aerialmanx.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=26 January 2012|website=AerialManx.com|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref> is an Amsterdam-based Australian sideshow entertainer who has pioneered the field of acrobatic sword swallowing. Aerial Manx was born on 18 March 1986 in Melbourne, Australia.
==Early life== Aerial Manx was born in 1986 in Melbourne, Australia. He began training in martial arts at age four. At age 15, Aerial was introduced to circus through the Circus Oz youth program. By age 17, Aerial had achieved a first Dan black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and was regularly traveling to Melbourne from South-East Victoria to attend Australia's first self-run Youth Circus, Trick Circus.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trick Circus|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trick-Circus/40729445857|website=Facebook|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref>
==Career== Aerial enrolled at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) at age 19, and completed his training at the school with his graduating performance during the 2007 NICA production of ''DiVino''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Divino|url=http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/75460|website=Aus Stage|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref> While studying at NICA, Aerial focused on sideshow and mind-over-matter stunts as well as being trained Aerial Dance under Holly Rollins,<ref>{{cite web|title=Holly Rollins|url=http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2008/winter/recess/index.html|website=Harvard Graduate School for Education|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref> an ex-Cirque Du Soleil performer. After leaving NICA in 2007, Aerial began his professional performing career performing fire eating in various nightclubs throughout Melbourne. During this initial stage, Aerial also began performing street theatre on the streets of Melbourne CBD. Aerial's busking show started out with basic skills, gradually building up to a duo show with The Great Gordo Gamsby,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Great Gordo Gamsby|url=http://www.gordogamsby.com/|website=Gordogamsby.com|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref> and has since built up to be a highly energetic solo circle busking show that showcases his skills in contortion, contact juggling, acrobatics and his signature stunts in the field of sword swallowing acrobats. Aerial has performed his busking show throughout the UK, Europe, South East Asia and the vast majority of Australia. At the 2007/8 Woodford Folk Music Festival, Aerial performed his first "world first" stunt with a double neon-tube swallow, swallowing two separate 2,000v simultaneously. Earlier in his career, Aerial was a member of the Kaos Kreepshow as well as the Opposable Thumbs Sideshow, and now performs group shows predominantly with The League of Sideshow Superstars<ref>{{cite web|title=The League of Sideshow Superstars|url=http://shephuntly.com/shows/the-league-of-sideshow-superstars/|website=Shephuntly.com|accessdate=23 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904210615/http://shephuntly.com/shows/the-league-of-sideshow-superstars/|archive-date=4 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Solid State Circus<ref>{{cite web|title=Solid State Circus|url=http://www.solidstatecircus.com.au/|website=Solidstatecircus.com.au|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref> Aerial continues to maintain excellent skill levels in Contact Juggling, Juggling, Acrobatics, Contortion, Fire Eating, Glass walking, Blockhead, Suspension/Suspension Dance and various other forms of prop manipulation.
Some highlights of Aerial's career have been performing at the Glastonbury Festival in 2014, winning the People's Choice Award at the 2014 Auckland International Busking Festival,<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20140510072709/http://www.aucklandbuskersfestival.co.nz/aerial-manx/ 2014 Auckland International Busking Festival</ref> performing his solo theatre shows "False Messiah"<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20160304013042/http://adelaidetweet.com/blog/adelaide-fringe-review-false-messiah/ False Messiah</ref> and "Not Dead Yet"<ref>http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/not-dead-yet/ Not Dead Yet{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> at the Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth Fringe Festivals and performing at a private function for Usher and the cast of his 2011 OMG Tour in Melbourne.
==Development of Sword Swallowing Acrobatics== In 2008 at age 22, Aerial performed the World's First 'Handstand Sword Swallow', absolutely redefining extreme sword swallowing and pioneering the field of 'Sword Swallowing Acrobatics'. In 2010, Aerial undertook four more stunts that were previously not attempted or recorded and his passion for developing this field grew stronger. In March 2011, Aerial spent a day in the gardens of Melbourne CBD performing numerous stunts and being filmed for an unfinished documentary titled '''Aerial Manx, King of Swords'''. These stunts included the now signature move of Aerial Manx, the Sword Swallow backflip. This stunt was filmed when Aerial was invited to be a part of the Anatomy Arts documentary series for Matchbox Pictures,<ref>{{cite web|title=Matchbox Pictures|url=http://www.matchboxpictures.com/|website=Matchboxpictures.com|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref> which was shot by Carnival Cinema,<ref>{{cite web|title=Carnival Cinema|url=http://www.carnivalcinema.com.au/|website=Carnivalcinema.com.au|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref> in the episode titled "Stomach" that was aired on the ABC on 19 March 2013. In this episode, the sword swallow backflip was filmed in breathtaking super-slow motion at 1,000 frames per second.
==Records== ===Sword Swallowers Association International Records=== Aerial has 12 world records listed with the Sword Swallowers Association International<ref>{{cite web|title=Sword Swallowers Association International|url=http://www.swordswallow.org/index.php|website=SwordSwallow.org|accessdate=23 July 2014|archive-date=20 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820142857/http://www.swordswallow.org/index.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> which are: :# First person to swallow two neon tubes simultaneously - 2007/8 :# First person to perform a handstand whilst swallowing a sword - 3 August 2008 :# Longest time swallowing a sword whilst performing a handstand (17 seconds) - 2010 :# World First Aerial Walkover whilst swallowing a sword - 2010 :# World First suicide drop on Chinese pole whilst swallowing a sword - August 2010 :# World First Sword Swallow while Balancing Upside Down in a Hand-to-hand Handstand (Based by Hemlock Mejarne) - 2010 :# Most cartwheels whilst swallowing a sword (9 cartwheels) - February 2011 :# World First chainsaw/machete juggle whilst swallowing a sword - 29 March 2011 :# World First backflip whilst swallowing a sword - 29 March 2011 :# First person to swallow two neon tubes and a sword simultaneously - 3 May 2011 :# Heaviest Weighted Sword Swallow (31kg) - 3 May 2011 :# World First sword swallow flesh hook suspension performance (including pyrotechnics) - 29 May 2011
====Guinness World Records==== Aerial has three Guinness World Records. His first was awarded to him on Lo Show Dei Record in Milan, Italy on 3 July 2014 and the second and third were awarded to him at the Venetian Casino in Macau on 10 January 2015. :# Guinness World Record for Most Backflips While Sword Swallowing in One Minute - 3 July 2014 :# Guinness World Record for the Heaviest Weight to be Dangled From a Swallowed Sword - 10 January 2015 :# Guinness World Record for the Fastest Human Backbend Walk over 20 metres - 10 January 2015
==Public life== In 2011, Aerial made headlines in Victorian newspapers for a confrontation between Melbourne City Council officers and himself for performing without a permit. The confrontation resulted in a $1,500 fine.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sword Swallow on Sharp End of the Law|url=http://www.news.com.au/national/busker-in-bizarre-police-confrontation/story-e6frfkvr-1226055065408|website=News.com.au|accessdate=23 July 2014}}</ref> In 2012, Aerial was asked to be the subject of the Anatomy Arts documentary series for Matchbox Pictures, which was shot by Carnival Cinema, in the episode titled "Stomach".
==Personal life== Aerial Manx lives in Melbourne, Australia.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manx, Aerial}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Australian contemporary artists Category:Australian jujutsuka Category:Australian performance artists Category:Sword swallowers