{{Short description|American performance and visual artist (born 1977)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Dai Andrews | image = Dai Andrews - Sword Swallower, Escape artist, Fakir.jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_name = David Matthew Andrews | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|12|22}} | birth_place = Virginia, United States | known_for = Sword swallowing | occupation = Fakir, sword swallower, martial artist, performer }}
'''Dai Andrews''', (born '''David Matthew Andrews''', December 22, 1977) is an American performance and visual artist, motivational speaker, director, producer, martial artist, and multiple Guinness World Record holder. He is also the proprietor of Dream Machine Arts and Unforgettable Entertainment, both entertainment agencies based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.<ref name=sideshow>{{cite web|url=http://sideshowfreaks.net/2013/07/03/dai-andrews-world-famous-sword-swallower-and-modern-fakir/|title=Dai Andrews – World Famous Sword Swallower and Modern Fakir|date=July 3, 2013 |publisher=Sideshow Freaks|access-date=March 21, 2014}}</ref>
==Career== Dai Andrews first became interested in stage magic upon receiving a magic set for his fifth birthday.<ref name="london2012">{{cite news|last=London|first=David|title=Swordswallower Dai Andrews|url=http://whatweekly.com/2012/09/13/dai-andrews/|publisher=What Weekly|access-date=November 21, 2012|author2=Philip Laubner|newspaper=What Weekly Magazine|date=September 13, 2012|archive-date=November 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122075908/http://whatweekly.com/2012/09/13/dai-andrews/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1994, at age 17, Andrews was recruited to demonstrate and sell magic kits at a small magic shop at Tysons Corner Mall.<ref name=washingtonpost>{{cite news|title=His Act Is Hard to Swallow; Swords Have Their Place In Performer's Routine|author=Carrie Donovan|date=February 22, 2001|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> The store relocated to Disney World within days of his hiring, and Andrews declined to move with the store.<ref name=washingtonpost/> He accepted a box of used magic tricks as a severance package.<ref name=washingtonpost/> Andrews later learned performance arts such as fire eating, escape artistry and sword swallowing.<ref name=sideshow/><ref name=whirlgig>{{cite news|title=WHIRLIGIG|author=Walt Hudson|publisher=Circus Report and Showbiz USA|number=38|volume=28|date=September 18, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1999/10/28/mans-act-to-draw-on-legend-spirit-theater-show-a-seance-to-summon-daniel-sheas-spirit-performer-to-draw-on-local-legend-for-spirit-theater-performance/|title=Man's act to draw on legend|work=The Baltimore Sun|date=October 28, 1999|access-date=March 21, 2014|archive-date=March 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322075835/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1999-10-28/news/9910280057_1_seance-historic-ellicott-city-contact-shea|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 1996 he traveled to Europe to work as a street performer.<ref name=whatweekly>{{cite news|url=http://whatweekly.com/2012/09/13/dai-andrews/|title=Swordswallower Dai Andrews|work=What Weekly|date=September 13, 2012|access-date=March 21, 2014|archive-date=November 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122075908/http://whatweekly.com/2012/09/13/dai-andrews/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He made television appearances in several countries and performed as a part of ''commedia dell'arte'' in Italy.<ref name=whirlgig/><ref name=whatweekly/> While in Europe, Andrews picked up the idea of swallowing a curved blade from a performer named Wasp Boy at England's Circus of Horrors.<ref name=washingtonpost/>
He later returned to America, where he began performing at nightclubs, corporate events, renaissance festivals, casinos and colleges.<ref name=whatweekly/> He was also a featured entertainer for Carnival Cruise Lines for six years.<ref name=sideshow/><ref name=whatweekly/>
Andrews has performed on five continents in more than thirty countries. He has given numerous performances for television, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditoriums,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ripleysnewsroom.com/swallowafter2010/ |title=World Sword Swallowing Day Celebrated: Ripley's Believe It or Not! Features 22 Performers Swallowing 138 Feet of Solid Steel | Ripleys Newsroom |publisher=Ripleysnewsroom.com |date=March 3, 2010 |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref> several Las Vegas casinos including The Luxor and the New York, New York and major rock and roll festivals like the M3 Festival and the Outlaw Jam, where in 2010 he opened for Blue Öyster Cult on the main stage for an audience of more than 10,000.
Andrews produces and directs many of his own performances including the theatrical séance "An Experience in Spirit Theater",<ref name=baltimoresun>{{cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/bs-b-circus-schools-sword-swallower-1,0,1262811.photo|title=Dai Andrews, Sword swallower|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=March 21, 2014|archive-date=December 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201071546/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/bs-b-circus-schools-sword-swallower-1,0,1262811.photo|url-status=dead}}</ref> and "Modern Fakir".<ref name="bare_url">{{cite web|url=http://swordswallower.com/information.html |title=Dai Andrews |publisher=Sword Swallower |access-date=August 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322082011/http://swordswallower.com/information.html |archive-date=March 22, 2014 }}</ref>
==Acts== Andrews has traveled throughout the world to study martial arts.<ref name=sideshow/><ref name=whatweekly/> He studied yoga and mediation with sadhus in the Himalayas and elsewhere in India.<ref name=whatweekly/> He has also studied kung fu in China and Muay Thai in Thailand.<ref name=whatweekly/> He learned sword swallowing as a young teenager from a mysterious American sword swallower in Pennsylvania, who was known as Dobbs.<ref name=whatweekly/><ref name=baltimoresun/> Dobbs disappeared while sailing in the Caribbean shortly after teaching Andrews.<ref name=whatweekly/><ref name=baltimoresun/>
Performances given by Andrews include:
* Sword Swallowing - 120-degree curved sword, swallowing up to fifteen swords at once, the swallowing of a red hot sword. * Iron Body Chi Gung - Bending steel re-bar spears and breaking arrows with the throat, the bed of blades, the man who can't be hung. * Iron Palm Chi Gung - Breaking boards and steel bars with bare hands. * Traditional Fakir Demonstrations - The human blockhead, bed of nails, the human pincushion, fire eating. * Escape Artistry - Straitjackets, chains, handcuffs, 100 ft of rope challenge escape.<ref name="bare_url" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Messner|first=Rebecca|title=Sideshow Schools|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/bs-b-circus-schools-sword-swallower-1,0,1262811.photo|access-date=November 21, 2012|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|date=November 14, 2012|page=31|archive-date=December 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201071546/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/bs-b-circus-schools-sword-swallower-1,0,1262811.photo|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=August 13, 2010 |title=Dai Andrews is "Modern Fakir" |url=http://www.citypeek.com/baltimore/event/dai-andrews-modern-fakir |access-date=August 2, 2012 |publisher=CITYpeek}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pinklineproject.com/event/3462 |title=Dai Andrews - Modern Fakir |publisher=The Pink Line Project |date=July 30, 2010 |access-date=August 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322080835/http://pinklineproject.com/event/3462 |archive-date=March 22, 2014 }}</ref>
==World records== On August 30, 2002, at the 2002 Sword Swallowers Convention in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 19 sword swallowers including Andrews, (who swallowed 11 at once) swallowed 50 swords simultaneously. These records were certified as official Guinness World Records for Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously and Most Sword Swallowers Swallowing Swords Simultaneously in 2004.<ref name="swordswallow">{{cite web |url=http://www.swordswallow.com/records.php |title=Sword Swallowers Association Intl Sword Swallowing World Records |publisher=Swordswallow.com |access-date=August 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924112419/http://www.swordswallow.com/records.php |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="swordswallow_a">{{cite web |url=http://www.swordswallow.org/news.php |title=SSAI Sword Swallowing News |publisher=Swordswallow.org |access-date=August 2, 2012 |archive-date=April 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425151253/http://www.swordswallow.org/news.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Andrews previously held the official Guinness World Record Largest Curve in a sword swallowed, on September 12, 2009, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, US, Andrews swallowed a sword that was curved 120 degrees from point to hilt.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k6jFivKLgE&list=PL8FC4E85205026B8F&index=2&feature=plcp |title=120 Degree sword swallowing world record - Dai Andrews |publisher=YouTube |date=November 3, 2009 |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref> This record was certified as an official Guinness World Record in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sideshowworld.com/8-ms-sr/Guinness/review-WH-2012-GWR.html |title=Sideshow World, Sideshow Performers from around the world |publisher=Sideshowworld.com |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c-8-wZLcuk |title=Renegade TV's Blue Thunder Seg. Feat. Dai Andrews Part 2 |publisher=YouTube |date=June 4, 2010 |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref> On January 9, 2017, Franz Huber beat Andrew's record by swallowing a sword with a 133-degree curve.<ref>{{cite web |title=Largest curve in a sword swallowed |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-curve-in-a-sword-swallowed/ |website=Guinness World Records |date=January 9, 2017 |access-date=September 3, 2020}}</ref>
==Television and media appearances== Dai Andrews had made more than 50 television appearances worldwide including:<ref name="bare_url_a">{{cite web|url=http://swordswallower.com/ |title=Dai Andrews - Sword swallowing, escape artistry, mind over body |publisher=Swordswallower.com |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref>
* ABC's ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' * An internationally broadcast story on sword swallowing by CNN * ''Shocked and Amazed'' on the Travel Channel * TBS's ''Movie Break'' * ''NatGeo Amazing'' on the National Geographic Channel * ''Stomachs of Steel'' documentary on the Discovery Channel * ''NEXT'' on CNN * ''Strange Tales of the Flesh'' on Discovery Canada * ''Deadline!'' on HD Net * ''Tarrent on TV'' (UK)
His appearances in print media include:<ref name="bare_url_a" />
* The 2012 edition of ''The Guinness Book of World Records'' * ''The Daredevil's Manual'' a book by Ben Ikenson * ''Time'' * ''Los Angeles Times'' * ''The Washington Post'' * ''Bizarre'' * ''Gothic Beauty'' * ''Mental Floss''
==Medical research== In 2007 Andrews worked alongside Dr. Sharon Caplan and other physicians at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, US. The study was conducted to determine whether the techniques involved in sword swallowing could be used to help patients who suffer from achalasia or those who had suffered severe throat trauma and were having trouble swallowing as a result. The fluoroscopic video can be seen online.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRyHmp67238&list=PL8FC4E85205026B8F&index=7&feature=plcp |title=Sword swallowing X-Ray - Dai Andrews | date=October 11, 2007 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_YI0wluN60&list=PL8FC4E85205026B8F&index=6&feature=plcp |title=Sword swallowing X Ray - 90 degree curve - Dai Andrews | date=October 11, 2007 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref>
==Martial arts== Andrews teaches the ''xingyiquan'' style of internal kung fu as well as traditional meditation techniques at a small studio in Baltimore.<ref name="swordswallower" /> He is the private student of Grandmaster Huang Chien Lang and has been studying ''xingyiquan'', ''baguazhang'', tai chi and ''Tien Shan Pai'' since 2000.<ref name="swordswallower">{{cite web|url=http://www.swordswallower.com/instructor.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203223347/http://www.swordswallower.com/instructor.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2013 |title=Xingyiquan (Hsing I Chuan), Kung Fu in Baltimore, Maryland - Instructor |publisher=Swordswallower.com |access-date=August 2, 2012 }}</ref> He was awarded the rank of first ''tuan'' (degree) by the World Kuoshu Federation in July 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.twksf.org/rank.html |title=The World Kuoshu Federation |publisher=Twksf.org |access-date=August 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222191015/http://www.twksf.org/rank.html |archive-date=February 22, 2012 }}</ref> and the rank of second tuan (degree) in July 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://twksf.org/?page_id=44 |title=The World Kuo Shu Federation » Ranking |publisher=Twksf.org |date=October 30, 2011 |access-date=August 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026020928/http://twksf.org/?page_id=44 |archive-date=October 26, 2012 }}</ref>
In addition to teaching, Andrews regularly participates in the martial arts community performing at tournaments<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://usksf.org/?s=malley |title=Hall of Fame Banquet Highlights |date=December 25, 2012 |access-date=December 26, 2012}}</ref> and fundraisers<ref name="tienshanpai">{{cite web|url=https://tienshanpai.org/childrens-hospital-charity-demonstration/ |first=Jonathan Pett |last= Miller |title=St. Jude's Children's Hospital Charity Demonstration |website=Tienshanpai.org |access-date=November 15, 2024 }}</ref> as well as continuing to deepen his knowledge of the martial arts. In 2010 and 2011 he spent several months living at Wat Chom Tong studying meditation under Acharn Luang Phor Tong and studying with several Muay Thai masters while traveling in Thailand.<ref name="london2012"/>
==Charitable work== Throughout his career, Andrews has often worked in support of charitable organizations including; St. Jude's Children's Hospital,<ref name="tienshanpai" /> the American Dime Museum,<ref>{{cite web |author=Sloane Brown |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2001/05/27/american-dime-museum-5/ |title=American Dime Museum - Baltimore Sun |publisher=Articles.baltimoresun.com |date=May 27, 2001 |access-date=August 2, 2012 |archive-date=March 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322083330/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2001-05-27/entertainment/0105270367_1_dime-museum-ordinary-museum-american-dime |url-status=live }}</ref> Playa Del Fuego<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tribes.tribe.net/vafire/thread/56822fda-1e73-48ec-9c27-3e864199816b |title=PDF Artgrants Fundraiser - virginia fire - tribe.net |publisher=Tribes.tribe.net |date=April 25, 2007 |access-date=August 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322091503/http://tribes.tribe.net/vafire/thread/56822fda-1e73-48ec-9c27-3e864199816b |archive-date=March 22, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Maryland Food Bank<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.swordswallower.com/washpost.html |title=washingtonpost |publisher=Swordswallower.com |date=February 22, 2001 |access-date=August 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905050425/http://www.swordswallower.com/washpost.html |archive-date=September 5, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the Signal 13 Foundation which was established for police officers and their families that have been injured in the line of duty.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlnkt9y03_Y&list=PL8FC4E85205026B8F&index=3&feature=plcp |title=Fire Truck Suspension Straitjacket Escape - Dai Andrews | date=August 31, 2010 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UabSgU2Nkkk |title=Renegade TV's Blue Thunder Segment Feat Dai Andrews Part 1 | date=May 27, 2010 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref>
In 2011, Andrews spent time volunteering to teach English and sleight-of-hand magic to underprivileged children at the Phare Ponleu Selpak school in Battambang, Cambodia, while on an extended motorcycle trip across Asia.<ref name="london2012"/>
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== *{{official website|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030609004649/http://swordswallower.com/}} *[https://www.youtube.com/daiandrews Dai Andrews on YouTube]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrews, Dai}} Category:Living people Category:1977 births Category:Artists from Baltimore Category:World record holders Category:Sword swallowers Category:Sideshow performers Category:American stunt performers Category:American circus performers Category:Renaissance fair performers Category:Escapologists Category:American neo-burlesque performers Category:American motivational speakers Category:American theatre directors Category:American artistic directors