Artist Bio DANMEYER
Cutting Edge Innertainment swordfish productions
DAN MEYER is a unique performance artist who specializes in the extremely dangerous and very narrow field of cutting edge
innertainment -
Sword Swallowing!
After working several years in the music industry in Nashville Tennessee, Stockholm Sweden, and London England, Dan Meyer shifted his focus from the field of music entertainment to variety entertainment as circus clown, juggler, stilt-walker, blockhead, fire-eater, and eventually, the most dangerous of all performance arts -
Sword Swallower!
After being amazed while watching fire-eaters and sword swallowers, first at circus sideshows while growing up as a child in Indiana, and later witnessing Indian fakirs, snake charmers, fire-eaters and sword swallowers while serving as a missionary in India, Dan became passionate about learning the incredible feats himself.
Hearing from a sword swallower in 1998 that there were "less than a dozen sword swallowers left around the world" led Dan on his quest to locate as many of the surviving sword swallowers as possible while mastering the 4,000-year-old art.
After three years of research, study, and daily training, Dan taught himself to swallow solid steel swords up to
30 inches long and up to
8 swords at once while networking the remaining sword swallowers into the
Sword Swallowers Association International.
Described as a
"Christian David Copperfield" who combines real feats with a powerful message instead of just tricks and illusions, Dan eats
fire and swallows solid steel swords, blades, sabers, bayonets, and other objects from
15 to 30 inches in length, and up to
8 swords at once.
Dan's show features
REAL feats combined with light comedy and audience participation with volunteers from the audience so everyone feels part of the show! Dan performs extreme feats such as fire-eating, the human blockhead, and sword-swallowing in a professional family-oriented show that's educational, inspirational, motivational, and
UNFORGETTABLE with just the right touch of comedy.
A multiple
Guinness World Record holder, featured
Ripley's Believe It or Not performer, and premiere sword swallower out of only a few dozen actively performing professional sword swallowers left performing around the world today, Dan has been featured on programs such as
CNN, MTV, ESPN, The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, The Discovery Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Times Channel, Discovery Canada, Discovery International, Daily Planet, The Learning Channel, Documentary Channel, Travel Channel, USA Network, Food Network, Armed Forces Network, Shocked and Amazed TV, Xtreme Life TV, Ripley's Believe It or Not, CNN Headline News, CNN Health, ABC News, CBS News, FOX News, NBC News, MSNBC, PBS, BBC, CBC, NPR, ET, CMT, CTV, XLTV, NTV Russia, Univision, Telemundo, Superstation WGN, 48 Hours, 20/20, Jimmy Kimmel Live, USA Today, Newsweek, New York Post, New York Times, Irish Times, London Times, British Medical Journal, Scientific American, Science Daily, Nature Magazine, National Geographic, Forbes Magazine, Amusement Business, Bizarre Magazine, NADA Auto Exec Magazine, Christian Activities, Mancow Show, Rick and Bubba Show, Absolutely Alabama, Tennessee Crossroads, Huntsville Times, Birmingham Times, and hundreds of other radio, TV, magazine, and newspaper interviews around the world.
Dan has performed on national tour with
Brooks and Dunn's Neon Circus (
Rascal Flatts, Trick Pony, Dwight Yoakum, Cletus T. Judd, and others), on international tour with the award-winning Celtic Christian pop/rock band
Ceili Rain, at
Ripley's Believe It or Not! attractions, at
Upward Unlimited awards night programs, and at conventions, corporate events, colleges, universities, church youth events, and other programs around the world.
As the Executive Director of the
Sword Swallowers Association International, an avid historical researcher and collector of sword swallowing photos and artifacts, and author of a year-long medical study on sword swallowing published in the prestigious
British Medical Journal that won him the
2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine at Harvard, Dan is widely recognized as one of the foremost authorities in the world on the history of the ancient art of sword swallowing.
Despite a close call resulting in a near-fatal injury while swallowing 5 swords at once, Dan continues to amaze audiences with his skills. “I enjoy performing
REAL feats that people think are impossible in order to prove how incredible God made the human body.†Dan explains.
To prove his point, Dan swallowed a 30 inch sword while submerged 20 feet
UNDERWATER in a tank of 80 sharks and stingrays for
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, a feat witnessed by over 25 million viewers on over 400 TV stations around the world.
Dan and his wife Lisa live in Hartselle, AL where they raise Arabian horses. The
Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) includes sword swallower members from around the world ( www.swordswallow.org ), and maintains a sister site with general information on sword swallowing for the general public ( www.swordswallow.com ).
Dan is available for appearances at corporate conventions and events, colleges, universities, science and medical centers, church youth events, Upward Awards nights, festivals, opening for major touring artists, media interviews, talk shows, documentaries, films, TV commercials, and other bookings through
Cutting Edge Innertainment . Dan can be reached at
[email protected] . For booking and management information, contact
Gresham Hill Management at (615) 258-4141 or e-mail
[email protected] .
If you are a
corporate events planner, Upward Unlimited Sports Coordinator, Christian Festival organizer, church youth director, or youth pastor looking for some very unique, fresh, and unforgettable talent to make your event one your audience will
NEVER FORGET, please contact us!
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Quotes
"Absolutely unbelievable! Wowie, wow wow wow!
I've never seen anything quite like this in my life!
Those were real knives...
My Lord, that was almost disturbing!"
--Paul Konrad, Superstation WGN-TV, Chicago
"Wow! ...That's dangerous stuff!"
--Dan Miller, Anchor, WSMV TV4, Nashville
"I've seen a lot of incredible things in my life,
but I've never seen anything like THIS before!"
--Pat, Cameraman, Oprah Winfrey Show
"That was absolutely amazing!...
(WGN Anchor) Robin Baumgarten couldn't watch it...
She put the entire Chicago Tribune over her head!"
--Dean Richards, WGN-TV, Chicago
I was shocked when I finally got to witness it...
Hearing about it is one thing,
but seeing it is another!
--James Davis, Producer, The Learning Channel
"This is by far the coolest story I have ever worked on!"
--Chris Rattican, Food Network "Unwrapped"
"That was the most fantastic show I've ever seen
in Nashville! It was awesome!"
--Suzanne Holmes, VP Documentary Channel
"In my position with Ripley's Believe it or Not,
I'm always on the lookout for unbelievable acts.
Dan delivers just that! His poise and humor,
along with his boyish smile and amazing talent
really holds the audience's attention...
along with swallowing swords and pounding nails up his nose!
Believe It or Not!"
--Tim O'Brien, VP Ripley's Believe It or Not!
"Watching Dan swallow a sword is like driving past a horrific car accident...
You don't want to look, but you can't take your eyes off it!"
-- Paula Sanning, Jefferson, MO
"The sword swallower was freaky!
My husband said it made his whole body tense up.
He was unbelievable!"
-- Dr. Susan Crisafulli, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
"That was awesome! I was blown away!"
--Phillip List, Huntsville, AL
"Dan presented a professional top-notch show that appealed to all ages...
The kids and adults laughed, oohed, and awed with equal enthusiasm!"
--Clayton Owen, Upward Unlimited, 1st Baptist Church, McKenzie, TN
"Dan's sword swallowing is amazing on its own,
but his sword swallowing mixed with a positive message is revolutionary!"
--Pastor Les Jones, New Song Family Church, Decatur, AL
"Dan's performance was one of the main reasons
our little county of 6000 raised a record $30,000
for our American Cancer Society Relay for Life...
Nobody had ever seen a performance like that before,
and people are STILL talking about it!"
--Mike Carey, American Cancer Society, Trousdale County TN
"...like a Christian David Copperfield,
but instead of just doing magic tricks,
Dan combines incredible real feats
with a powerful message
in a show that is impossible to forget!"
--Juergen Beck, WAFF-TV, Huntsville, AL
"Absolutely Alabama is about people who are of,
about or unique to Alabama; Dan certainly qualifies
because he is not only absolutely Alabama,
but he's also absolutely amazing!"
--Fred Hunter, Absolutely Alabama, Fox 6 News, Birmingham, AL
"I think you are completely fascinating -
from India to a deserted island to the green room in Shane's truck to Op Camp!
You blessed us in a huge way and gave the kids an experience they will never forget!"
--Coach Gravitt, Opportunity Camp, Merkle, TX
"It was WONDERFUL!
That was a show the kids will NEVER forget, and neither will the adults!
My heart was beating so fast... It was amazing!"
--Terry Lee, First Presbyterian Church, Myrtle Beach, SC
"I was a little nervous that bringing a sword swallower to our church
might turn into a circus... However Dan not only entertained us,
but he taught out youth (and adults) an invaluable lesson in faith,
and turned his performance into a meaningful experience."
--Ashley Jordan, Youth Director, Archer's Chapel, Frog Jump, TN
About Me
I have been blessed to be able to experience and enjoy a wide variety of adventures and creative avenues around the world, and have gotten to meet many wonderful people in my travels, and am most thankful for my beautiful wife who continues to inspire me every day. As a result, I enjoy giving back by sharing the gifts and talents I have been given with others.
My hope is that what I do can inspire others to think beyond the obvious and challenge them to rise above their limitations, to dream bigger than they thought possible, and dare to do the impossible in their lives.
