Halfdan the Human Kabob

Artist Bio DAN MEYER
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 musical 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 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, CMT, CTV, XLTV, NTV Russia, Univision, Telemundo, Superstation WGN, 48 Hours, 20/20, Mancow Show, Absolutely Alabama, Tennessee Crossroads, 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, Circus Report, Bizarre Magazine, Annals of Improbable Research, NADA Auto Exec Magazine, RoadKing Magazine, Women and Horses Magazine, Christian Activities, 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.
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 the human body really is…” Dan explains.
To prove his point, Dan swallowed a 30 inch sword while submerged 20 feet UNDERWATER in a tank of 80 live 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.
As the Executive Director of the Sword Swallowers Association International, an avid historical researcher and collector of sword swallowing photos and artifacts, and the 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.
Dan and his wife Lisa live in Hartselle, AL where they raise Arabian horses. The Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) was founded to preserve the ancient art of sword swallowing, and includes sword swallower members from around the world ( www.swordswallow.org ). SSAI maintains a sister site with general information on sword swallowing for the general public ( www.swordswallow.com ).
Dan is available for appearances, talk shows, media interviews, documentaries, films, TV commercials, medical demonstrations, corporate conventions, colleges, universities, church youth events, Upward Awards nights, Festivals, opening for major touring artists, and other performances through Cutting Edge Innertainment . Dan can be reached at [email protected]
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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 ..ary 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 the desert 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. I'm honored to be your friend."
--Coach Gravitt, Opportunity Camp, Merkle, TX
"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 sharing the gifts and talents I have been given to inspire others to look beyond their horizons, to rise above their limitations, and to attempt challenges they would never have thought possible.