Hair hang
Encyclopedia
The hair hang is an aerial
circus
act where performers (usually young women) are suspended by their hair, and perform acrobat
ic poses and/or manipulation. Some believe the act originated in South America
; others claim the act hails from China
. Performers are literally hanging by their hair
, which is tied into a hairhang rig
; the techniques used to tie the performer's hair, and the acrobatic techniques involved in the act, are key.
Many people underestimate the tensile strength
of hair. A single strand can potentially carry a weight of up to 100 gram
s; holding this in theory, and with proper technique, a full head of human hair could eventually hold between 5,600 kg and 8,400 kg (12,345-18518 lbs.), without breaking individual hairs or pulling out any follicles
. That said, the act still hurts, especially for new performers.
Aerialist
An aerialist is an acrobat who performs in the air, on a suspended apparatus such as a trapeze, rope, cloud swing, aerial cradle, aerial silk or aerial hoop....
circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
act where performers (usually young women) are suspended by their hair, and perform acrobat
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
ic poses and/or manipulation. Some believe the act originated in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
; others claim the act hails from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Performers are literally hanging by their hair
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
, which is tied into a hairhang rig
Rig
Rig may refer to:* Rig, Something that a dog pulls when Mushing* Rig, a slang term referring to a tractor unit* Drilling rig, a structure housing equipment used to drill or extract oil from underground* Gaming rig, a PC built for high-performance gaming...
; the techniques used to tie the performer's hair, and the acrobatic techniques involved in the act, are key.
Many people underestimate the tensile strength
Tensile strength
Ultimate tensile strength , often shortened to tensile strength or ultimate strength, is the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before necking, which is when the specimen's cross-section starts to significantly contract...
of hair. A single strand can potentially carry a weight of up to 100 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s; holding this in theory, and with proper technique, a full head of human hair could eventually hold between 5,600 kg and 8,400 kg (12,345-18518 lbs.), without breaking individual hairs or pulling out any follicles
Hair follicle
A hair follicle is a skin organ that produces hair. Hair production occurs in phases, including a growth phase , and cessation phase , and a rest phase . Stem cells are principally responsible for the production of hair....
. That said, the act still hurts, especially for new performers.
Performers
- Lluvia pazaran (miss Lluvia)
- Peru City Circus Festival
- Gamma Phi Circusst
- Marina "La Marina" Diaz
- Dulce Landa
- Ayala Sisters
- Abadilla Family
- Ravi The Scorpion Mystic
- The Boogagle Brothers
- Chris Lemon (The Boy with Wire Hair)