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Millat, Caitlin. "Couple finds love in a three-ring circus." New York Daily News. March 9, 2008 (Feb. 26, 2015) http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/couple-finds-love-three-ring-circus-article-1.287665 Chinese State Circus. "2000 years of tradition explode in the world's greatest acrobatic circus" (Feb. 26, 2015) http://www.chinesestatecircus.com/ Fieldstadt, Elisha. "Ringling Bros. at Fault for 'Hair Hanging' Stunt Malfunction: OSHA." NBC News. Nov. 4, 2014 (Feb. 26, 2015) http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ringling-bros-fault-hair-hanging-stunt-malfunction-osha-n240991 Cawley, Laurence. "Anastasia IV: How do you make hair strong enough to hang from?" BBC News. April 5, 2014 (Feb. 26, 2015) http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-26712995
The details of the braid – and the knot that secures it to the ring – are well-protected trade secrets. Each circus family has its own braiding technique that requires careful study and years of experience. Anastasia IV said she figured it out herself through painful trial and error. Barr, Meghan. "'Hair hanging' a rare, painful circus act." The Boston Globe. May 5, 2014 (Feb. 26, 2015) http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/05/05/hair-hanging-rare-painful-circus-act/AHkuk1EUK00ooz6tOH7KyH/story.html If the tension on the scalp is uneven, chunks of hair can be literally ripped from the performer's head. Yikes! Get all the biggest Lifestyle news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Daily Star Hot Topics newsletter Read More Related Articles
I can only speak for myself and other hair hangers I know personally, when I say it has not affected me this way. I studied performing arts at college and a dance degree at University, but I never thought I'd end up in the circus!” Lee, Jolie. "What is the circus hair hang act?" USA Today. May 5, 2014 (Feb. 26, 2015) http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/05/hair-hang-circus-ringling/8719429/
Krieger, Elizabeth B. "Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair." WebMD. Oct. 20, 2012 (Feb. 26, 2015) http://www.webmd.com/beauty/hair-styling/top-10-foods-for-healthy-hair She said: “I do get a lot of comments from people concerned it may cause alopecia or a receding hairline. Now speaking exclusively to the Daily Star, Chloe has revealed what life is like as a hair hanger for the circus. Murray, Rheana. "What It Takes to Be a Professional Hair-Hanger in the Circus." ABC News. May 5, 2015 (Feb. 26, 2015) http://abcnews.go.com/US/takes-professional-hair-hanger-circus/story?id=23593385
Having her hair hold up her weight when she performs may make you question if Chloe struggles with hair loss - but she has claimed that her hair is perfectly healthy. Rarely does a circus school teach hair hanging. One of the few that does, Simply Circus in Massachusetts, limits its students to just 10 minutes in the air after five years of training [source: Caligiuiri]. Most people learn the act from a family member.
A hair hanger might have 3 feet (1 meter) of hair. But it's not the length or even the conditioning that is the real secret to performing this feat. Chloe revealed: “If I'm honest I'd never even seen a circus before I joined, but I'd always wanted to be a dancer/performer, I put a lot of time and energy into it as a child.”Columbia Artist Management Inc. "History of the Chinese Circus" (Feb. 26, 2015) http://www.cami.com/worddocs/worddocs2109/HISTORY-OF-THE-CHINESE-CIRCUS.PDF
The Chinese hair hangers from the 1916 Barnum & Bailey Circus were likely among the first to share their scalp-stretching act with the world. The basic elements of the hair hanging act have changed very little over the past century, except that most (but not all) modern hair hangers are women.
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