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, opening for bands such as Jeremy Camp, DecembeRadio, Crabb Family, Mike's Chair, at Ripley's Believe It or Not! attractions, at Upward Unlimited awards night programs, and at conventions, corporate events, colleges, universities, science festivals, church youth events, and other programs in over a dozen countries 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 Dan@swordswallow.com. For booking and management information, contact Gresham Hill Management at (615) 258-4141 or e-mail info@greshamhill.com.
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!
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.
Who I'd like to meet: Colleges, Universities, Churches, Youth ministers, youth directors, youth groups, touring bands and artists, Upward Unlimited Coordinators putting on Upward Unlimited Awards Night programs, fairs, festivals, and anyone else interested in getting a REALLY UNIQUE and interesting program that your audience will NEVER forget!
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Wow! Amazing stuff! Truly unbelievable! And thank you for your Christian witness! May God richly bless you work and your ministry! Thanks for the add, too!
great! i'm actually from hartselle, too. our band didn't play the night of jeremy camp, we all were just there to watch though. next time we get an event put together we might get you to open for us. i bet you'd bring a good crowd!
saw you at the jeremy camp concert in huntsville. great message with your talent...but i must say, it kinda scared me a little bit...haha. keep on praisin'
Mr. Meyer, It was nice meeting you a couple of weeks ago. I work at WDJC, WXJC & WYDE...We enjoyed your performance, as I'm sure alot of folks did becasue I got a few calls after the 2 shows on how they could find you or if you had a web site so I'm glad you had given me one of your business cards. I'm the lady ( Jackie ) in the front that was taking the pictures... Well you take care and be careful... smiling here.... Blessings to you
Hope you are doing well. You were great on the show. Can't believe Hasselhoff whimped out and buzzed you especially with a sword down your throat. What a doofus.