swordswallower biographies

Historical presentations are Alexander Kensington’s mainstay. In 2007 he begins his eleventh season performing with such nationally known events as The Fair at New Boston; Old Fort Niagara; Fort Ticonderoga; Alabama Frontier Days at Fort Toulouse; Fort Loudoun (TN) 18th Century Faire; The 18th Century Faire at Geo. Washington’s Mt. Vernon; The Faire at the Forkes, Chatham, Ontario, in addition to several timeline events and Renaissance Faires during the winter in Florida such as Florida Keys Medieval Faire, Ft. Myers Kiwanis Medieval Festival, Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire (Pensacola), Italian Renaissance Faire (Miami), Florida Renaissance Faire North, and in summer, Silver Leaf Renaissance Festival, and Ohio Renaissance Faire.Alexander Kensington Fire Breather

He has appeared in the contemporary setting at the Florida State Fair and been a featured guest artist at Sideshows by the Seashore, Coney Island, NY, and in the off Broadway production “Maximum Risk: World Champions on the Edge” at the Soho Playhouse, NYC. He has also toured several colleges and universities represented by National Association of Campus Activities.

His music concert appearances have included The Rolling Rock Town Fair 2001 & 2002, opening for such musical acts as Staind, Stone Temple Pilots, Oleander, POD, and others. In 2000 he appeared with Blue Monkey Sideshow opening for Megadeth, Static X, at the Kansas City Freaker’s Ball, and at the first Gathering of the Juggalos in Detroit opening for Rob Zombie, Limp Bizkit, and Insane Clown Posse.

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Charon Henning has thrilled audiences for over five years with her death-defying feats utilizing blades, flames and whips. She guides audiences into the unknown with poise, grace and charm, presenting her skills in manner interesting enough for adults and intelligent enough for children.

Charon Henning swordswallowerA frequent denizen of historical, Renaissance, State and County fairs, and magic conventions across the eastern United States, Henning performs for those who would seek extreme entertainment eloquently explained and elegantly experienced. She has also been featured numerous times on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel and History Channel. Her training in the circus arts comes from the hands of such sideshow legends as John “Red” Stuart, Chris Christ, Ward Hall, Chris McDaniel and writer/historian James Taylor.

Past performances include the Milwaukee Rally 2005 (sponsored by Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Milwaukee, WI), the off-Broadway variety show Maximum Risk: World Champions on the Edge (SoHo Playhouse, New York, NY), and the World of Wonders Sideshow (Florida State Fair, Tampa, FL), as well as themed, costumed events such as the Lee Island Pirate Days Festival (Ft. Myers, FL), Lee County Kiwanis Medieval Festival (Ft. Myers, FL), the Sugarloaf Key Renaissance Faire (Sugarloaf Key, FL) and The Virginia Renaissance Faire (Spotsylvania, VA).

Past clients include the Corcoran School of Art and Design, The Folger Shakespeare Library (Washington, DC), American Celebration on Parade (Shenandoah Caverns, VA) and Permberton Park (Salisbury, MD).

Henning has performed at the 2003, ’04 and ’05 productions of The Nuevo Variety Circus and Wild West Show (Coney Island, NY) and The Sideshow Gathering (Wilkes-Barre, PA) since 2003. She regularly appears in support of special events for the benefit of Shocked & Amazed! Magazine (Baltimore, MD), since 2002, and is a featured performer at Piratz Tavern (Silver Spring, MD) since their grand opening in 2006.

 

Recommendations

Periodical
Shocked & Amazed!

"Shocked & Amazed!": On & Off the Midway written and produced by James Taylor & Kathleen Kotcher

The only peri-odd-ical devoted to sideshow & variety entertainment!

Podcast
Decoder Ring Theater

"Decoder Ring Theater": Your address to adventure written and produced by Gregg Taylor

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear... Today! All-new full-cast audio drama in the classic style.

Podcast
Conjurers, Carnies & Collectors

"Conjurers, Carnies & Collectors" produced by the National Podcasting Company

Magic words from magicians, jackpots and stories from carnies, and the best advice from collectors of variety and novelty act memorabilia. Interviews made face to face with professionals in the performing arts.

Book
The Tattooed Lady

"The Tattooed Lady": A History by Amelia Klem Osterud

The first book of its kind, The Tattooed Lady uncovers the true stories behind these women, bringing them out of the sideshow realm and into their working class realities. Combining thorough research with more than a hundred historical photos, this social history explores tattoo origins, women's history, and circus lore. A fascinating read, The Tattooed Lady pays tribute to a group of unique and amazing women whose legacy lives on.

Podcast
Radio Lab

"Radio Lab" produced by New York Public Radio

Radio Lab is an investigation. Each episode is a patchwork of people, sounds, stories and experiences centered around One Big Idea. On Radio Lab, science bumps into culture ... information sounds like music.

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