Dan Meyer was a sword swallower act from Season 3 of America's Got Talent. He was eliminated in the Vegas Round, but was called back again as a Wild Card in Hollywood. However, he was eliminated again when he did not receive enough votes to enter the Quarterfinals. He returned in Season 11, where he was eliminated before the Judge Cuts.
Background
Dan Meyer swallows swords, eats fire and glass, and inspires audiences to do the impossible in their lives. A corporate entertainer, TEDx motivational speaker, Ig Nobel science speaker, medical lecturer, and comedy youth speaker, Meyer has performed in over 35 countries around the world.
A 40x World Record Sword Swallower with 7 Guinness World Records, Dan swallows up to 29 swords at once, is featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not books and museums around the world, and is recognized by Ripley's Believe It or Not! as the leading sword swallower performing around the world today.
Dan is known worldwide for performing extreme stunts such as swallowing a red hot sword on Stan Lee's Superhumans, for swallowing swords underwater in a tank of sharks and stingrays for Ripley's Myrtle Beach, and for pulling a car with a swallowed sword for Ripley's Believe It or Not Baltimore and America's Got Talent, Season 11, Episode 5. As President of the Sword Swallowers Association and winner of the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine at Harvard for medical research on sword swallowing injuries, Dan is recognized as the world's leading expert in the 4000 year old field of sword swallowing.
Dan enjoys inspiring audiences by sharing his story and unique talents at colleges, universities, science/medical centers, museums, conventions, corporate events, fairs, festivals, youth events, churches, schools, documentaries, and other events in over 45 countries around the world. [1]
Dan holds 40 world records for sword swallowing as recorded by many different organizations. He has seven Guinness World Records for the following feats: Most Sword Swallowers Swallowing Swords Simultaneously, Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously, Single Sword Swallowed by the Most Sword Swallowers, Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously by Sword Swallowers, Sword Swallowing Underwater (18-inch blade), Sword Swallowing Underwater (24-inch blade), and Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously Underwater. [2]
In 2016, Meyer appeared on the Italian talent show Tu Si Que Vales, where he pulled Argentine supermodel Belen Rodriguez in a convertible across stage by swallowed sword. The episode aired 22 October, 2016 on Canale 5 to 5.2 million viewers in Italy.
In 2017, Meyer appeared on season 2 of France's Got Talent (La France a un incroyable talent), where he pulled host and football star David Ginola across stage by swallowed sword in a Mini Cooper. Meyer was eliminated prior to the Live Shows.
In October 2018, Meyer appeared on season 2 episode 17 of Israel's Got Talent, where he pulled two hosts across stage in a 1954 BMW Isetta. The episode aired on 31 January, 2019 on Reshet 13 TV to 8.7 million viewers in Israel.
Meyer reminds performers not to try sword swallowing at home.
Season 3 Audition
Dan Meyer's audition in Episode 303 consisted of swallowing a medium sword, a long sword, a heavy sword, and then seven swords at once, each of which required nudging his heart aside. David Hasselhoff buzzed the act. Although David voted "No," claiming the act was too scary and hard to watch, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne both voted "Yes," sending Dan to the Vegas Round.
Season 3 Vegas Round
Dan Meyer was one of the Variety Acts in the Vegas Round. He was sorted into the "Extreme Performers" category. His performance in Episode 308 consisted of swallowing a flaming sword and a curved sword. He also juggled six clubs while a sword was whipped from his mouth by a whip from 10 feet away, but this was not televised. His audition was strong enough for the judges to include him in the Top 60 shortlist, but he was not sent to the Top 40 Quarterfinals, eliminating him from the competition in Episode 309.
Season 3 Wild Card
Dan Meyer was one of eight acts eligible for the Wild Card spot in the Quarterfinals left by the Russian Bar Trio, who was forced to withdraw due to a serious injury. Unfortunately, Dan did not receive enough votes from America to be sent to the Quarterfinals, eliminating him from the competition again in Episode 310.
After Season 3
Meyer was featured in the 2009 Ripley’s Believe It or Not book published August 5, 2008. To promote the book, Meyer and other Ripley's performers were featured on CityTV "Breakfast TV" in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
On July 22, 2009, Meyer appeared with Cirque Éloize in Montreal, Canada in the French-language series "La Vie Est Un Cirque". The program was broadcast on TV5 on August 16, 2009, to over 6.6 million cable and satellite subscribers in Quebec, and to more than 180 million homes in French-speaking countries around the world.
On July 30, 2009, Meyer addressed the IAEWP World Peace Conference as a featured speaker at A&M University presenting a keynote speech entitled "Sword of War, Sword of Peace". At the end of his presentation, Meyer requested World Peace delegates from three different cultures, continents and religions to come together in harmony to remove a 40 inch "Sword of War" from his throat as a metaphor for creating peace through cooperation. Meyer then presented the sword as a gift as a "Sword of Peace" to IAEWP World Peace Conference president Dr. Charles Mercieca.
On March 24, 2010, Meyer was awarded a Guinness World Record in Rome, Italy for swallowing a 24 inch long sword with 18 inch blade while submerged underwater. Meyer immediately broke that record by swallowing a longer 30 inch sword with 24 inch long blade underwater, and then broke both records by swallowing both swords together at once underwater. However, during filming of the stunts Meyer sustained a serious injury when he punctured his esophagus and was rushed by ambulance to a Rome hospital where he was hospitalized for 10 days on IV drip.
On September 23, 2010, Meyer was featured on The History Channel Stan Lee's Superhumans where he swallowed a 37.5 inch long sword heated to over 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, and 7 swords at once under fluoroscope at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, TN. [3]
On February 23, 2013, Meyer pulled a 3700 lb. car by swallowed sword out of the Ripley's Believe It or Not in Baltimore, MD for World Sword Swallower's Day.
Season 11 Audition
Dan Meyer returned in Season 11. His audition in Episode 1105 consisted of swallowing a sword, a car axle, and then pulling a car which was attached to a sword that was down Dan's throat. Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Simon Cowell all voted "Yes," sending Dan to the Judge Cuts.
Season 11 Judge Cuts
Dan Meyer did not perform in the Judge Cuts round, meaning he either withdrew or was cut by the judges before this stage of the competition.
Trivia
- Dan Meyer was the first sword swallower in the history of America's Got Talent to audition.
- Dan Meyer won the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine at Harvard for his medical research published in the December 2006 British Medical Journal.
- Dan Meyer has done 9 TED talks on sword swallowing on 4 continents.
- Afterwards, Dan Meyer appeared on Israel's Got Talent.
External Links
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