The trapeze artist and her husband performed their performance without safety harnesses or catch-up mattresses in order to make their show “more realistic” in a very competitive environment.
The fall, fatal and massively shared on Chinese social networks, sparked a great debate on the working conditions of acrobats in China. On Saturday April 13, during a performance with her husband in a village near Suzhou, in the east of the country, a trapeze artist named Madame Sun lost her life after falling to her death.
In videos of the incident, she is seen flying through the air standing on her partner’s feet, both being pulled by a crane. But while she is restrained only by her hands around her companion’s neck, she lets go of her grip and falls. Her husband, Mr. Zhang, tries to catch her with his legs, without success.
A fall of several meters
After falling several meters, the trapeze artist was transferred to hospital, where she died of her injuries. As reported CNNin addition to the absence of safety harnesses, the performance took place without a mattress present under the two artists.
On social networks, the drama has led to a vast debate relating to the working conditions of acrobats throughout the country. “This type of mid-height acrobatics is really dangerous. At least put a safety mattress under the acrobat so that he can be protected in the event of a fall,” said a Weibo user, the China Twitter, spotted. by CNN.
According to the authorities, an investigation has been opened. The first results lean towards the accident. The two acrobats were performing for the Anhui Yaxi Performing Arts Company, which was hired by a farm owner to perform on his property.
Debates around the conditions of representation
But according to the first elements of the investigation, the company would not have obtained the agreement of the local authorities to perform, and would not have respected the necessary security measures, which would have involved the presence of a mattress under the trapeze artist. Likewise, according to the regulations, the use of a crane is prohibited, underlines CNN.
A compensation agreement has been reached between the family and the company. China’s acrobat association said it was “devastated and shocked” by the tragedy online. Chinese media The Paper reported that an audience member heard from the two trapeze artists during their performance that they were not taking any security measures in order to appear more “real”.
According to BBCthis risk-taking is also explained by the very competitive industry of trapeze artists in China, artists performing without security measures being paid a little more.
