People's Artist Tong Toan Thang almost died 4 times while performing with pythons.

Meet People's Artist Tong Toan Thang at his office, only about 20 square meters wide, in the Central Circus area. In his new position, he is still happy to welcome and enthusiastically share stories about the circus profession. He said that next September will be the 45th anniversary of circus activities.

During his decades in the profession, People's Artist Tong Toan Thang has had thousands of performances all over the world . Until now, he still remembers clearly the glory and also the sorrows and incidents in his profession.

People's Artist Tong Toan Thang has performed for many years all over the world.

Always wanted to be on stage

- Busy with the role of Director of the Central Circus, does "Vietnamese Stone Saint" still perform python circus these days?

In my new position, I still have the desire to perform on stage because of my passion. For me, the audience is the most important thing in my dedication, my ultimate goal is still to win the audience. But in fact, I don't have much time. Currently, I work from morning to 7-8 pm. There are days when I go home, I go back to the office to concentrate on thinking and creating.

I share this so that everyone can see that artists with good skills when they become managers do not want to perform anymore but because of time constraints. That is the sacrifice to do the new task. After 4 months in the new role, fortunately the union has improved.

- Do you regret or miss the feeling of standing on stage and being cheered by everyone before?

The transition from standing in front of an audience to being a director and creator of a play did not disappoint me. I am now a director, a master of theater arts, not directly standing in front of an audience but indirectly contributing artistic products, brainchildren and accompanying many colleagues in international competitions.

I have no regrets but still desire to perform if I have time. Age does not affect my energy and spirit. Even in a new role, having performed many award-winning plays, the audience still sees me as a python actor. That image is a great happiness that will follow me all my life.

I need more time to change and develop the industry. My mission is not only to improve the lives of artists but also to be the leader to lead them to success both in terms of material and reputation.

He is known as "Vietnamese Stone Saint".

- The circus profession is hard, dangerous and has many disadvantages, specifically what are those?

Circus work requires 100% effort, pain when falling, training. As people get older, circus artists often suffer from occupational diseases. I have osteoarthritis in my knees and hands, sometimes the pain makes me crawl to the toilet. The audience doesn’t know about it, but glory always comes at a price.

When I was young, I went abroad to play bells, and didn’t have much time to spend with my parents. When my father passed away, I wasn’t even home. When my child was 6 months old, I had to go abroad for a year, worried that my child wouldn’t recognize me.

Circus artists also have a disadvantage because they work as waiters. On their days off, others go on vacation, but we have to go to work. In return, we get to travel the world. It is an experience that money cannot buy.

- Pursuing a circus career must have been a huge internal struggle?

Our profession requires 5 years of hard study, and 2 years after graduation, it becomes a little bit more solid. Many people perform for a few years but unfortunately get injured, cannot overcome themselves and family pressure, so they give up. Being a circus profession requires a lot of internal struggle. In the circus profession, when we sweat, we run out of money, and we also have to eat a lot to have the energy to perform. I love my profession very much.

Many artists, despite performing in pain, still have to fulfill their family responsibilities. During the difficult times of the pandemic, artists’ salaries are not enough to live on, so they have to sell products online. If we don’t have a passion for our profession, we cannot survive for long.

People's Artist Tong Toan Thang carries a crocodile on his shoulder.

Blood stained the body, almost died from being strangled by a python

- How did you sacrifice and struggle?

I have been a circus performer and have been famous since 1983. Up to this moment, I can write an autobiography about my life with many ups and downs and emotions in the profession.

When I was 15, I fell during practice and lost consciousness for half a day. My family was scared and forced me to quit the profession. In 45 years of being in the profession, I remember clearly 4 times I almost died while performing with pythons.

In 1996 in Thailand, I was bitten by a python, squeezed tightly while performing but still fought until my body was covered in blood. At that time, I only remember that I was close to death. I think I could only endure for 10 seconds, when I counted to 7, the python released me. I collapsed after the curtain was drawn and when I woke up, I found myself in the hospital.

After I was rehydrated, I woke up and asked the doctor to bandage me up and continued on stage. I had to sign a form accepting responsibility. When the audience saw me on stage, they shouted and cheered, calling me a hero. It was a memory that made me proud.

- Overcoming your own fears is one thing, but what about family barriers?

I have a rather steadfast and unyielding personality, but for my family, such danger is very difficult to accept. When I was single, my mother cried many times during meals, wanting me to give up because it was too dangerous. At times like that, I just reassured her and promised to be careful and not be subjective. But in fact, every time I went to perform, my mother could not sleep until I came home.

When I got married, my mother made me promise not to perform anymore, but I just joked and let it go. Later, my mother trusted me and was very proud of me. But really, looking back at the path I have traveled, I see that it took a lot of courage to overcome those fears.

People's Artist Tong Toan Thang's hands are full of scars from python bites.

- Recently, the story of a foreign circus artist who died while performing has attracted attention. What is the lesson and meaning of this story to you?

Indeed, danger always lurks in the circus profession. However, artists like us know and accept that and always prepare with the best mentality. With the recent accident with the foreign artist, I have made an announcement and analysis for my colleagues to understand. Besides, we remind each other to be careful when preparing.

In the federation, there were actors who fell from a height of 2-3m and had their spinal cord severed, paralyzed, and some were lucky enough to come back to practice after 3 days of rest, realize their mistakes and learn from their experiences. Before each performance, we carefully check our health and mental state, ensuring that we are 100% fit before going on stage.

The precious moment that many people admire between People's Artist Tong Toan Thang and his "co-star".

- There are still many dropouts because they cannot overcome the fear of life-threatening danger. How do you instill love for the job in your colleagues?

Before performing the python performance, I also performed circus acts at height. With what I have done, I have gained the trust of my colleagues. In the circus profession, words and actions must go hand in hand, if you say what you say, you must do it, and the artists will be convinced by that.

The directors and stage directors themselves must be good. Everything must be carefully and meticulously prepared to create trust with the performers. At least, I must be good to create trust with the performers.

The profession has brought more success than expected, so I always want to pass on the profession to the next generation. I teach everything I know, without hiding anything, and want to work side by side with them to reach out to the international community. I have enjoyed the sweet fruits, so I must know how to sow the good things for the next generation with a humble mind. Perhaps, many people see that in me, so they always have trust and determination.

(Source: Vietnamnet)

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Source: https://vtc.vn/nsnd-tong-toan-thang-4-lan-suyt-chet-khi-dien-voi-tran-ar783249.html