Stuntman? Aerialist? Or Dancer?

[Trish2]

Posted: 12/21/10 at 11:44pm

Why do all news sources and media (including BroadwayWorld) call Christopher Tierney a stuntman or aerialist? From his previous background it seems to me Mr. Tierney is first and foremost a dancer who learned these "tricks" specifically for this show.

Definitions:

Stuntman: A stunt performer or stuntman or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.

Aerialist: a person who performs aerial acrobatics, as a trapeze artist, tightrope walker.

Dancer: To move rhythmically usually to music, using prescribed or improvised steps and gestures.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 12/21/10 at 11:49pm

I do not know the answer to this question, but it leads to what union(s) he belongs to. I'm assuming AEA, but I'm also assuming that there are other unions for aerialists, stuntmen, and even dancer.

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 12/21/10 at 11:53pm

Maybe it's just because in the scheme of his role in the show, he's an aerialist. Or it could just be because saying that makes it so people who aren't so knowledgeable in theatre realize that this wasn't a simple ensemble role?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/21/10 at 11:58pm

each gets an extra $10 (before taxes) a week.

[Trish2]

Posted: 12/22/10 at 12:07am

But it is an ensemble role as is listed in the Playbill. He is a dancer. I'm sure a pretty good one too given the fact that he danced for Hubbard Street Chicago and the tour of Movin' Out. But a professional stuntman or aerialist? I don't see it in his background. My point being they hired dancers, trained them for a few months, and expected them to have both the skill and more importantly, the experience of a professional stunt performer.

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 12/22/10 at 12:10am

Yeah, well, you'd think with 65M, they could dish out for some professional stuntmen...

[Trish2]

Posted: 12/22/10 at 12:14am

Precisely my point. Trained stuntmen are expen$ive.

[dragonlp86]

Posted: 12/22/10 at 12:28am

Well, so are lawsuits.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 12/22/10 at 7:20pm

There is no specific Stunt union- almost always they are Equity, SAG, ( ACTRA in Canada) Maybe others . There is a Stuntmen Assoc but it is a voluntary organization( and at least at one time by invitation) and has no binding authority. Interestingly, I have seen performers list themselves as having "stunt skills" in the hope of increasing their pay but stunt performers just list themselves as same and have a different pay scale entirely ( at least in film).In Canada there had to be a special insurance worked out for them as given the nature of the work Worker's Safety Boards could not cover them in case of injury.I would see Chris Tierney as a dancer w stunt skills- MAYbe he was working towards doing more stunt work but it doesn't sound to me that he was there yet.