Florida acrobat with amputated legs wows crowds

An acrobat left with half a body after having both his legs amputated at the waist is now wowing crowds with his own circus show.

Short E. Dangerously, from Daytona Beach in Florida, has performed for audiences around the world.

He shows off his acrobatic skills including balancing on bowling balls, fire breathing and even glass walking – using his hands.

Short E. Dangerously, from Daytona Beach in Florida, has performed for audiences around the world using his hands to perform tricks

Life could have been very different for Short E, who lost both his legs to a condition when he was just two-years-old.

The 40-year-old suffered from rare disorder sacral agnesis as a baby which causes abnormal fetal development of the lower spine.

It meant he had to have a double amputation of his legs. He said: ‘My life was not really normal for obvious reasons.

‘I was a nightclub DJ before I got into sideshow and was looking for something different. Sideshow came along and the rest is history.

‘This is will be my fifth year. I’m relatively new, but a lot has happened in that short time.

‘Now I travel full-time with Hellzapoppin, Bryce Graves’ show, and we travel 7-10 months out of the year.

He shows off his acrobatic skills including balancing on bowling balls, fire breathing and even glass walking – using his hands

The 40-year-old suffered from rare disorder sacral agnesis as a baby which causes abnormal fetal development of the lower spine

‘We travel with the biggest bands in the world, the biggest rock tours, motorcycle rallies, Riot Fest. It’s definitely an adventure every year.

The condition that claimed his legs

Sacral agnesis, also known as caudal regression syndrome, affects one in 25,000 births.

It occurs when the sacrum – at the base of the spine – is underdeveloped in the foetus. This often affects the leg bones, leaving them also undeveloped

It can have minor effects or, as in Short E. Dangerously’s case, much more adverse problems.

Source: NHS.

‘I do acrobatics, I breathe fire, I do handstands on bowling balls, and I also walk on glass on my bare hands while it’s on fire.

‘The bowling balls used to get the biggest reaction, now it’s the glass.

‘I spent six weeks in Brazil with a magic show I used to work with a couple years ago.

‘I’ve done a lot of international stuff-Brazil, Venezuela, Australia, New Zealand. All those places were just incredible.

‘Johnny Eck is a personal hero of mine. He paved the way for guys like me. I hope to live up to his legacy and surpass it at the same time.’

Short E. Dangerously is featured in the newest edition of the Ripley’s annual, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses!

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk