It’s rare that a business stays in the family through multiple generations, but the Nerveless Nocks have been a family act since it began in 1854. The stunt crew was at the Yorkton Exhibition Summer Fair, thrilling crowds with their height-defying act.
Michaelangelo Nock is the eighth generation of the Nock family, and he says that for them it’s about the tradition of performing. Beyond their family show, they have been involved in Ringling Brothers and Cirque du Soleil.
The point is to make the show look more dangerous than it actually is, having a bit of educated risk but not doing anything so dangerous it could go too wrong. Nock says it’s as much about showmanship as it is about the stunts, part of a long tradition that stretches back to vaudeville. The danger is still always there though, and Nock knows it.
“I’ve seen a lot of people get hurt, I’ve been lucky... You don’t really want to push it to the limit because you don’t want the kids to go home with a bad memory. We’re risking it just to the right amount so there are thrills, we don’t get hurt and they’re happy.”
One of the risks can be the weather, especially given that it’s an act that depends heavily on the performer’s balance.
“Wind is a big deal for your balance, especially when you’re fifty, sixty feet in the air. No safety net or safety devices. I always tell the people it’s years of training, don’t try this at home, we’re experts and I know my limits. Then again, we’re just human so you can never tell what’s really going to happen.”
The family history is reflected in some of the stunts. The tower of chairs, for example, was born in a high wire act that Nock’s uncle performed in the film Circus World, which involved balancing on a chair above a den of tigers. The chairs in the tower are built on the specifications of the chairs his uncle used in his act.
It’s a family tradition for the Nocks, but the tradition itself goes back far beyond them. While some of the newer acts have developed with technology – the motorcycle globe for example grew with the development of the motorcycles themselves – many of them stretch back much further.
“A lot of these circus acts were invented in China over thousand years old... We’re all carrying on a tradition of keeping this art form going.”
That tradition is something not everyone can do, and Nock says that while there are a few skills that can be taught it’s as much about being able to do the act without hesitation, something which you can’t really learn.
“You can’t really learn this stuff, it can’t be taught, a lot of it. It’s a generational thing, it’s in your DNA.”
There are very few of these family acts left, and Nock says that they never know which generation will be the last one to go into the business. He’s proud to see his own daughter Angelina take part in the show, and mentions that outside of the family act she’s also a world class water skier, and he’s proud to watch her continue the performing tradition.
Nock has nothing but praise for the Yorkton Exhibition, and says that they clearly go all out to entertain the people of the area.
