Jade Kindar-Martin (born February 16, 1974) is an American highwire walker and circus performer.

Jade Kindar-Martin
Born (1974-02-16) February 16, 1974 (age 50)
Vermont, U.S.
Occupations
  • Tightrope walker
  • circus performer
Spouse
Karine Mauffrey
(m. 2004)
Children3
Websitefunambule.com

Career

edit

Kindar-Martin started performing on the wire at the age of 14 with Circus Smirkus, a youth circus based in Vermont. Following his graduation from Champlain Valley Union High School in 1992, he went on to further his studies in the circus arts in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the Ecole Nationale de Cirque and then at the Centre National des Arts du Cirque in Châlons-en-Champagne, France. Kindar-Martin there came under the tutelage and mentorship of highwire artist Rudy Omankowski Jr. and began his partnership with Didier Pasquette.

Together, Kindar-Martin and Pasquette soon began touring worldwide, as well as performing their own brand of highwire theatre as part of the Camion Funambule. In the six years they performed together, the two became known equally for their highly technical bicycle acrobatics and dramatic skywalks, including their Guinness World Record-setting double skywalk across the River Thames in London in 1997.

In 1999, Kindar-Martin was recruited by Cirque du Soleil for a new show, La Nouba, in Orlando, Florida, where he performed until January 2004.

In the summer of 2004, Jade married fellow Cirque du Soleil performer and stunt woman Karine Mauffrey, high up in the air on a wire stretched over the grounds of the Château de Chantilly in Chantilly, France. Kindar-Martin and his wife now split their time between Los Angeles, California, and their home in the south of France.

In the summer of 2005, Jade joined The Flying Wallendas, the world-famous highwire family, and performs regularly with them in the "Seven-Man Pyramid".[1]

In May 2007 in Seoul, South Korea, Kindar-Martin competed in the First World Highwire Championships. Kindar-Martin, along with 18 other highwire walkers from around the world, competed for the fastest crossing of the kilometer-long wire over the Han River. With a time of 0:11:35.54, Kindar-Martin won the bronze medal, 13 seconds behind first place. In completing the walk, all who made it across now also share a new Guinness World Record for longest highwire walk. A longer skywalk may have been accomplished by Rudy Omankowski Jr.,[2] Kindar-Martin's mentor.

In 2022, Kindar-Martin took place on AGT: Extreme where he finished as a Grand Finalist.[3]

In 2023, Kinder-Martin was a suit performer for the indigo rabbit animatronic Bonnie in the Five Nights at Freddy's film.[4]

Filmography

edit
Film
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2003 Cirque du Soleil: Solstrom Romeo - High Wire
NCIS Stunts
2015 K.C. Undercover Stunt Double Stunt: High-Wire Performer
The Walk Circus High Wire Performer
and Stunt Double
Stunt: Joseph Gordon Levitt
2017 Mystère au Louvre High-Wire Performer
and Stunt Double
Stunt: Cyril Descours
2018 The Purge Stunts
ELI Utility Stunts
2019 Eli Stunts
Looking for Alaska Lead Stunt Double
Troop Zero Stunt Performer
Queen & Slim Stunts As Jade Kinder Martin
2020 The Secrets We Keep Utility Stunts
Filthy Rich Stunt Rigger
Unhinged Stunt Double Stunt: Austin P. McKenzie
Bill & Ted Face the Music Stunt Rigger Uncredited
Your Honor Stunt Rigging
and Stunt Double
Stunt: Hunter Dooh
2021 Leverage: Redemption Bodyguard
2022 America's Got Talent: Extreme Himself FireWire Walker
Interview with the Vampire Stunt Double Stunt: Lestat
Causeway Stunt Driver Uncredited
2023 Mayfair Witches Stunt Rigger
and Stunt Coordinator
Crater Utility Stunts
The Killer Stunt Rigger
Five Nights at Freddy's Bonnie the Rabbit Suit performer [4]
Fast Charlie Stunt Rigger

References

edit
  1. ^ Petersen, Kane (August 7, 2013). "Walkin' a Tightrope". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  2. ^ Sharma, Muskan (March 2022). "Who is Jade Kindar-Martin? America's Got Talent: Extreme contestant is a high-wire walker with a Guinness World Record". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  3. ^ Romualdi, Melissa (2022-03-01). "Jade Kindar-Martin Shocks 'AGT: Extreme' With 'Super-Dangerous' Highwire Walk". ET Canada. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  4. ^ a b Shrishty (October 16, 2023). "'Five Nights at Freddy's' Animatronics Come to Life in New Featurette". Collider. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
edit