Human cannonballs fired into the air

Human cannonballs have been a feature of circuses for nearly 150 years, but today there are just a handful of people performing the exciting and potentially dangerous stunt.

Two of them, married couple Robin and Chachi Valencia, have been working together for almost 25 years.

It is not for the faint-hearted. Former trapeze artist Chachi, for example, uses an 11m-long (35ft) cannon from which he is fired about 12m into the air.

First, see Chachi in action at The Rose Bowl, Pasadena. Robin then performs at the Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione in Paris.

Video courtesy Robin and Chachi Valencia