Escaping with Alexanderia the Great

Escaping My Blog

2016-04-04T01:56:00.000-04:00

Alexanderia the Great on America's Got Talent

Escaping My Blog -

So despite my wanting to use this place as a journal of what I have been doing, I have not done so. Though there has been much that has gone on since I have last written, I have not been able to process it all and so I have put off putting it all together.

You see it is much easier to give people visual snippets via postings on Facebook or random tweets on Twitter. I have even pinned pics on Pinterest but I have not put my thoughts together in any cohesive way because honestly, it has all felt a bit disjointed. I am just now starting to try and understand this crazy roller coaster ride I have been on.

Now I know my ride is not your normal ride for a mom of three. My path is different by my own choice. After America's Got Talent, I did not want to pack up the Winnebago and go on the road 52 weeks of the year to do my show. Though I am an escape artist, I was not looking to escape from my family. Now please do not think this is the hearts and violin part where I say

Alexanderia the Great with family outside Radio City
Music Hall after her AGT appearance

having a family makes this so much harder for me because it doesn't. In fact, my family made things easier for me, not harder. If anyone made things harder, it was me and how I processed or didn't process my situation. I made this a much more difficult than it should have been. Yes maybe some juggling skills would have helped a bit but this bumpy ride I have been on is really more about ME struggling with ME. Trying to figure out how I fit in and how I want to make a difference.

In many ways, this escape artist has been trapped. For me, it was not knowing how I wanted to shape my own world. I needed to better understand the powers and resources I had and how I could use them best to make me and others happy. If we were talking purely magic that would be easy. I am talking about who I am and what I wanted and needed to do. This is what has kept me confined. Bound by my own set of expectations or what I felt was expectations put on me.

As an escape artist, I have done escapes that not even Houdini himself did. As a woman in magic (rare) and an escape artist to boot (one of the only women in the world to do these type of escapes) I have done escapes that no one in the world, male or female has done. This is my Underwater Cell (UC) escape that combined two of Houdini's greatest escapes (his upside down strait jacket escape and his deadly Water Torture Cell ). I did this escape on America's Got Talent live. Wrapped in 25 feet of chains and secured further by 5 padlocks, I attempt to escape all of it while locked underwater in a small 3 x 3 foot mini Water Cell Torture Cell with the lid padlocked shut by a 6th padlock.

The escape is more dangerous than either a strait jacket or the Water Torture Cell escape (the WTC itself is considered the greatest escape in magic and many consider most dangerous escape)

Poster of Harry Houdini for his Water Torture Cell

because you are combing both underwater and there is so little space to get out. Usually the strait jacket escape itself requires a great deal of movement and time (Houdini's record was 2:37 seconds).

Alexanderia the Great doing her Underwater Cell (UC) escape
a combo strait jacket & mini Water Torture Cell escape

Alexanderia the Great upside down locked in her Underwater Cell attempting to escape a strait jacket & chains underwater in a locked bullet proof cell

Alexanderia the Great on America's Got Talent doing a first in magic
a combo strait jacket 25 feet of chains secured with 5 padlocks
and locked underwater in a bullet proof mini Water Torture Cell she
calls her Underwater Cell (UC) done all in full view

Adding chains makes the process much more difficult. How do you get the chains off or pic the locks when your hands are rendered useless wrapped around your body? Houdini refused to do a strait jacket escape underwater as he said the material was too unpredictable in water because it clings to your body.

Alexanderia the Great aka Donna Purnell
attempting to escape a strait jacket, chains &
6 padlocks while locked underwater in a mini
Houdini Water Torture Cell on America's Got Talent

Even if you could manage to do what was needed to escape the strait jacket, chains and the padlocks will you have enough time and breath left to find the bobby pins at the bottom of the tank and then pick the final lock to the lid of the Underwater Cell?

Alexanderia the Great trying to pick the lock of her Underwater Cell
after successfully escaping strait jacket secured with 25 feet of chains
5 padlocks all underwater on America's Got Talent.

All of this, mind you, is done in full view unlike Houdini who did the Water Torture Cell behind a curtain. Doing one of magic's most deadly escapes (WTC) while being in a strait jacket and chains makes it much more dangerous because the water cell is smaller (half the size) of the WTC leaving little room to move to escape the jacket and chains. After having to violently move around to eschew the strait jacket and chains you risk expending too much energy and oxygen which makes picking the final lock a race against time and blackout. Houdini used to say failure is a drowning death. Houdini's assistants used to stand by with axes to break the glass should Houdini appear to be in trouble. In a tank made of bullet proof glass, you can see that there is no safety option of simply breaking the glass. This is why drowning is a very real threat when I do my Underwater Cell escape.

Alexanderia the Great aka Donna Purnell gasping for air after being the first to
successful escape a combo Strait Jacket secured with chains and padlocks
underwater in mini Houdini Water Torture Cell in full view live on America's Got Talent

Ironically, as a former grade school teacher, I have tried to use my talents and art form to teach others to rely on themselves and not be trapped by what society thinks. Though I have done a lot, I can't help but feel guilty that I could have and should have done so much more. I had hoped after doing such an escape I would have gone further on AGT but that is show biz. I have had some fun opportunities since then too I will expound on next time. I hope to do more and continue to grow and do more amazing escapes. In that way, I hope to rectify and reconcile those feelings of guilt. I will be embarking on more adventures both in escapology and in life.

Next issue, I will catch you up on what has happen and we can see what is up next for the Queen of Extreme and a Modern Day Houdini.

Alex
PS If you want to book me for you next event or see my escapes or training go to the following links:

http://www.alexanderiathegreat.com

https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderiatheGreatfans

https://twitter.com/Alexanderia_EA

https://www.youtube.com/Alexanderiathegreat

https://www.pinterest.com/alexanderiatg/

Go to AlexanderiatheGreat.com to book a Modern Day Houdini

Many Faces of Free Diving

2014-11-20T15:14:00.002-05:00

This is a repost of a blog article that Erin did for Freedive Blog which reports on all things free diving. Erin Magee, who hold no less than 6 national free diving records, is Freedive Blog's founder and runs Pacific Coast Freediving. She is a PFI Advanced instructor and taught me to reach new breath hold times and depths. Check out her sites. www.freediveblog.com & www.pacificcoastfreediving.com

I wanted to personally thank Erin Magee for all she has done to help me to be as safe as I can be given my work as an escape artist.

The Many Faces of Freediving

Diving Stories, Freediving People

by admin

The longer I’m in this crazy freediving world, the more variety it seems to have. Far have we ventured from the days of freediving being only a way to acquire food or reach depth (though those remain two of my favorite purposes!). The most incredible part of all this variety is who most often shows it to me- my students.

So even though most of us will continue to think of freediving as primarily depth diving or spearfishing, I often find myself thinking of friends and students who have brought the sport into whole new categories.

Miraculous Escapes

I guess Houdini was really the guy who made underwater escapes legendary, but after teaching Alexanderia the Great to increase her breath-hold and seeing her go on to show off her skills on America’s Got Talent, I’m realizing she’s bringing the magic back to freediving.

Adventure Alternative

Several years ago I taught a student who was seeking a new adventure after an ice-climbing accident shattered his legs in several places. Unable to pursue climbing any longer and looking for a way to increase his depth instead of his altitude, he came to freediving with an amazing outlook.

Fitness

Now I don’t just mean that freediving is a great way to get in shape, though that’s mostly the case, but many friends and acquaintances of mine have pursued

freediving and breath-holding to help in other sports. Swimming has obvious advantages, but apnea can also increase your ability to handle high levels of carbon dioxide during sports where athletes engage in anaerobic respiration.

Military

Navy Seals, Coast Guard rescue swimmers and other special military units have gone through our programs and found a variety of applications for both increased breath-hold and under-water stamina.

Jewelry

Well, this doesn’t exactly happen underwater, but I’ve seen several students go one to create some beautiful ocean-inspired jewelry. Shell Eisenberg, a past student and now fellow instructor, hand crafts silver unique pendants in the shape of mermaids, rays and more. See her online store here.

Mermaid diving

Yes, mermaids ARE real! And they have their own websites and everything. My good friend Linden Wolbert runs a company called Mermaids in Motion and has the most amazing custom tail. While this sounds like a definite niche, I’ve met many women who practice mermaid diving and swimming (ie no-mask, no wetsuit monofin swimming) in places like Kona, HI and even at local pools where I train.

Freediving may mean different things to everyone, but it’s so exciting to see people taking it, reshaping it and making it their own. You don’t have to dive to 100+ feet to be a freediver and you don’t have to spear fish. You just have to love it.

Doing Something Breath-Taking

2014-11-07T00:14:00.000-05:00

This blog post was done for the Divewise.org. Divewise's mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing freediver accidents through safety and awareness. Their goal is to eliminate preventable incidents so that no diver is senselessly lost to shallow water blackouts and other avoidable injuries. The founder and president of Divewise is Julie Richardson.Help Divewise for ways to make a difference.

She created the organization after her two sons experienced shallow water blackout and almost died while spear fishing. Her amazing dedication to educate and help all divers be safer is something needed. As a former teacher myself, I applaud her efforts to help others. I am honored to be part of her blog and quest to educate others on dive safety. If you can help please go to

Although DiveWise is primarily focused on furthering safety in the breath-hold sport of freediving, there are many breath-hold sports that involve risks which need to be mitigated. This week we are taking a look at breath-hold safety for the underwater escape artist Alexanderia the Great, whose work is truly breathtaking. Alex is an escape artist in the grand tradition of Harry Houdini. She has ventured into magic's most dangerous act - that of underwater escapes. There is is real danger in being restrained underwater. On America's Got Talent, in her first escape, Alexanderia the Great was handcuffed, leg cuffed, wrapped in thirty feet of chains secured by eight padlocks and before she jumped into a deep pool, to make the escape more daring she blew out her air doing the escape as a negative or using Functional Residual Capacity (FRC). Her only method of escape from her restraints was a bobby pin.

Another escape that Alex did live on Radio City Music Hall stage involved her combining two of Houdini's greatest escapes (his strait jacket escape and his Milk Can escape). The escape involved her being put in a strait jacket secured with 25 feet of chains and 5 padlocks. She enters a clear bullet-proof tank filled with water and no chance to breathe. The tank is locked with a padlock and Alex must battle getting out of the chains, strait jacket and then have enough air and time to pick the lock to escape. In each of these escapes she battles underwater in a race to get out before she blacks out.

Before she ever attempted this escape routine, she sought breath-hold training from Performance Freediving International to ensure her safety as she performed.

Today, Alex is an international phenomenon and has performed live in Times Square with Fox & Friends, setting a world record, was a cover story for the Boston Globe, a feature story on the CBS Evening News, was the second woman ever to perform an escape at the International Brotherhood of Magicians Convention, and was featured on Yahoo Studios in their Second Act series. She also was a feature with Amy Roach on NBC’s Today Show, made it to the quarterfinals in America’s Got Talent, performing live on Radio City Music Hall stage, and has been featured on over 300 news stations with her life story on the health feature Smart Women, as well as being featured in many newspapers in the US and internationally. We think you will find her story as fascinating and inspirational as we do.

Doing Something Breathtaking

by Alexanderia the Great

As a kid, I loved to watch magic. I grew up watching Doug Henning and David Copperfield. Seeing the Tony Curtis movie on the life of Harry Houdini, however, was a turning point in my life. Once I learned about Harry Houdini, all I could think about was underwater escapes. All other magic paled in comparison to Houdini’s Water Torture Cell. As a teenager, I began researching how to perform death-defying underwater escapes.

As I began practicing holding my breath, I discovered I had a problem. I couldn’t hold my breath for very long, making my margin of error too small. To perform underwater escapes, it is essential to have a good breath-hold.

Though my dream was to be a female escape artist, I thought perhaps that magic was not a practical career path. So, I decided to be a teacher and let my dream go, even though the man who would become my husband urged me to not give it up. I simply felt I had no choice. Although he supported my decision, he never let me forget about my dream because he thought I had great potential. He believed in me.

In 2008, when the economy turned bad and I lost my job, my husband asked, “What about that dream of yours?” Well, thirty years later, at age forty-seven, I really didn’t think the career of Female Escape Artist was a viable option. My husband disagreed and proposed a bet: If we posted an underwater escape of mine on YouTube, and it got a ton of views, I had to perform in public at the Worldwide Escape Artist Relay. My husband won the bet and I found myself training to do my first escape – an underwater escape in a pool 12.5 feet deep.

As I considered training for a depth I had never done before, I realized that approaching this challenge with nothing other than sheer guts and willpower was simply foolhardy. I needed to add safety to this breath-hold routine. In fact, my husband insisted on it. I also needed to learn how to relax as much as possible while underwater wearing handcuffs, leg cuffs, thirty feet of chains and eight padlocks. Because I perform extreme escapes, I needed someone who understood extreme and could help me do it safer. I needed help from the freedive community.

I chose to train with Performance Freediving International (PFI) with Kirk Krack and Mandy-Rae Cruickshank who trained David Blaine for his ABC special Drowned, the underwater escape he performed in New York City. PFI understood the extreme nature of escapes. I knew they would be able to safely take me to the next level in performance.

I ended up taking two freedive courses with PFI: one with Kirk and Mandy-Rae, and a second course with Erin Magee and Pacific Coast Freediving and Nick Fazer with East Coast Divers – both from the PFI organization. Erin and Nick bumped up my working breath-hold time from 3:00 to 4:20, which dramatically changed what I can do in escapes. Through proper training, I gained the confidence I needed to perform through teaching me safety, relaxation, and providing me with the many skills my escapes required.

AN EXTREME WORD OF CAUTION! I have trained extensively with some of the greatest freedivers in the world. I would not attempt these escapes without applying the safety techniques I learned from PFI. Please do not attempt to perform an escape without professional training, nor practice prolonged breath-holds without professional supervision. Safety is what my professional training is all about and it carries over into my performance with rigid safety measures in place during every performance.

I am grateful to the instructors at PFI, and the wonderful support they have provided to me. I never thought that at age fifty-two I would be taking freedive courses in forty-seven degree water, nor challenging myself psychologically. Learning freediving safety skills has helped develop me as a person, and provided me with the life-saving skills I needed to succeed in my chosen career.

Adapting in life is always tough because it’s uncomfortable. What I have learned, more than anything else, is that in escapes (breath-holding), and in life, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable is essential to survival.

For me there’s another aspect to my work that is somewhat uncomfortable.

Being on America’s Got Talent, the CBS Evening News, or the Today Show sounds great, but I’m not twenty-two years old, nor a size two. For a long time I wouldn’t perform in public for fear of what others might think or say about my size. But I am okay with who I am and what I do now. And I don’t want others to be trapped by their fears of what others might say about them. I got out of my box (age, size, gender etc). I hope through my example that I can help others get out of their box to whatever that box might be.

In Grave Danger by Design - Life of an Escape Artist

2014-10-29T00:58:00.000-04:00

I have taken a long break from this blog. Being on America's Got Talent forced me to stop writing freely due to their contract. I have done some writing since AGT and this article is being posted in on the online magazine la Vie Sirene.

For most, October means Halloween and a time to dress up in your favorite mask and pretend to be who we are not. Many love dressing up as their favorite villain or dressing in an outrageous outfit and shocking their friends.

Though I love costume parties, for me, Halloween reminds me of magic. And when you talk magic all discussions begin and end with the master, Harry Houdini. In fact Houdini died on October 31,1926. I saw the Tony Curtis movie Houdini and I was simply mesmerized. Watching Houdini do those death-defying stunts blew me away. I wondered what it would be like to try and escape from a strait jacket or the terrifying Chinese Water Torture Cell. I really wanted to know what it felt like to try and do the impossible.

When I was growing up magic had a prominent role on TV. Magicians like Doug Henning and David Copperfield would do hour-long TV specials showcasing their wonderful talent, but no matter what they did on the show they would always end with a Houdini-like escape. I can remember Doug Henning stepped onto the stage and I literally got a chill.

I was 13 at the time and to see Henning do a legendary escape that many thought (wrongly) that Houdini had died in, was thrilling. It gave me goose bumps as he was lowered into the tank. No way to breathe and seemingly no way to escape.

I can remember again thinking how cool it would be to be able to do that but I had one huge problem. There were no female escape artists. The only women doing magic were the magician’s assistants. They were beautiful and wore amazing costumes (‘barely there’ stuff) but they were literally called "box jumpers" as that is really what they did. I didn't want to jump from box to box. I wanted to do the impossible like Houdini did.

Now, I didn't dare tell anyone of this as it was not what girls did. The irony here is that I wanted to do death-defying escapes but I didn't have the courage to escape my own box "perception". I didn't want people to think I was weird or different. I locked myself in the box of "normal". I threw away any thoughts of doing magic and decided I was going to be a teacher - something girls did -- not become an escape artist.

Well then a met a boy in high school. Little did I know he was a big Houdini fan as well. In fact, he read about Houdini and his escapes and learned some of his methods. We were 16 and I had a pool in my backyard. I had no idea he liked magic and escapology. He said to me, “Want to see a trick?” He had me tie his hands and feet together. I thought he was crazy, but I was also intrigued. My heart almost stopped when he jumped into the deep end. he was doing an underwater escape -- the very thing I had dreamed of doing, but dared not as I was too afraid to be different. In just under 2:00 minutes he had escaped from underwater. Now I think my reaction shocked him. When he surfaced he asked what I thought and I said, "I want to try it". He laughed and said, "You can't do that; you don't know the trick." I asked him to let me try. And so I did. He tied my hands and feet and I dove in.

When I got to the bottom the feeling was like a cross between pure panic and a feeling of OMG I am really doing this. I was doing an underwater escape like Houdini. I loved it. What a rush. I managed to get out somehow, mainly because I was running out of air. My boyfriend was completely blown away. He tried to convince me that we should be an act but I was stuck in "my box" -- not willing to try and escape it. I said, “No way!” I was going to do the safe thing.. the normal thing... and be a teacher.

Well, that boy actual became my husband. And for thirty years he urged me to follow my original dream though I never really told him it was a dream. It took me 30 years (a few job losses, bankruptcy and almost losing the house) before I would show my talents. In 2009, after years of talking with professional escape artists about what we did and my husband Bill showing them clips, I finally allowed him to post something on Youtube for the public to see.

Bill and I watched magic through the years, especially escapes and would try and reverse engineer them -- figure how to do an escape and then try and go further with it. I never thought I could perform in public as I thought I was risking it all my job, my friends and my family. I dared not be different.

My problem with showing the world my talent was I was dealing with even more boxes now. I added age & weight to my list of reasons why I couldn't do this. I thought ‘Who wants to see a 47-year-old do escapes?’ Bill refused to listen to any of the negative talk. The agreement was simple. If any negative comments were posted about my escapes he would remove them and end any further discussion about becoming an escape artist. Of course, if it took off, then I would do my first public escape at the Worldwide Escape Artist Relay, an event held in honor of Harry Houdini.

Well, the video exploded and I did the Worldwide Escape Artist Relay doing my Underwater Leap of Faith Escape. It required me to tell my parents, as I did the escape in their hometown, and tell my friends. Crazy as it sounds, I was more worried about rejection than drowning! Simply put, to be outstanding, you have to be willing to stand out. I would risk doing death-defying escapes 12.5 feet underwater in 50 pounds of chains and shackles but would not risk showing the world for fear of rejection.

The villain inside us is what we have to fight. Especially as women, it is so hard to step out for fear that others (sadly too many women) will judge us harshly. As a sisterhood, we have to begin to be more supportive of one another. We cannot rip apart each other every time a girl or a women steps out. It is appalling how poorly women treat one another. And now, our little girls are being thrust out on the stage earlier than ever before with social media. Many have been victims of cruel and senseless ridicule. I have done work with Girls Inc and I tell my story of "getting out of my box" and the struggle it posed. I now teach young girls to be strong and dare to be different. I try to help them become escapes artists (figuratively) by helping them escape their boxes.

For me, the last 4 years has been nothing short of amazing. I have done seven national TV appearances. I did NBC's Today, the CBS Evening News, set a world record on Fox and Friends, and I did three episodes of America's Got Talent last year and designed and trained Todd Sampson for a Houdini like underwater escape in the series Hack My Brain for the Science Channel (which also aired in Australia on ABC and won an award for best documentary) . But none of this would have happened without the love of a strong husband and the courage to escape my box. As sisters, mothers and friends, I urge you to help support our girls and show them that it is ok to stand out, as it is the only way to be outstanding.

Follow Alexanderia’s great escapes

on her website,

her Facebook page & on Twitter

Getting Serious

2013-04-30T16:47:00.000-04:00

So again I let this blog go unwritten for too long. Sorry about that followers. It wasn't as though I was doing nothing. Last summer was magical for me, as I said last time we spoke. Getting a chance to work the International Brotherhood of Magicians convention performing with the greats in magic today was such an honor.
It also made me realize how far and fast this has gone. My first public performance was just 3 years earlier. Now that may sound like a long time but in magic that is a nano second.

The Worldwide Escape Artist Relay 2009 My first UW Leap

After that I did a show in Orlando and got a chance to do an escape on TV at Ripley's Believe It or Not Orlando. It was great fun and finding out I was going to be in next years Ripley's book another magical honor.

Reviewing all the national TV appearances (Today Show, CBS Evening News, Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends + many more local TV and newspaper stories)

I realized my husband was right. I had to make a decision as to whether I wanted this to be a nice little story or really push it and make it a career. Should I escape my current life as a health club manager and move to a new magical one as an escape artist. It sounds like a no brainer but with three kids and now (gulp) a new grandchild, could I really risk taking the leap? No risk in my act has never been a problem but when my kids are involved

its another story. In fact, I checked with them before I ever performed to make sure they were ok with it all. My daughters and son are amazing. They have been just great in supporting their unconventional mother. For that I will always be grateful.

So now it was time to listen to my biggest cheerleader, trainer, manager, best friend & husband, Bill. Becoming an escape artist has not been easy for me. In fact doing the escapes has been a lot easier than making the commitment to be an escape artist, if that makes any sense to you. Doing the escapes is a challenge but I like challenges. Deciding whether I should do this for a living and if I can make a living at this has been the most difficult decision of our lives. My husband lost his job and financially it has been a struggle but he has been so sure of me and what I can do. In fact he has been more sure than I have honestly. He really believes in what I am doing and he sees how important this transformation is not only to me and our family but to others as well. He believes that others will see how getting out of my box can be an inspiration to all who are forced to reinvent themselves.

Just like Houdini who almost lost it all as his King of Cards act was failing, he had to reinvent himself. So many of us in the struggling economy have had to do just that. Leave what we did and what we though we where good at because of job loss and do something else to survive. This country has had to learn to adapt to rapid change. Adapting is always tough because it is uncomfortable. What I have learned more than anything else is that in escapes and in life, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable is essential to survival.

In my escape training, it is learning to hold my breath not until it feels uncomfortable but way beyond. We talk about two parts to a breath hold. The first part is the easy part, the comfortable. The hard part is when the contractions come. Now that is the uncomfortable part. I have learned to adapt. When I first started, as soon as I began to feel a contraction which is your body saying "breathe stupid" I have learned that your body lies. These are early warning signals for me anyway, I am learning just how many I can ignore. Now an extreme word of caution here. I have worked with some of the greatest free divers in the world. People like Kirk Krack , Mandy-Rae Cruickshank, of Performance Free Diving

They trained David Blaine for his Drowned Alive stunt on ABC in New York City in the water Globe. This picture is of both Mandy-Rae who jumped in to save David and Kirk Krack who is talking with David after the attempt.

I have also worked with Ashley Chapman a world record holder and Team USA co captain who works with Performance Free Diving and now Evolve Free Diving and Erin Magee who is a US National record holder, is also on Team USA, works for both Performance Free Diving and now her own Pacific Coast Free Diving. In fact, is was Erin's course that I did in October where I broke the 4 minute mark in a static breath hold. See me here break the 4 minute barrier in a static breath hold with Erin and Nick Fazer of East Coat Divers.

She got me a full minute more in her course.

In doing the 4:20 breath hold I actually was kind of mad at myself as I had my first contraction at the 3:00 mark and only did 8 contractions. I have done as many as 51 contractions on a breath holds so I know I left a whole lot on the table. The reason I came up and this will sound so dumb, was I got too excited when I heard 4:00 minutes. I was shocked as it felt so easy. I should have been more focused on getting as much as I could but I was so shocked and happy I got to 4 minutes that I got too happy and lost it. I am now wondering what I could really do if I only trained for statics but that is for another time.

Of course I also had to do the dive in October in New England where water temps can be somewhere in the mid 40's. As you can tell by Nick, Erin and my clothing, the weather was really pretty cold.

I sadly had a hard time with equalizing so I only went down 10 meters or 33 feet. I wanted to get down to get to 100 feet but that was not going to happen given my sinuses. I had an ear drum burst on a flight about 12 years ago and I don't do well with ear pressure so it was not surprising but I want to take another shot sometime. I think I am so much better and more confident now after Erin's course. Here is what October in New England looks like at sea in balmy 47 degree water.

So this is all said in explaining that I am now taking this serious. I am going to give this my all to make it happen. I know it will be a struggle. I know I am going to have to get in the best shape of my life if I am to try and take on the huge task of trying to go beyond Houdini. It is going to mean pushing myself hard. Going to places I have never gone before psychologically. Demanding more and not being satisfied at trying but only at succeeding. I will have to deal with a lot of uncomfortable situations and in my next blog I will explain exactly what I will be taking on. It should be a very interesting ride. Oh and I will need your help. Please send this to those you feel can benefit from someone who is trying to make the impossible possible. A 51 year old mom of three and grandmother of one cannot become an escape artist right. Well watch and see if I don't defy the odds and make this happen.

A Magical Summer

2012-08-07T22:38:00.001-04:00

It has been a magical summer. You know how everyone talks about a summer escape. Well I had a doozy.

When last I wrote in May, I was talking about how I do things differently. You don't start out performing at age 47. You certainly don't go into magic, where only a handful of women have been a main act. And you definitely don't go into escapes since it has almost exclusively been a man's game for over 100 years. Whoops, I guess I missed all those rules.

So there I was having done decades worth of work in escapes, on my own but refusing to tell or show anyone for fear that they would think I was "weird" or "different". My hubby wanted me to do this since we were kids (high school) but I had plans (college) to be a teacher. Then we married and we began to have kids. "A mom can't be an escape artist", I thought. Then I opened up a home daycare business and I couldn't very well tell parents who called that I was "tied up" for the moment when I was really "tied up". After that it was a myriad of reasons why I couldn't but it came down to me not being able to get out of my own box. The box I put myself in or let others put me in. Bottom line was I just didn't have the confidence to be different and so pardon the pun, I resisted "jumping in". But two years of unemployment forced me to reinvent myself career wise, so with my husband's support and urging, I decided to make the leap into escapes.

Early picture of Alex secretly working on escapes

So after years of working on whatever we saw on TV (Cooperfield, The Pendragons, Angel & Blaine) I (Bill really helped get me the courage) decided to give it a go. So October of 2009 was my very first escape at the Worldwide Escape Artist Relay. Of course, doing it all wrong, as you usually start out slow in your first performance. Not me! I chose to do an underwater escape (one of magic's most dangerous escapes). To be fair, I had been working for years on escapes and most underwater, so I was different. Funny to hear me say that now.

Well with all this practice, it never included anything formal. I never read magic books or attended a magic convention. It just never occurred to me I needed to learn from others. I just tried to figure it out myself. Ok now why would I bring that up huh?

Well flash forward less than 3 years later and I decided to attend my very first magic convention but in a very cool and unusual way. Yeah I know different. I have been an International Brotherhood of Magicians's (IBM) member for the last 3 years. I joined up prior to my first escape as they provide excellent insurance coverage and I joined a magic ring to get contacts Ring 122 in at the famous Ray Goulet's Magic Arts Studio in Watertown, MA

This year's 84th IBM convention was in Norfolk, VA. Two weeks before the convention I was contacted by the convention committee who saw my Today Show story and my Facebook postings (see Facebook does work).

So they asked me if I would be willing to come down and do an escape. Would I? Of course! What an honor to be invited to perform in front of the largest magical arts order in the world and the oldest running magical convention. How could I say no. So after a little bit of prodding with the hotel who's lawyers heard underwater escape and freaked but came to their senses and gave approval and so we were off to Norfolk to perform in front of over 700 magicians. GULP!

IBM Conference Talent Chair and Master Magician Shawn Farquhar

Nothing is scarier than performing in front of your peers. Remember I have only been performing for less than 3 years and I am standing in front of the best in the world of magic. No pressure. Kinda hard to catch your breath. Hint hint remember that line. So as Bill and I thought of what to do to make this escape memorable, it hit us. This escape needed to be breath taking. And so we set out to do just that.

Now to anyone else the picture above may look like you average summer pool party shot. Except for the fact the girl (that's me) about to jump in has more restraints on than an other female has ever had in an underwater escape. Handcuffs, leg cuffs, a 15 lbs lead weigh belt, a 5 foot chain from my hands to my feet (so I can't swim to the surface) another 25 feet of chains wrapped around my arms and body 3 times and padlocked each time. Then the remaining chain is brought down my body up through my legs, over my back and shoulders twice and padlocked tightly with two more locks one around my neck and the other down my back.

The Underwater Leap of Faith at the 84th International Brotherhood of Magicians Convention

So over 50 lbs of restraints, 30 feet of chains secured by 7 padlocks and chained in such a way that it nearly chokes me if I go down wrong. We thought it should be recognized as the most a women had ever done in an underwater escape so we contacted Ripley;s Believe It or Not. But both Bill and I wanted something more. We didn't want to do just more than any other women and more than Houdini which this would be but something no escape artist had ever done. But what? How could we do something in front of the best magicians in the world that would take their breath away. And then it hit us. Breath away. Let's take their breath away by me giving mine away.

I have trained with free divers having completed the pool portion of Performance Free Diving's Intermediate course. I also am friends with some amazing women who are champion free divers and

who have been so helpful with my training. I train to be safer in my escapes but to also to be able to do more. And in that vein I reached out to Natalia Avseenko who is a word champion free diver and runs the Moscow Free Diving school. We contacted Nat and asked her to help us in training in a new and controversial free diving method called (FRC) Functional Residual Capacity or an exhale dive.

Natalia Avseenko Wold Record Holding Free Diver and trainer

In free diving you dive without the aid of SCUBA. A line is set in the water and depending on the disciple (no weigh, variable weight, no limits or with fins or without) you go down as far as you can grab a tag that tells your depth and return to the surface all with just the air in your lungs. Now most free divers do special training to learn to fill their lungs as much as they can like tanks of air to give them more reserve so they can stay down longer. Makes sense. Pack as much air are you can for your trip for you know if you run out you could drown. The sport has a bad reputation sadly because some have pushed it too far with improper training. Done correctly with proper training, the sport is safe and those who are properly trained do an amazing job of teaching sound principles and keeping their students safer. One of the problem that free divers have to deal with is getting down undrwater. Sounds funny but when you take in a lot of air in your lungs, they act like balloons making it tougher to get down because of the extra air. So a free diver decided to try and go down on under inflated lungs thus making it easier to get down but tougher to get up. Think about when you tried to get to the bottom of the pool. If you blew out your air, you sink. Of course, you get down faster but it is much harder physically and especially psychologically to deal with the lack of air.

So this method which is much more risky as blackouts can come much more easily. Why? Simply you are working on a lot less air and your margin of error is smaller. When you push yourself too beyond you limits blackouts can be deadly. So what does this have to do with my escape? Well in the way I am chained across my body and with the chains being pulled tightly and padlocks each time my chest and lungs are restricted in fully inflating. So I knew in doing this escape it is really hard to do the normal expansion that most free diver so in there breathe up routines. I also have to train for the worst as in all escape things can happen and often do. I have to be ready for a failure in picking or a cuff jamming or missing my landing and falling hard or in a difficult position. So I have practiced what are called negatives where I blow out my air and just sit there and try and hold on underwater. It comes down to dealing with contractions as that is what your body does when it wants air and you don't breathe. It is the early warning system of survival. As a trained free diver you know when to listen and when those signals are false. But when it comes to being all those restraints and needing to get out it wasn't going to be a pleasant little breath hold. It becomes a game of mind over matter. So when you do a negative and are out you simply pick your head up. But when you chose to do FRC or an exhale dive with more restraint than Houdini had on I decided to ask for help.

Nat did a few Skype sessions with me to work on my breathing and think about visualizations and tables that would help me prepare for such an extreme attempt. She is so cool and was excited for me as she is not stranger to danger. She has done some really extreme dives in very freezing cold water and is about to embark on one of the most extreme tests in free diving, cave free diving. Where if you make a mistake there is not going back. She will literally be trying to squeeze into very tight spaces underwater in very cold and dark water and a misjudgement could be fatal.

So after careful planning and training with Nat, I was ready to try and make history. I stood on the deck which was so hot that the chains that Bill laid out for inspection had to be dunked in the pool before he could put them on me. A volunteer did a great job securing the chains tightly ( magicians don't mess around). And so after a short breathe up not like before where you do full inhalations, I more simplified my breathing. Trying to go slowly and smoothly in and out. Not full but slow and natural trying to get to a certain place. A place where I could slow down my heart rate and block everyone out and just relax. Finally I breathed in a final time normally and as I began make my leap you could hear me exhale loudly. I hit the bottom of the pool and heard nothing. Just the swish of the water as the bubbles exploded to the surface. When ever I jump in with all those restraints I still freak out a bit honestly. But I have begun to enjoy my leaps much more lately. And this one though it was potentially stressful for I was performing in front of the best of the magical world, I felt different. Yes the excitement made this tough as adrenaline is not what you coarsing through your veins when you are trying to relax and slow things down but felt different. And maybe for the first time in my life different felt really cool.

Here is the short video of my Underwater Leap of Faith at the 84th IBM convention. Ripley's Believe It of Not will be recognizing the escape in an upcoming Believe IT or Not feature and in their book.

Short Version Underwater View

Full Escape includng talk up

Doing it Different (Part 1)

2012-05-27T17:50:00.000-04:00

Alexanderia the Great aka escape artist Donna Purnell

David Copperfield

I was not trained in the classical way. I didn't start out doing card tricks or learn at home magic kits. How did I start out? I watched TV. I simply watched and tried to duplicate what I saw. Houdini, Henning, Copperfield, The Pendragons, Burton, Blaine & Angel. I watched what they did and I wanted to do it. The more challenging or dangerous the better. I am self taught. I love to challenge myself. Most of the escapes I tried when I was younger, it was simply mind over matter. If I didn't mind, it didn't matter, meaning I would go through the pain to escape. But now the escapes are much more challenging and dangerous. I needed to add skills. But who could help me and how could I do it? When I got serious about maybe showing the world what I could do, I looked to the pros.

Doug Henni

Steve Baker

I have talked with some legends Steve Baker and Norm Bigelow. Steve who professionally was know as Mr Escape, talked with me in 2004. I was deciding on whether to perform for the first Worldwide Escape Artist Relay (WEAR) in 2005. I was concerned as to whether I was good enough and prepared enough to perform publicly. He shared with me some breath holding tips and some personal experience in his many underwater escapes. He explained to me the dangers of underwater escapes and why I needed to overly prepare as things can and will go wrong. He shared with me some of the problems he encountered and cautioned me in not "jumping into" something so potentially deadly without proper training and preparation.

Norm Bigelow

Norm Bigelow, I contacted a few years later when again I was thinking about doing WEAR in 2009 of which I did perform. He has been simply amazing in all his support and guidance. He did some amazing escapes in his day. He is still developing new ideas and always challenging the escape world to move ahead. He tirelessly continues to write on escape topics and is a great teacher. Both of these legends were so wonderful to give of their time and advice to a novice. I will be forever grateful to both.

Morgan the Escapist & Alexanderia the Great

I also called on Morgan the Escapist, early in my decision making process. In 2004, I first called her to talk with one of the few woman in the world who called herself an escape artist. I wanted a women's perspective on the escape world. She was wonderful and took the time to view some escape video of me. She gave me tips and encouraged me to perform. We have stayed in contact and it was great to see her perform in her home state of New Jersey. She is great.

Charlotte Pendragon on NBC Houdini Secrets Special 1995

Seeing Charlotte Pendragon of the Pendragons perform an escape in 1995 on an NBC Houdini special, really opened my eyes to what women could do. I have spoken with Charlotte via Facebook and it was great to speak to someone who really influenced me. She showed me that women can take center stage in escapes.

The pioneer in female escape artists was Dorothy Dietrich. She was the first women I remember seeing do escapes. She was a magician as well and was famous for the being the only women to have successfully performed the dreaded bullet catch. I remember first seeing Dorothy on an HBO special. She did an aerial strait jacket escape upside down from a burning rope. Tony Curtis the actor who played Houdini in the 1953 bio picture of Houdini was the master of ceremonies. Hearing Tony, who played the immortal Houdini, it was like having Harry himself speak. It gave her escape so much more impact. Dorothy & I struck up a friendship on Facebook and she invited me as her guest to see her perform at the Houdini exhibit at the Jewish Museum in New York City. We met both Dick Brooks and Dorothy at their hotel in New York and we drove over together to the event.

Dorothy Dietrich & Alexanderia the Great

She gave me some wonderful memorabilia of hers that I cherish. We did lunch together before the event and Bill shot video of her strait jacket escape. He posted it to Youtube for her after the event. It was a great night as we also met Ken Silverman who wrote an amazing autobiography of Harry Houdini!: The Career of Ehrich Weiss. The picture above is a vid clip of the video my husband did at the event. Dorothy has it is her picture on Facebook. And the picture here is of her and I that night.

Alexanderia the Great & the
Underwater Leap of Faith

Since I have began this journey into becoming an escape artist, I have been fortunate to meet some great professionals who have offer some great advice. Trying to go beyond Houdini has forced me to go way beyond my comfort zone. This is why when I decided to try and not simply duplicate what has been done before but take it to the next level, I could not just do the tried and true methods of before as they would not do. I had to take another path, as I didn't start with the simple stuff like everyone else. I went right for it in doing escape's most dangerous act, underwater escapes. In trying to not copy but go further, I have had to get stronger, and push my limits. When I found my limits and it was not enough, I had to push past them. How? By redefining my limits. I had to overcome my obstacles.

A little secret about my past. I wanted to be a lifeguard like all high school kids. It looked like a great job that allowed you to go to work at the beach in a swimsuit and get a tan. Now that is a great summer job. I had one small problem. Though I loved the water and was a strong swimmer, I could not hold my breath. I was horrible at it. When it came time to take the test, I could do all the moves except one. Diving to the bottom of the pool and picking up the instructor was a problem. Because of my limited ability in holding my breath, I could not manage to get him from the pool bottom. Though I told him and everyone else that it was the case of bronchitis that stopped me from passing, it was really a fear of holding my breath and diving.

So how is it that I am now able to be shackled, chained, padlocked and weighed down with more restraints than even Houdini did in his underwater escapes? How can I now jump willingly into 12.5 foot deep pools having to hold my breath long enough to escape all of these restraints? It requires me to train in a different way. In my next blog, I will explain some of my different methods for going beyond what has been done before.

Alexanderia the Great A Modern Day Houdini lifting weights underwater
as part of her extreme training for her death defying escapes

http://www.alexanderiathegreat.com

https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderiatheGreatfans

Next time part 2 of a different way to train.

Going Beyond Houdini Slideshow

2012-03-23T14:49:00.000-04:00

Hey all,
Having amazing summer weather here in New England in March. Go figure. Things are heating up ofr shows too. Did a show at a the Griffin Museum on Sunday for an amazing photographer Meg Birnbaum. I am one of her subjects in her newest exhibit person/persona. It is getting rave reviews and it was some much fun to do a talk and perform at the Griffin Museum. My agent MacKay Entertainment is hard at work doing bookings for me this summer. I am also really excited to be performing in Orlando in August right outside of Disney World at Mer-Palooza The Mermaid Event of the year. I will be doing a death defying underwater escape and am in training now to hopefully be successful. More about that one in one of my next postings.

Here is a short slideshow of some of my escapes. You get to see pics of my Underwater Leap of Faith (where I am restrained in more than twice what Houdini was in his leaps). I also show pics of my Extreme Strait Jacket (where I set a world record getting out of a regulation strait jacket secured with 50 feet of 1/4 inch chain and 10 padlocks in 2 mins 37 secs on national tv). You see pics of an escape I call Airless (chained up with tons of chain wrapping my arms around my body like a strait jacket but all in steel chains and 9 padlocksbut the kicker is my head is wrapped in plastic wrap so I cannot breathe. Kind of an escape or suffocate kinda thing. Very intense.) Last but certainly not least I show my combo Milk Can/Water Torture Cell that I call The Underwater Cell (UC) done in bullet proof tank in full view -no curtain). Check it out and leave a comment.
Alex

Going Beyond Houdini Slideshow: Alexanderia’s trip from New York City, New York, United States to 3 cities Boston, Cambridge and Salem was created by TripAdvisor. See another United States slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

Trying to Transform Escapology One Escape at a Time

2012-02-25T13:59:00.000-05:00

Harry Houdini & Alexanderia the Great escape artists meet

I have been doing escapes since I was a kid. They started out as challenges. How long can you hold your breath. Can you get out of rope, chains, shackles, cuffs etc. Then as I began to get better it I wanted to see was how could I challenge myself even more. Can you get out of this in a certain amount of time or even more dangerous offerings like underwater. It has grown since then.

Alexanderia the Great aka Donna Purnell a Modern Day Houdini

As I began to get more serious about these challenges, I began to do some research. I admired Harry Houdini, who was the first magician to do escapes in such a grand scale. Harry was an accidental escape artist. He did escape stunts as a way to promote his magic show. He was first known as the King of Cards and then the King of Handcuffs. He began doing bridge jumps (underwater escapes) in town for free to announce and promote his show. Without TV or the internet, Harry needed to do something to demonstrate why someone should go to his show. It was escapes that made Harry famous and so others began to copy him.

Houdini King of Cards Alexanderia the Great blog

Harry Houdini King of handcuffs Alexanderia the Great blog

Copycat escape artists began to pop up as soon as Harry became famous for such escapes. They would try and steal his act. Harry hated imitators. Harry did all he could to stop them. He even copy wrote his Water Torture Cell escape he called Upside Down originally by putting it in a play. He did the escape in the play just so he could copy write it. He closed the play after only one performance. In that way, he had a way to sue others for trying to copy what was in the play.

Houdini imitator Carl Mysto Alexanderia the Great blog

Sadly these days, escape artists do Harry Houdini's escape exactly as he did them. Houdini died in 1926 almost 90 years ago. Houdini was the best and so few have been willing to attempt to go beyond what has been done. In my research and training I, Alexanderia the Great, have been trying to go beyond those escapes. I have been trying to add to his escapes or update them. Trying to add more restraints (more chains, shackles, padlocks, cuffs) or combine them to do them in ways that have not been done. I am trying to remove the curtains literally. I do my escapes in full view, no curtains, so all can see just what it is like to try and escape such restraints. In this blog, I will begin to show you what it is like to try and be a Modern Day Houdini. I did not give myself this label. To compare yourself to Houdini is not something one should do themselves. I let my reputation speak for itself. It is the media who has given me such labels as, Houdini Mom, the Housewife Houdini, The Hockey Mom Houdini and a Modern Day Houdini. I am proud of the comparisons but there was only one Houdini. To be mention in the same breath is such an honor. I do my escapes hopefully in a way that would make Harry Houdini proud. To copy Houdini would be to cheapen what he did. I look to go beyond and hope Harry is smiling now.

PS In my next few blog posts, I will try and give you updates on my training and explain how I try and do my escape differently. I will post pictures and links to escapes so please stay tuned and invite others to add me.
Fox News, The CBS Evening News and NBC's The Today show all have done feature stories on me and called me "A Modern Day Houdini". A women who tries to go beyond Houdini in her death defying escapes. Go to my Facebook page below and LIKE it to learn more. Share with friends who you think would like as well.
Thanks
Alex
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexanderia-the-Great/161727907258487
Web site http://www.alexanderiathegreat.com/
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/Alexanderiathegreat
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/Alexanderia_EA
Blog http://alexanderiathegreat.blogspot.com

Training Days

2011-11-05T12:27:00.000-04:00

Ok so I should know when you get invited to perform for the Original Houdini Seance on October 31 and you decide to do a water escape, you might have to deal with cold right but snow? Hey, I know training in New England to expect anything but snow before Halloween? Really? So here I am going over prep for the show and I wake up snow. Three inches of the white stuff. I really had no choice. I had to go in and practice. Why? Few things in life are truly life or death but being locked and shackled underwater is. I work with the shackles and locks as much as possible to try and limit any mistakes. Now that said things happen. Locks jam so I have to prepare all the time or the unthinkable can happen. So there I was Sunday morning, while all the other wives and moms were making coffee or getting a little extra sleep, I was literally getting "tanked". What a bad mom (lol).

More next time on the Houdini Seance escape and catching up on this amazing year. As always spread the work about me as I would love to do a show for you.

Extremely Yours

Alex

The Queen of Extreme and a "Moderrn Day Houdini"

2011-10-31T13:29:00.000-04:00

I just found this really cool picture of the seance I will be at tonight. Can't wait to perform my tribute to the master of escapes Harry Houdini on the anniversary of his death 85 years ago. I am doing a water escape in his honor and as you can see in the earlier posting one that tries to go beyond what Harry did. I have never performed on Halloween so I hope I am not tempting fate here. And of course things seem to be not going well as the tank was to be filled with warm water. With all the power outages we have had the service that was to fill with water has no power. It looks like I might have to do the escape in tap water which around here ranges in the mid 40's gulp!

A bit here on what I might be dealing with.

Hypothermia is a physical condition that occurs when the body’s core temperature falls below a normal 98.6° F (37° C) to 95° F (35° C) or cooler. Think of hypothermia as the opposite of heat stroke. Cold water dangerously accelerates the onset and progression of hypothermia since body heat can be lost 25 times faster in cold water than in cold air. Hypothermia affects the body's core – the brain, heart, lungs, and other vital organs. Even a mild case of hypothermia diminishes a victim’s physical and mental abilities, thus increasing the risk of accidents. Severe hypothermia may result in unconsciousness and possibly death.

What is the torso reflex?
The torso reflex (also known as the gasp reflex or inhalation response) is a physiological reaction – an involuntarily gasp – that happens when a person suddenly enters cold water. The reflexive sucking in of air is a way for the body to rapidly increase oxygen intake into the lungs as a means of increasing survival.
Some reported drowning victims don't die as a result of poor swimming skills or the effects of hypothermia, but from the torso reflex. Occasionally the torso reflex causes victims to inhale water. A person can also die from cardiac arrest brought on by sudden entry into cold water.

Ok that Torso Reflex thing doesn't sound good. It is not what I need when I am forced underwater in a bulletproof tank with my chains shackled and the tank padlocked shut.

Performing for Houdini?

2011-10-31T13:10:00.000-04:00

Tonight I have the honor of performing at the Official Houdini Seance I will attempt to honor Harry in a way befitting the master of escape on the 85th anniversary of his death. I will perform my full version of the classic Houdini Milk Can escape. Mine involves not a can but a clear Lexan (bullet proof) tank. I do mine without a curtain so all can see my escape. Harry used to say "Failure means a drowning death". If I am successful in my escape called The Underwater Cell (UC) than I get a chance to go to the table to connect with the Great Houdini in the seance. Of course, if I am not successful, I may actually meet Harry before any of them do on "the other side". Here's hoping I get to the table.

Catching Up

2011-10-16T15:17:00.000-04:00

This is Alexanderia the Great on Today on NBC. This is me with Amy Robach from the Today Show. I was on a couple of weeks ago. Ok I know I have managed to "escape" from my duties here in updating you. For that am I sorry. Maybe I could use the excuse that I have been "tied up" but that would be way to corny right? It has been a crazy year. The media I have received has been simply amazing. I am so grateful to all. So let me try and recap. When last I posted we had just done the New England Cable News (NECN) shoot ( a CNN affiliate). Ally Donnelly was the lead reporter who also found my story was so sweet. She could not have been nicer. The shoot was such fun. She was the first media person to try on any of my restraints actually putting on my strait jacket. The look on her face when she got it on was priceless. The was back in January. From there it starts to become a blur. What I will try and do in this post is list what has happened by way of media since January. I will follow up in the coming weeks to fill in the details of the shoots and look to the future and what is next for me.

February

The Boston Globe puts me on the cover of their G magazine ans says my escapes are"edge of your seat stuff"
Greater Boston with Emily Rooney (on Boston's PBS channel 2) does a feature and in studio interview and says "she can get out of practically everything"
The CBS Evening News does a feature piece as Steve Hartman makes me his Assignment America story. He calls me the "Housewife Houdini" and calls my story "inspirational"

March

Itricks.com a magic web site which writes on all magic news does a nice story on me as an escape artist. They feel that CBS only focused on my story and did not do justice on the level of escapes and how dangerous they are.

April

Fox 25 Morning News does a story on me and invites me in studio to do an interview and an escape live.

May

Ivanhoe Productions comes and does a feature piece on me for their web site Smart Women.

June

Jordan Rich radio show on WBZ Boston. We spent an hour talking and did an escape live in studio

July

A story on my Houlton Fair show in Maine
Local press on my charity event for the Mason Pool in Roxbury where I did my Underwater Leap Faith

August

My Smart Women story runs on over 300 news stations across the country
Yahoo Studios comes to do a feature story on me for their award winning series Second Act.

September

Fresh off my Yahoo story Amy Roboch sees it and show the rest of the Today Show crew. They call and do a feature story on me and fly me down to appear live.

October

Style Boston WCVB TV (ABC Affiliate) will be doing a story on me to air on Oct 30th.
The original Houdini Seance contacts me to perform and be at the table when they try and connect with Harry Houdini on Halloween on the 85th anniversary of his death.

Ok so we have lots to talk about as I need to caught you up. A wild ride and I think it might get wilder. Stay tuned.

Extremely Yours

Alex

http://www.alexanderiathegreat.com

PS if you want to see any of the pieces go to my web site and clip on the links.

Mackay Entertainment: Alexanderia the Great

2011-06-03T11:58:00.000-04:00

Mackay Entertainment: Alexanderia the Great: "“Alexanderia the Great” Alexanderia th e Great is one of the world’s few female Escapologists in the world today. She performs and ..."

TV Feature on me tonight

2011-01-26T07:32:00.000-05:00

New England Cable News (NECN) does a feature on me tonight 9pm and again at 10pm. http://www.necn.com They covered me during my training and then we there at my latest show where I performed my newest escape The Underwater Cell (UC). Thanks to Peter Alachi for this video he shot at my latest show.

Bone Chilling Escape

2011-01-16T11:38:00.003-05:00

This is the single sec clip of me in the Underwater Cell (UC). Last night I performed my version of Houdini's Milk Can escape. I did it in a show called Lydia's Carnival Sideshow. The show as in Salem MA and was covered by the Boston Globe and New England Cable news as it was the first time a Houdini Milk Can type escape as been done in a clear tank without a curtain. I survived the escape but I had to do it in 52 degree water as the venue's hot water heater broke. Talk about a challenge. Doing the escape alone is difficult enough as th escape requires me to be submerged underwater long enough to get out a shackles and pick the lock hold the cover down. Add TV and a major newspaper flashing light in my eyes and then try holding you breath in bone chilling water. Not a combination for success but I used mind over mater. If I don't mind it don't matter to get out. I will post video as soon as I get it.

Photo Shoot with the Globe

2011-01-13T06:47:00.004-05:00

It is funny I do death defying escapes for a living but I can more nervous for photo shoots and interviews than the actual escapes. I think it is about control. In the escapes it is me battling my restraints. Now granted when I let the audience restraint me like I do no two escapes are alike but I still feel like I have more control than in interviews and photo shoots. Today is the Boston Globe. The reporter and a photographer are going to follow me around and shoot me training and do an interview. They contacted because they have seen my escapes and are also interested in my latest escape the Underwater Cell (UC). The Boston Globe is renowned and I am so honored and excited they decided to do a feature on me. We are going to do a pool shoot and then go to my gym to watch me work out. it should be fun and though a bit nervous I am so looking forward to this.

Getting ready for the Boston Globe Shoot and UC

2011-01-13T01:14:00.005-05:00

Snowy day in New England. I worked at the gym as I usually do but today was different. Today I got my routine in place for my interview and photo shoot with the Boston Globe. They contacted me to do a feature piece (how cool). Now it is to bed so I can get up early and get in a few o2 and Co2 tables to be sure I can get my best breath holds as I will do some lifting and underwater escapes for the Globe reporter. Wish me luck. Night all.

The Underwater Cell (UC)

2011-01-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

Hi All,
Ok I have been really bad with updating this blog. I promise that will change. I am going to try and take you through my training for my upcoming escape. This was the official write up of the escape that I posted on my facebook page.

Alexanderia the Great is about to tempt fate again by attempting to escape the deadly Underwater Cell (UC). See me padlocked and submerged underwater in a small tank made of Lexan (bulletproof material). I must escape shackles that the audience will put me in and while trapped underwater somehow escape the padlocked tank before I drown? As Houdini said in his Milk Can escape "Failure means a drowning death". Come see me literally as I will be in a clear tank and will do this without the aid of a curtain so if I am successful you will see how I escape at Lydia's Carnival Sideshow at Life and Death located in Salem’s Museum Place Mall on Jan 15 @ 7:00pm in Salem MA. For ticket info click the link below. http://www.lydiascarnivalsideshow.com I promise this show will be breathtaking.

So what do you think of the escape? Post something here or go to my guestbook on my web site http://www.alexanderiathegreat.com/Guestbook.php or catch me on Facebook at Alexanderia Thegreat.

Introducing Alex

2010-06-20T23:40:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my very first blog entry. My name is Alexanderia the Great. I live just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. I am the mom of three beautiful children. I work as a health club manager and oh by the way, I am an escape artist. Rare for a women as I am one of only a handful of female escape artists in the world.

Now a number of you are probably asking what is an escape artist. Well Dictionary.com defines an escape artist as:
escape artist
–noun
1. an entertainer expert in getting out of handcuffs, ropes, chains, trunks, or other confining devices.
2. an inmate of a prison who has a reputation for being able to escape confinement.
Origin:
1940–45
n. A performer who entertains by escaping from confinement.

To escape is to
–verb (used without object)
1.to slip or get away, as from confinement or restraint; gain or regain liberty: to escape from jail.
2.to slip away from pursuit or peril; avoid capture, punishment, or any threatened evil.
3.to issue from a confining enclosure, as a fluid.
–noun
12.an act or instance of escaping.
13.the fact of having escaped.

—Synonyms
1. flee, abscond, dodge, flee, avoid. Escape, elude, evade mean to keep free of something. To escape is to succeed in keeping away from danger, pursuit, observation, etc.: to escape punishment.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

The figure most responsible for making escapology a recognised entertainment was Harry Houdini, who built his career on demonstrating the ability to escape from a huge variety of restraints and difficult situations. Houdini made no secret of the fact that he was an expert on restraints and the skills needed to overcome them but he often concealed the exact details of his escapes to maintain an air of mystery and suspense. Houdini's feats helped to define the basic repertoire of escapology, including escapes from handcuffs, padlocks, straitjackets, and prison cells.

I love a challenge. In escape no one has really tried to push past what Houdini did. In a world dominated by males I hope to do just that. Not simply duplicate what the master Houdini did but go to the next level. Much of what I will attempt has never been done by a women which for me makes this even more fun.

In this blog I hope to help you to learn more about what I do and why I do it. Stay tuned as this is gonna be a fun ride.

Extremely Yours
Alex

Escaping with Alexanderia the Great

Escaping My Blog

Many Faces of Free Diving

Doing Something Breath-Taking

In Grave Danger by Design - Life of an Escape Artist

Getting Serious

A Magical Summer

Doing it Different (Part 1)

http://www.alexanderiathegreat.com

https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderiatheGreatfans

Next time part 2 of a different way to train.

Going Beyond Houdini Slideshow

Trying to Transform Escapology One Escape at a Time

Training Days

Performing for Houdini?

Catching Up

Mackay Entertainment: Alexanderia the Great

TV Feature on me tonight

Bone Chilling Escape

Photo Shoot with the Globe

Getting ready for the Boston Globe Shoot and UC

The Underwater Cell (UC)

Hi All,Ok I have been really bad with updating this blog. I promise that will change. I am going to try and take you through my training for my upcoming escape. This was the official write up of the escape that I posted on my facebook page.

Introducing Alex

Hi All,
Ok I have been really bad with updating this blog. I promise that will change. I am going to try and take you through my training for my upcoming escape. This was the official write up of the escape that I posted on my facebook page.