A Timeout for the N.B.A.'s Halftime Performers Is ...

Simon Arestov and Lyric Wallenda Arestov, a husband and wife team that does a balancing routine on a circus prop called the rolla bolla, have ... SteveMaxwhenarenaswerefilledtocapacity.Credit>SteveMax By ScottCacciolaofTheNewYorkTimesJan.4,2021, 3:00a.m.ETSteveMaxusuallyspendshiswinterstellingbigcrowdsatbasketballarenastoputtheirhandsupandtotouchtheirshouldersandtocovertheireyes.MaxisaprofessionalSimonSayscallerwhotravelsthecountryentertainingfansathalftime.OratleastthatwashislineofworkuntilMarch,whenthecoronaviruspandemicemptiedarenasandrenderedhismicrophonesilent.Forthepastninemonths,MaxhasbeenathomeinWhitePlains,N.Y.,doingwhathecantokeepbusy.Inadditionto updatinghiswebsite,hehastriedtoadaptto theseweirdtimes withanudgefromhiswife,LindaHarelick.Afterreadingabouthowananimalsanctuarywasmakinggoatsavailableforcameosoncorporatevideocalls,sheofferedasuggestion:Ifthosegoatscanmakemoney,socanyou.“SoIturnedmydenintoaZoomstudio,”Max,whowasbornSteveHarelick,saidinatelephoneinterview.“I’vegotsomethingonThursdayforErnst&Young.”AbackstageviewofSteveMax’snewmarketplacenowthatthepandemichasquietedhisSimonSaysshows.AnicheindustryforhalftimeentertainerslikeMax,58,hasdisappearedduringthepandemic.ThoughafewN.B.A.teamsbegantheseasonwithlimitednumbersofspectators—andsomeareallowingtheirdanceteamstoperformintheaisles—nonearehiringhalftimeentertainers.Contortionists,acrobats,Frisbee-catchingdogs—theyareallbidingtheirtime,waitingfortheshowtogoon.GaryBorstelmann,whodoesahandstandatopateeteringtowerofchairs inhisactastheAmazingSladek,hasbeensupplementinghisdailyhourlongworkouts—lotsofhandstands,lotsofstretching—byhaulingacoupleofhischairsouttothefrontlawnafewtimesaweek.Heknowsheneedstostayinshape.“Ifyousawmepracticing,you’dbelike,‘Oh,he’sonlybalancingontwochairs,’”hesaid.“Buttheintensityofsixchairsisinmyface.”GaryBorstelmann,whoisbetterknownastheAmazingSladek,performedathalftimeduringthe2019N.B.A.playoffs.Credit>MarkSobhani/NBAE,viaGettyImagesSimonArestovandLyricWallendaArestov, ahusbandandwifeteamthatdoesabalancingroutine onacircuspropcalledtherollabolla,havehadtoexplainsomehardrealitiestotheir3-year-oldson,Alex,whooftenparticipatesintheiract’sgrandfinale.“HeseesourcostumesbecauseI’mrepairingthemandmakingsureeverythingisreadytogowheneverwegetthecall,”WallendaArestovsaid.“Andhe’slike:‘Mom,that’smycostume!Whenarewegoingtodoabasketballshow?’Anditbreaksmyheart,becausehemissesit,too.”Beyondthefinancialimpact—halftimeentertainerstypicallymake$1,500to$5,000ashow—theeffectsofthepandemichavebeenfeltwithintheircommunity.DavidMaas,whohadapopularactcalledQuickChangewithhiswife,DaniaKaseeva, diedofCovid-19inNovember.“Myheartgoesouttoallmyfriendswhoareinthisbusiness,”saidJonTerry,abookingagentforhalftimeperformerswhoisbasedinOklahoma.“Thesearecreativepeople,andinmanycases,it’stheirsoleincome.Someoftheseguysweremakingsix-figureincomes,andyoudropthatoutandthere’snoplaceforthemtodoanythingelse.”Andtheyallcanrecallinvividdetailthedaythateverythingchanged.OnMarch11,ArestovandWallendaArestov,whoareboth36,wereathomeinSarasota,Fla.,preparingtotraveltoNewYorksotheycouldperformattheBigEastConferencemen’sbasketballtournamentatMadisonSquareGarden—oneofabout30halftimeshowstheydofortheN.B.A.andtheN.C.A.A.eachyear.Butthatnight, RudyGobertoftheUtahJazztestedpositive forthecoronavirusbeforeagameagainsttheOklahomaCityThunder,andthephonecallsooncamefromaconferenceofficial:Thetournamentwasgoingtolimitattendance.Itwassoon canceledaltogether.SimonArestovandLyricWallendaArestov,ahusbandandwifeteamthatdoesabalancingroutineonacontraptioncalledtherollabolla,oftenincludetheir3-year-oldson,Alex,intheiract.Credit>CourtesyMadisonSquareGardenAtthetime,thecouplehadalonglistofN.B.A.halftimeslinedupfortherestoftheseason.Theywerealsoplanningtobounceamongfestivalsandcircusesduringthesummermonthsintheir43-footrecreationvehicle,sometimesperformingtwoorthreetimesaday.Onaverage,theydoabout400showsayear.SinceMarch,thecouplehasperformedexactlyfourtimes.Theirreturnafterasix-monthhiatuscameinSeptemberattheJuniataCountyFairinPortRoyal,Pa.Theybothcried.“Iforgotwhatitwasliketobeinfrontofanaudience,”Arestovsaid.TheyhavesinceperformedatacircusinIndiana,ataprivateeventforahotelandataToysforTotsfund-raiser.Theyhavemixedfeelingsaboutdoingtheiractatall.Theyhavewantedtodotheirpartduringthepandemic,theysaid,whichhasmostlymeantstayinghome.MaasofQuickChangewasdistantlyrelatedtoLyricthroughmarriage.Foracouplewhotypicallyspendabout300daysontheroadayear,ithasbeenanadjustment.“Ithinkwe’vewatchedeverythingonNetflix,”saidArestov,whoestimatedtheyhadlostabout95percentoftheirincomefortheyear.“We’retryingtostaypositive.Wecanseealightattheendofthetunnelwiththevaccines,butwe’vebeenjugglingourfinancesbecausetherehasn’tbeenalotofhelpfromthegovernmentforourindustry.”Borstelmannhadlongthoughthewouldretireat65.At62,healreadyconsidershimself—andtakeadeepbreath,here—thecountry’soldestdaredevilacrobatichandbalancer.ThereisanelementofphysicalriskthatBorstelmanntakeseverytimehedoeshishandstandabout25feetabovecentercourt.“I’mtheonlyoneofthehalftimeperformerswhoactuallyriskshislife,youknow?”hesaid.“IfIfall,I’mprobablynotgettingup.”Butthepandemichasalteredhistimeline—andinasurprisingway.“Now,”Borstelmannsaid,“IwanttogountilI’m70.I’mnotlettingthepandemicretireme.”AfterdoingahalftimeshowatGrandCanyonUniversityinPhoenixonMarch7,BorstelmannpackeduphisChryslerminivanandmadethefour-daycross-countrydrivetoGreensboro,N.C.,wherehewasscheduledtoperformduringtheAtlanticCoastConferencemen’sbasketballtournament.About15minutesafterhecheckedintohishotelonMarch11,hegotthenewsthatconferenceofficialswerecancelingthetournament.BorstelmannsatonhisbedwatchingESPN’s“SportsCenter”andtriedto digestwhatitallmeant.“Ilostmylast12contracts,”Borstelmannsaid.“Thathitmehard.Mygosh.That’sprobablythemoneythatI’mabletosavefromawholeseasonafterexpensesandeverythingelse.”BasketballisBorstelmann’sbreadandbutter.Hedoesabout40halftimesayear,hopscotchingacrossthecountryinhisminivan.(Hedoesnottrustairlinebaggagehandlerswithhiscustom-builtchairs.)Butforthepastninemonths,BorstelmannhasbeenathomeinNewSmyrnaBeach,Fla.,withhis90-year-oldmother,Grace,andhis33-year-olddaughter,KerriGrace,whoreturnedtoFloridaafterleavingherteachingjobinHongKong.“I’marealfamilyguy,”Borstelmannsaid,“sothat’sbeenasilverlining.”Borstelmannwithhisparentsin2015.Credit>SarahBethGlicksteenforTheNewYorkTimesInhis40yearsasanacrobat,Borstelmannsays,hehasneverfallen.HedidtearahamstringinhisleftlegwhiledoingaforwardflipashemadehisentranceatanOrlandoMagicgamein2017,buthewentaheadwithhisroutineanyway—andfinishedouthisseasonwithoutmissinganyofhisscheduledperformances.“Iwasinsomuchpain,bro,”hesaid.Herealizesthathecannotdothisforever.Hewillknowitistimetostepaway,hesaid,whenheloseshisnerveorhisstrengthandhenolongerfeelssafe.Butthepandemic,initsownway,hasofferedaglimpseatlifewithoutthebrightlights,andhecannotseehimselfpackinguphischairsanytimesoon.“Forfiveminutes,”hesaid,“I’matcentercourtandI’mconnectingwiththecrowdandI’mtheAmazingSladek.WhenIcan’tdothisanymore,I’mjustSladek,man.”Inthatsense,Maxsaidhefeltfortunate.HecandohisSimonSaysactforanother20years.“I’mnotflippingofftablesorpullinganymuscles,”hesaid.“Forme,theonlyexerciseisifIhaveatightconnectioninPhoenix,andIhavetorunfromTerminalAtoTerminalD.”AsateenagerinNewJersey,Maxlearnedtojuggleandworkedthelocalcircuitdoingmagicshows.“Iwouldbalancestuffonmyface—chairsandtables,”hesaid.Theappeal,hesaid,wasbringingjoytopeople—makingthemsmile,makingthemlaugh.And videocallscannotfullyreplicate theexperienceofinteractingwithaliveaudience.“I’vebeenmissingitdesperately,”Maxsaid.“Imisshangingoutwiththemascots.It’snotjustabusinessarrangementwiththeteams.Thesepeoplearemyfriends.”Maxhasbigplansforhispost-pandemicreturn.HewantstobreaktheworldrecordforthelargestgroupofpeopleplayingSimonSaysatthesametime.“Ithinkthat’stheperfecttimetodoit,”hesaid,“whenpeoplearebacktogether.” 22 2Comments Like Comment Share Peter(bubba)Fanelli Ifyourgoingtofall,fallforward. Like Signintolikethiscomment Reply Signintoreplytothiscomment 1Like 1y Reportthiscomment DanielleDardashti SteveMax-Yourock!!!!IwanttobetherewhenyoubreaktheworldrecordforbiggestSimonSaysgame! Like Signintolikethiscomment Reply Signintoreplytothiscomment 1Like 1y Reportthiscomment Seemorecomments Tovieworaddacomment,signin Tovieworaddacomment,signin ENTERTAINERSNAVIGATEAPANDEMIC Feb28,2021