Contortion
Encyclopedia
Contortion is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body
Human body
The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...

. Contortion is often part of acrobatics
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...

 and circus acts. In general, "contortionists" have unusual natural flexibility
Flexibility (anatomy)
Flexibility or limberness refers to the absolute range of movement in a joint or series of joints, and length in muscles that cross the joints. Flexibility is variable between individuals, particularly in terms of differences in muscle length of multi-joint muscles...

, which is then enhanced through gymnastic training, or they put themselves through intense, vigorous and painful training to gain this flexibility.

Skills

Most contortionists are categorized as either "frontbenders" or "backbenders", depending on the direction in which their spine is more flexible. Relatively few performers are equally adept at bending both frontwards and backwards.

Some of the skills performed by contortionists include:
  • Frontbend
    Frontbend
    A frontbend is a contortion position where the body is curved forward at the hips and spine. In an extreme frontbend, some contortionists can place the backs of their knees behind their shoulders.-See also:...

    ing skills such as folding forward at the waist with the legs straight, or placing one or both legs behind the neck or shoulders with the knees bent (called a human knot).
  • Backbend
    Backbend
    A backbend is a common gymnastics, contortion, or dance move, done by standing straight, bending the spine backwards, and catching oneself with the hands...

    ing skills such as touching one's head to one's feet, or all the way to the buttocks (called a head-seat), while standing, lying on the floor, or in a handstand. A Marinelli bend is a backbend while supported only by a grip at the top of a short post that is held in the mouth.
  • Split
    Split (gymnastics)
    A split is a human body configuration in which the legs are parallel to each other and extended in opposite directions. Splits are performed in various athletic activities, including dance, figure skating, gymnastics, martial arts, contortionism, synchronized swimming, cheerleading and yoga...

    s and oversplits (a split of more than 180 degrees) may be included in frontbending or backbending acts. An oversplit may be performed while the feet are supported by two chairs or by two assistants.
  • Enterology is the practice of squeezing one's body into a small, knee-high box or other container which appears to be much too small for a person to fit in.
  • Dislocation
    Dislocation (medicine)
    Joint dislocation, or luxation , occurs when bones in a joint become displaced or misaligned. It is often caused by a sudden impact to the joint. The ligaments always become damaged as a result of a dislocation...

    s of the shoulder
    Shoulder
    The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...

    s or hip joints are sometimes performed as a short novelty act by itself. One example is lifting the arm to the side until it passes behind the head and lies across the top of the shoulders.

Types of performances

Like other visual arts, a contortion performance can convey any of several emotions, depending on the choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...

 and costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...

s that are chosen, as well as the personality and acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....

 skills of the performer. Performers might choose a style that is beautiful, athletic, weird, shocking, sensual, erotic or humorous, and each has fans that prefer that particular style, sometimes to the exclusion of other styles.

Contortion may be incorporated into other types of performances:
  • An adagio
    Adagio (circus skill)
    Adagio is the performance of partner acrobalance poses and associated movements that involve stationary balances by a pair of performers. It is performed in professional circus, in various dance disciplines including acro dance and ballet, in pair skating, and as a hobby in university circus...

     act is an acrobatic dance in which one partner lifts and carries the other partner as she/he performs splits and other flexible poses.
  • In a rag doll or golliwog act, one or two assistants bend, shake and carry the contortionist in such a way as to convince the audience that the disguised performer is actually a limp, life-sized doll. The act often ends by stuffing the doll into a small box.
  • Contortion positions can be performed on a Spanish web
    Spanish web
    The Spanish web is an aerial circus skill, similar in appearance and style to corde lisse. The name refers to both the apparatus and the performance....

    , an aerial act consisting of a rope with a hand/foot loop that is spun by someone underneath.
  • Contortionists might manipulate props during their performance, for instance spinning hula hoop
    Hula hoop
    A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck.Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history...

    s or juggling rings, balancing towers of wine glasses, or playing a musical instrument.

A contortionist may perform alone, may have one or two assistants, or up to four contortionists may perform together as a group.
In the past, contortionists were associated almost exclusively with circuses and fairs, but recently they have also found work performing in nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...

s, amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...

s, in magazine advertisements, at trade shows, on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...

s, in music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

s, and as warmup acts or in the background at music concerts.
The Ross Sisters
The Ross Sisters
The Ross Sisters were a trio of female sibling singing dancers consisting of Aggie Ross, Elmira Ross, and Maggie Ross . The Ross Sisters performed as a 3-part harmony trio wherein they also danced and did acrobatics and contortionism...

 were American contortionists most famous for their musical number in the 1940s movie Broadway Rhythm
Broadway Rhythm
Broadway Rhythm is an MGM Technicolor musical film. It was produced by Jack Cummings and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film was originally announced as Broadway Melody of 1944 to follow MGM's Broadway Melody films of 1929, 1936, 1938, and 1940. The movie was originally slated to star Eleanor...

. In addition, contortion photos and digital movie clips are traded by fans on the Internet, and several web sites provide original photos of contortion acts for a monthly fee, or sell videotapes of performances through the mail.

Myths

Many myths and fallacies have been perpetuated about contortionists; most of them are because of the general public's unfamiliarity with human anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...

 and physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...

, while some are showman's hype that has been invented by the performers themselves or their promoters in order to make the act appear even more mysterious.
  • Contortionists apply snake oil
    Snake oil
    Snake oil is a topical preparation made from the Chinese Water Snake , which is used to treat joint pain. However, the most common usage of the phrase is as a derogatory term for quack medicine...

     to their joints or drink special elixirs to become flexible.
    — This was a popular myth in the 19th century when medicine shows hired contortionists to "prove" the effectiveness of their arthritis medicines. Their extreme bending was not actually the result of their patent medicine
    Patent medicine
    Patent medicine refers to medical compounds of questionable effectiveness sold under a variety of names and labels. The term "patent medicine" is somewhat of a misnomer because, in most cases, although many of the products were trademarked, they were never patented...

    s. Flexibility is the result of either genetics or intense physical training or, more likely, both. This myth has inspired fictional characters like the Elongated Man
    Elongated Man
    The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...

    .
  • "Double-jointed" people have more joints than most people do. — Every fully formed person has the same number of joints. "Double-jointed" is a slang expression used to describe the appearance of a person who can bend much further than one might think a joint would allow a limb to bend. In spite of the origin of the word, it is an acceptable expression to describe a person who is hypermobile
    Hypermobility
    Hypermobility describes joints that stretch farther than is normal. For example, some hypermobile people can bend their thumbs backwards to their wrists, bend their knee joints backwards, put their leg behind the head or other contortionist performances...

    .
  • Contortionists have to dislocate their joints when they bend unusually far. — Since some loose-jointed people are able to pop a joint out of its socket without pain, it may be hard to tell whether a joint is actually dislocated without an x-ray. However, as long as the joint socket is the right shape, most extreme bends can be achieved without dislocating the joint. Actual dislocations are rarely used during athletic contortion acts since they make the joint more unstable and prone to injury, and a dislocated limb cannot lift itself or support any weight.
  • Contortionists can bend bonelessly in any direction. — The degree of natural flexibility of one joint in a certain direction does not determine its degree of flexibility in the opposite direction or the flexibility of other joints in the body. Contortionists can create the illusion of having boneless bodies by specializing in the skills that show off their most flexible joints with the help of their acting talent and mime skills.
  • You are either born a contortionist or you're not. — Muscle flexibility can be acquired with persistent training, as long as the shape of the bones in the joint do not limit the range of motion. There are a relatively small number of professional performers who claim they were not unusually flexible before undergoing years of intense training. Those who have naturally flexible joints, however, start out with an advantage, both in knowing that they have an aptitude for contortion and the amount of flexibility they can eventually achieve.
  • Most contortionists have Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. — In reality, few contortionists have the condition. EDS is genetic, considered rare, and caused by defective collagen production. One result of this defective collagen production in individuals with Type 3 Ehlers–Danlos syndrome is loose, stretchy ligaments. (Ligaments hold the joints in place.) Since individuals with EDS can often have stretchy ligaments, they tend to be more flexible than the general population. In fact, some - but not all - individuals with EDS exhibit extreme flexibility. Another feature of EDS is spontaneous joint dislocations. The dislocations are caused by the ligaments' inability to hold the joints in place because of their stretchy nature. Dislocations can also be performed at will by some, possibly even many, individuals with the condition. The same can said for individuals with Cleidocranial dysostosis
    Cleidocranial dysostosis
    Cleidocranial dysostosis, also called Cleidocranial dysplasia, is a hereditary congenital disorder due to haploinsufficiency caused by mutations in the CBFA1 gene also called Runx2, located on the short arm of chromosome 6....

    .
  • Women are more apt to be contortionists than men. — The average woman tends to be more limber than the average man, but pictures of contortionists throughout history and around the world, taken as a whole, show nearly equal numbers of males and females. Western contortionists in the late 19th century were mostly men, just as extreme flexibility in modern India is practiced mostly by men.
  • Asians are more flexible than Caucasians
    White people
    White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...

    .
    — While the art of contortion may be more popular in Eastern cultures, the level of flexibility is more a result of individual variation and training methods than ethnicity. Even though more Asian contortionists are seen on stage, this does not mean Asians are naturally more flexible than Caucasians.

list of notable contortionists

  • Abbey Sandler
  • Alexey Goloborodko
    Alexey Goloborodko
    Alexey I. Goloborodko pronounced:- Al-ix-EY Ga-la-ba-RROJ-ka is acontortionist, who has been described by many as the most flexible human on the planet. He was born in Tula, Russia, in December 1994. As well as contortion and flexibility, he has trained in classical and modern dance, and Chinese...

  • Alina Ruppel
  • Angharad Preece
  • Arne Arnardo
    Arne Arnardo
    -Further reading:...

  • Christine Danton
    Christine Danton
    Christine Danton , professionally billed as "The Amazing Cristina" is an Australian contortionist who is still performing her contortion act at the age of 67. Now celebrating over 50 years as a professional performer,...

     (The Amazing Cristina)
  • Daniel Browning Smith ("The Most Flexible Man in The World")
  • Doug Jones
    Doug Jones (actor)
    Doug Jones is an American film and television actor best known to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans for his various roles playing non-human characters, often in heavy makeup, in films and television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth and Fantastic Four: Rise...

  • Gana Ganchimeg Oyunchimeg
  • Irina Kazakova
  • Jessica Guadix
  • Lazarus Gitu
  • Lilia Stepanova
    Lilia Stepanova
    Lilia Stepanova is a contortionist. She was born in Chişinău, Moldova, to parents who were also contortionists. She started training with her mother at the age of five....

  • Madame Tsend-Ayush
  • Major Zamora
    Major Zamora
    Major Zamora was a dime museum performer in the late 1890s. Born in St. Johns, Zamora was a physical dwarf who specialized in feats of contortionism and enterology and, as an offshoot of this, was a feature escape artist before the advent of Houdini...

  • Michael 'The German' Brown
  • Olga Pikhienko
    Olga Pikhienko
    Olga Pikhienko . Pikhienko started in rhythmic gymnastics at the age of five. When she was eleven, she started performing with her father, Sasha Pikhienko, at the Nikulin Circus based in Moscow. Olga's act with her father won them a gold medal in 1992 at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in...

  • Pina Conti
    Pina Conti
    Pina Conti is an Australian contortionist from Perth. She has performed in many countries as well as Australia. A former dancer she turned to contortion and appeared in a local television talent show...

  • Richard Rosson
    Richard Rosson
    Richard Rosson is a British contortionist who has come to some prominence in the British media in recent years. He has appeared on a variety of television shows, including Channel 4 News, The Richard and Judy Show, and the Saturday morning children's show Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow...

  • Ross Sisters
  • Saleem Chaudhri
  • Serchmaa Byamba
  • Xarjg
  • Zlata
  • Japanese actress Takako Fuji
    Takako Fuji
    is a Japanese actress and seiyū with strong ties to theatre.-Biography:A native of Tokyo, Honshū Island, Japan who was born there in 1972, Fuji studied acting at the Aoyama Gakuin University, and subsequently joined the Ein Theatrical Company. Her work was usually on-stage or in voice-over studios,...

     is a well-trained contorionist.
  • F(x)'s
    F(x) (band)
    f is a five member South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment in 2009. The name is a play on the mathematical notation for function, and when input with different 'x', there can be many different outcomes. f strives to be the kind of girl group that can change and adapt to many situations....

    Victoria
    Victoria Song
    Song Qian , better known as Victoria Song or mononymously as Victoria was born February 2, 1987, is a Chinese singer, dancer and model, leader of the 5 member South Korean girl group f....

    is known for her flexibility.

External links

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