How are contortionists able to do what they do?

Most people assume that contortionists are able to bend their bodies in extraordinary shapes because they are double jointed. According to mainstream medicine, however, double-joints do not exist. Rather, contortionists are highly flexible in several key joints, and especially in the spine.

How many hours a day do contortionists train?

Many contortionists do contortion stretching at least one to three hours a day to ensure their bodies stay flexible.

What is wrong with contortionists?

The secret to his extraordinary flexibility, Smith said, is a rare medical condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). “It’s a collagen disorder, and it makes me very, very flexible,” said Smith. The syndrome can cause extreme elasticity of the joints and skin.

What is a flexible person called?

Daniel Browning Smith is known as a contortionist, or a person who is much more flexible than the average human. Contortionists move their limbs and bodies in ways beyond what most people are capable of doing.

Are contortionists healthy?

Risks. A medical publication from 2008 suggests that long-term damage to the spine, called scoliosis, is common in long-term contortion practitioners. A study of five practitioners using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by Peoples et al. documented limbus vertebrae, intervertebral disc bulges, and disc degeneration.

Are contortionists normal?

Contortion by definition, is the physical display of dramatic flexing, bending, and twisting of the human body out of its normal limitations. Typically, contortionists have an unusual innate flexibility that they perfect with stretching and training. Contortionists have been around since man’s earliest civilizations.

Do contortionists have back problems later in life?

A medical publication from 2008 suggests that long-term damage to the spine, called scoliosis, is common in long-term contortion practitioners. A study of five practitioners using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by Peoples et al. documented limbus vertebrae, intervertebral disc bulges, and disc degeneration.

What is the hardest contortion move?

“Thanks to my training, one of the hardest contortion moves I can do is called the triple fold, it’s a very deep back bending skill and it can be difficult to breathe in. “I perform the skill in most of my acts and it gets a great reaction from the audience.”

Is Sofie Dossi a contortionist?

Sofie Dossi is a self-taught contortionist and hand balancer. She became captivated at age 12 after watching an online video.

Who is the most flexible person on earth?

Daniel Browning Smith
Daniel Browning Smith has been named the most flexible man alive. Smith discovered his extreme flexibility when he was barely four years old. He could jump off a bunk bed and land in a split as a four-year-old in his home in Mississippi. That’s when he decided to become one of the best contortionists in the world.

How did Sofie Dossi get so flexible?

Dossi did start building some of her contortion skills when she trained in gymnastics and dance as a kid, but that was just the jumping off point. “I always loved gymnastics and dance and it was like combine those two together, plus my unique skill of having a flexible back,” she shared in an interview with ABC News.

Who is the most famous contortionist in the world?

Daniel Browning Smith, also known as The Rubberboy (born May 8, 1979), is an American contortionist, actor, television host, comedian, sports entertainer, and stuntman, who holds the title of the most flexible person in history, owning a total of seven Guinness World Records.

What kind of art does a contortionist do?

Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is a performance art in which performers called contortionists showcase their skills of extreme physical flexibility. Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers and other live performing arts. Contortion acts are typically performed in front of a live audience.

How is a contortion act performed in a circus?

Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers and other live performing arts. Contortion acts are typically performed in front of a live audience. An act will showcase one or more artists performing a choreographed set of moves or poses, often to music, which require extreme flexibility.

What are the different types of Contortion acts?

Contortion acts are highly variable; many incorporate elements of humor, drama, shock, sensuality, or a blend of styles. Contortion may be incorporated into other types of performance, such as dance and theater.

How is contortion used in dance and theater?

Contortion may be incorporated into other types of performance, such as dance and theater. An adagio act is an acrobatic dance in which one partner lifts and carries the other partner as she/he performs splits and other flexible poses.