Naked blonde ballerina spreads legs and makes splits in the nude
April 21, 2008 – 8:31 pm
Many myths and fallacies have been perpetuated about contortionists; most of them are due to the general public’s unfamiliarity with human anatomy and physiology, 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.
Myth: Contortionists can bend bonelessly in any direction. - The amount of flexibility of every joint in every person varies from below average to extremely flexible, including every degree of flexibility in between. Also, 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.
Myth: 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.
Myth: 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 is loose, stretchy ligaments. (Ligaments hold the joints in place.) Since individuals with EDS 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 due to their stretchy nature. Dislocations can also be performed at will by some, possibly even many, individuals with the condition.
Myth: Women are more apt to be contortionists than men. - 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. Also, medical studies show that nearly equal numbers of hypermobile males and females are found when the trait runs in the family.
Myth: Asians are more flexible than Caucasians. - 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.
