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Contortion FAQ
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Section 1 - About this FAQSection 1.1 CopyrightThis document is copyright 2009 by Steven Santos / Simply Circus, Inc. (www.SimplyCircus.com), all rights reserved. This document can not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of Steven Santos / Simply Circus, Inc. This includes posting this FAQ to any other website without permission. If you run a contortion program and want to post a copy of this FAQ on your website, print it up and distribute it to your students, or make other such use of it, you need to ask first. Section 1.2 Who is this written for?While we recognize that the information in this document may be useful to others studying the art of contortion, this FAQ was written and is primarily intended as a classroom aid for Simply Circus Contortion students. Section 1.3 DisclaimerContortion is inherently dangerous. Damage to persons and property, including death, can result. This FAQ is an attempt to share knowledge and experience and to promote safety. But do not rely on anything you read here without verifying its accuracy and applicability to what you are doing. Neither the authors of this FAQ nor Simply Circus Inc. makes any representations as to the safety or appropriateness of any practice or equipment recommendation contained herein. Always consult with your own qualified expert. ** If you do follow any practices presented here, ** It is very important that each of us understands the limitations of our own knowledge, experience and ability. We need to know what we don�t know, and know what we can and can't do safely. If you have any doubt at all, get professional expert help. We also make no representation about the legality of any particular practice. All jurisdictions have codes and regulations which may apply to what you are doing. Be sure to ensure your compliance with all such applicable codes and regulations, as well as any limitations which may be required by insurance companies. Section 1.4 I have something that should be added to this FAQ, or a question that's not answered here, who can I contact?Contact us at: Section 2 - History of ContortionThe 'bender' was present in virtually all ancient civilizations in some degree or other. Paintings and sculptures from ancient Egypt, Greece, Eturia, Rome (and many other ancient cultures) have all featured contortionists. The near universal presence of contortionists in these ancient cultures indicates that the art was likely practiced from the very beginnings of civilization. Some parts of contortion history are better known than others. For example, we know that Contortion was first featured in a Roman circus because the producers needed a form of entertainment that was less expensive than the killings that usually went on. As the story goes, the producer found a Yogi beggar practicing in the streets of Rome, and hired him on the spot. The practice of using contortionists soon spread to other coliseums, and eventually to other forms of entertainment. Contortion has played an important part in entertainment, dance, art and literature. In recent times many European artists have chosen contortionists for models, and Mr. R. Tait McKenzie, noted portrayer of athletic sculpture, used the same type of model for several of his bronzes. Earlier we talked a little about the Roman Yogi in the coliseum. That contortionist is commonly believed to have been a Yogi or a practitioner of the Hindu system of religion and health known as Yoga. In the course of daily meditations, yoga practitioners (or Yogi's) assume various contortion poses. Each of these poses is supposed to induce specific bodily and spiritual benefits. Yoga long ago assigned names to these postures that are still in common use today, and are included in this FAQ where possible. Section 3 - Contortion Facts and MythsShowmen have long hyped contortion acts using both facts and myths about contortion to make the act appear more mysterious. Here we present you with some of the more commonly asked contortion myths and facts Q. Do Contortionists apply snake oil to their joints to become flexible?A. No, snake oil does not make you more flexible, though it is used in Chinese medicine as a remedy for inflammation and pain in the joints. Q. Do Contortionists eat or drink special elixirs to become flexible? A. False. Every fully-formed human has exactly the same number of joints*. The term "Double-jointed" is a slang expression used to describe the appearance of a person who can bend much further than the average person. (*a small number of people are born with an extra lumbar vertebra, extra finger, etc.) Q. Is it true that contortionists have to dislocate their joints when they
bend unusually far? Q. Is it true that you are either born a contortionist or you're not? While there are a relatively few professional contortionists who claim they were not unusually flexible before training in contortion, many of the worlds best contortionists started off with a normal range of motion. Those whose genetics predispose them to being naturally flexible start out with an advantage, but that advantage does not usually last very long without the hard work and training to go with it. Q. Is it true that most contortionists have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?A. No. While a few well-known contortionists have EDS, the reality is that very few contortionists have the condition. EDS is a fairly rare group of genetic conditions that all exhibit defective collagen production. The most common type of EDS is the Hypermobility Type, witch often includes unstable, hyper flexible joints with a painful tendency to dislocate. Q. Is it true that women are more apt to be contortionists than men? If we are to look through the various archives of contortion pictures throughout history and around the world, taken as a whole, they 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. Q. Is it true that contortion runs in families? A. 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. Q. Is it true that you can only bend or twist the spine? The cervical spine (the top 7 vertebrae) *is* designed for both twisting and
bending at the same time. The top two vertebrae in the cervical spine - the
atlas and the axis - are designed specifically for rotation. These vertebra
allows your neck (cervical spine) to both bend and twist (and do both together)
safely. The Section 4 - General information about practicing contortionSection 4.1 - What you should know before beginning contortionSection 4.2 - What age should you start contortion Section 4.3 - Clothing for contortion Section 4.4 - About the spine
Q. Can you tell me about the forward and backwards curve of the spine? Q. Why is the spine divided into the regions that it is?
Section 5 - Contortion StretchesWhat follows is a list of the more common contortion stretches. I won't claim that this list does much more than scratch the surface at the moment, but we will keep adding to it in the hope that this eventually become a very useful resource. Section 5.1 - Head and Neck Stretches
Section 5.2 - Arm and Shoulder Stretches
Section 5.3 - Front Bends
Section 5.4 - Back Bends
Section 5.5 - Twists
Section 5.6 - Leg Stretches
Section 5.7 - S stretches
Section 5.8 - Chest Stands
Section 6 - Contortion Balances Section 6.1 - Standing Balances
Section 6.2 - Hand Balances
Section 7 - Contortion Movements Section 7.1 - Rolls
Section 7.2 - Tumbling Skills
Section 7.3 - Dance steps Section 8 - Control Exercises
Section 9 - Class Resources Section 9.1 -
Contortion definitions
Centrum – The body of a vertebra. Cervical – The neck region of the spine containing the first seven vertebrae. Cobb Angle Measurement – Calculated by selecting the upper and lower end vertebrae in a curve. Erecting perpendiculars to their transverse axes. At their point of intersection, the angle is measured to indicate the curve's angle. Coccyx – The region of the spine below the sacrum. It is also known as the tailbone. Compensatory Curve – A curve, which can be structural, above or below a major curve that tends to maintain normal body alignment. Compression – The act of pressing together – refers to the loss of vertebral body height either anteriorly, posteriorly or both. Coronal – Refers to a section that divides the body into anterior and posterior portions. Disc (Intervertebral) – The tough, elastic structure that is between the bodies of spinal vertebrae. The disc consists of an outer annulus fibrosus enclosing an inner nucleus pulposus. Distal – Situated away from the center of the body. End Vertebra – i. The most cephalad (i.e. toward the head) vertebra of a curve, whose superior surface tilts maximally toward the concavity of the curve. ii. The most caudad (i.e. toward the coccyx) vertebra whose inferior surface tilts maximally toward the concavity of the curve. Facet – A posterior structure of a vertebra which articulates with a facet of an adjacent vertebra to form a facet joint that allows motion in the spinal column. Each vertebra has two superior and two inferior facets. Foramen – A natural opening or passage in bone. Fusion – Union or healing of bone. Gibbus – A sharply angular kyphos. Iliac Bone – A part of the pelvic bone that is above the hip joint and from which autogenous bone grafts are frequently obtained. Iliac Crest – The large, prominent portion of the pelvic bone at the belt line of the body. Intervertebral Disc – See Disc. Inferior – Situated below or directed downward. Joint – The junction or articulation of two or more bones that permits varying degrees of motion between the bones. Kyphosis – An abnormal increase in the normal kyphotic curvature of the thoracic spine. Lamina – An anatomical portion of a vertebra. For each vertebra, two lamina connect the pedicles to the spinous process as part of the neural arch. Lateral – Situated away from the midline of the body. Ligament – A band of flexible, fibrous connective tissue that is attached at the end of a bone near a joint. The main function of a ligament is to attach bones to one another, to provide stability of a joint, and to prevent or limit some joint motion. Lordosis – An abnormal increase in the normal lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine. Lumbar – The lower part of the spine between the thoracic region and the sacrum. The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae. Medial – Situated closer to the midline of the body. Nerve Root – The bony arch of the posterior aspect of a vertebra that surrounds the spinal cord, also referred to as the vertebral arch. Non–Union – Failure of the fragments of a fractured bone to heal or to obtain bony fusion following an arthrodesis. Nucleus Pulposus – The semi–gelatinous tissue in the center of an intervertebral disc. It is surrounded and contained by the annulus fibrosus which prevents this material from protruding outside the disc space. Pedicle – The part of each side of the neural arch of a vertebra. It connects the lamina with the vertebral body. Physical Therapy – The treatment consisting of exercising specific parts of the body such as the legs, arms, hands or neck, in an effort to strengthen, regain range of motion, relearn movement and/or rehabilitate the musculoskeletal system to improve function. Posterior – Located behind a structure, such as relating to the back side of the human body. Proximal – Nearest the center of the body. Pseudoarthrosis (also Pseudarthrosis) – A form of a non–union in which there is the formation of a false joint with some cartilage covering the ends of the bones and a cavity containing fluid that resembles a normal joint. Rib Hump – The prominence of the ribs on the convexity of a spinal curvature, usually due to vertebral rotation best exhibited on forward bending. Rotation – The movement of one vertebra to another about its normal or abnormal coronal axis. Sacrum – A part of the spine that is also part of the pelvis. It articulates with the ilia at the sacroiliac joints and articulates with the lumbar spine at the lumbosacral joint. The sacrum consists of five fused vertebrae that have no intervertebral discs. Sagittal – Refers to a lengthwise cut that divides the body into right and left portions. Scoliosis – Lateral (sideways) curvature of the spine. Skeleton – The rigid framework of bones that gives form to the body, protects and supports the soft organs and tissues, and provides attachments for muscles. Spinal Stenosis – Reduction in the diameter of the spinal canal due to new bone formation which may result in pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. Spinal Disc – See Disc (Intervertebral). Spinal Column – See Spine. Spinal Canal – The bony channel that is formed by the intravertebral foramen of the vertebrae and in which contains the spinal cord and nerve roots. Spinal Cord – The longitudinal cord of nerve tissue that is enclosed in the spinal canal. It serves not only as a pathway for nervous impulses to and from the brain, but as a center for carrying out and coordinating many reflex actions independently of the brain. Spine – The flexible bone column extending from the base of the skull to the tailbone. It is made up of 33 bones, known as vertebrae. The first 24 vertebrae are separated by discs known as intervertebral discs, and bound together by ligaments and muscles. Five vertebrae are fused together to form the sacrum and 4 vertebrae are fused together to form the coccyx. The spine is also referred to as the vertebral column, spinal column, or backbone. Superior – Situated above or directed upward toward the head of an individual. Tendon – The fibrous band of tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is mainly composed of collagen. Thoracic – The chest level region of the spine that is located between the cervical and lumbar vertebrae. It consists of 12 vertebrae which serve as attachment points for ribs. Transverse – Refers to a cut that divides the body into superior and inferior portions. Vertebra – One of the 33 bones of the spinal column. A cervical, thoracic, or lumbar vertebra has a cylindrically–shaped body anteriorly and a neural arch posteriorly (composed primarily of the laminae and pedicles as well as the other structures in the posterior aspect of the vertebra) that protects the spinal cord. The plural of vertebra is vertebrae. Vertebral End–Plates – The superior and inferior plates of cortical bone of the vertebral body adjacent to the intervertebral disc.
Section 10 - Contortion ResourcesContortionists Unite . Social networking community for contortionists, trainers and fans (make sure to friend SimplyCircus if you join!)
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Q. What are the parts of
the back?
