Melissa's Thoughts on Contortion
(and being a contortionist)
by Melissa Miller
Many people see contortion as something unusual, weird, or
even "freakish". It's an activity that isn't seen every day, so
therefore, is out of the norm. It's quite the contrary for me.
Contortion has become my way of life. Something I think about almost
constantly. It's part of me that has made my life more enjoyable and
fulfilling.
There's more to contortion than merely bending into unusual
positions. Being flexible or double-jointed is, of course, the
foundation of contortion, but is, by no means the only skill needed.
It's an art form that requires strength, grace, balance, and of course
dedication.
For me, my flexibility also acts as an escape. The freedom I feel
when stretching is unsurpassed. No matter what the world throws at
me, all is pushed aside once I start stretching. You could say that,
in a way, contortion is my "happy place"…. a place where stress,
worries, and problems can't reach me, and I’m truly blissful within
myself.
Contortion, to me, also means not only flexibility of the body, but
of the mind as well. Since I began contorting, I have learned much
more than simply stretching. I have been enlightened in the areas of
art, history, culture, and even my own body. My practice has served
as one of my greatest learning tools. I know that as my flexibility
increases, my knowledge also will. Yet another reason I love contortion.
A lot of people ask me why I contort. To them I reply, “There are
four answers to that question”. I have four reasons for doing what I
do. The first is Leslie, my mother, an amazingly smart and
beautiful woman. She was a dancer for several years, as well as a
gymnastics coach and dance teacher. When I came into her life, she
introduced me to stretching in her own fun loving way. As an infant,
I was of course naturally flexible like all babies, so Leslie would
incorporate my flexibility into little games. By using this natural
suppleness, she allowed my muscles and tendons to remain "stretchy",
and gave me the foundation of flexibility I would need later in life
to practice contortion. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't know the
freedom I do now.
I was surfing the internet at an insanely late hour, half asleep,
when I stumbled across a picture on the Contortion Homepage. I have yet to figure out how it happened, but
I’m glad it did. It was the first photo of an actual contortionist
that I’d ever seen. The second I saw that woman sitting on her head,
with a smile that could brighten the darkest depths of the ocean, I
knew contortion was my calling. I knew there was something wonderful
about this beautiful art form, and I was going to find out first hand.
My third reason is, I would think, very obvious. I LOVE
contortion! Since I began increasing my flexibility, not a moment
goes by that I’m not thinking of a new way to bend. Or how I could
incorporate contortion into whatever activity I may be doing at the
moment. I hope that I have been able to, and will continue showing
this unique art form to those who, like me, had not had the
opportunity to witness this talent. I only wish that I could allow
people to feel what it's like to be limitless and truly happy.
My last, but certainly not least, reason is someone very important
to me, my cousin Floyd. We grew up together and had a special
bond. At a young age he was diagnosed with three forms of muscular
dystrophy. We now live in different states, but he is still close to
my heart. So from the time I decided to work on my flexibility, I
also made a decision to dedicate anything I did involving contortion,
to him. He has an amazingly strong spirit, but since he's unable to
move around as easily as most, I’m taking it upon myself to move and
bend enough for both of us.
I would like to take a minute to thank Jerry Lewis. You have helped so many children,
my cousin being one, and I want to say thank you. God bless.
Now the question remains... how far do I want to contort? It's
difficult to say how far you want to go with something, when you
don't even feel like you have any limits. I know what has already
been accomplished, so I know what I’m working up to, but I want to do
something that hasn't been done before.
When it comes to new contortion moves, it's difficult to imagine
anything that hasn't been done. I have an idea though. To the best
of my knowledge, it has not been performed as of yet, a forward
triple-fold. A position in which the legs are behind the back, then
the backs bends almost in half forwards, so the chin rests a little
past the tailbone.
I try to imagine what it will be like to do that, but it seems
way too incredible. At the same time though, I remember back when
imagining doing a backbend and seeing my feet seemed impossible.
So I guess the moral to my own story would be, even if it seems
too incredible to happen; if you want it bad enough, you really can
accomplish what you thought to be impossible.
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