Contortion Terminology
Bendy Glossary
Acrobatics
A general term for skills requiring significant body control (balance, strength, and/or flexibility). Commonly seen in circus performances, and perfected by popular troupes from China and Mongolia. Describes some of the slower, more controlled elements in the sport of gymnastics, like the walkover (See: "walkover"). See also, "sports acrobatics".
Active Stretching
(also called: static-active stretching) -- A method of increasing active flexibility in which a pose (such as a high lift of the leg) is assumed and then held using no assistance other than the tension in the muscles opposing the muscles being stretched. This is the type of flexibility that is most useful for movement.
Adagio
A balletic dance with lifts and balances, set to a leisurely pace, performed by a man and one or two women.
Adductor Muscles
A pair of muscles on the inside of the thighs which pull the legs toward each other, and are stretched when performing a straddle split.
Arabesque
In ballet, to stand on one foot (full or demi pointe; See "pointe") and raise the other leg (completely straight and turned out from the hip; See "turnout") toward the back while keeping the trunk fully upright.
Arabesque Penche
An arabesque in which the back is allowed to drop so that the rear leg may be raised higher.
Artistic Gymnastics
An Olympic sport for men and women, performed on apparatus and judged both individually and by team. Men's events are floor exercise, horizontal bar, parallel bars, pommel horse, still rings and vault. Women's events are balance beam, floor exercise, parallel bars and vault.
Backbend
Any pose with an unusual degree of backward bending at the waist and/or spine while standing, kneeling, resting on the floor, or while suspended.
Backgrab
(also called: backgrabbing) -- A term used in rhythmic gymnastics (See: "rhythmic gymnastics") to describe when a gymnast kicks one leg to the rear while standing, grabs the leg from overhead, and ends up in a needle scale position (See: "needle scale").
Ballistic Stretching
The use of momentum or "bouncing" to force a limb beyond its range of motion in order to warm up or increase flexibility. Examples would be leg swings or bouncing in splits. Such stretches can be dangerous and may lead to injury, however if done carefully (with light force and small amplitude of bounce), experienced stretchers may benefit from these exercises.
Bandha Nritya
Any of several ceremonial dances with backbending acrobatics, performed in temples in Orissa State, India, originally by girls, later by boys.
Box Act
(also called: body packing; enterology; packanatomicalization) -- Circus act in which a contortionist squeezes his/her body into a small box or transparent container.
Bridge
(also called the "wheel" in yoga) -- A backbend in which the body forms an arch, supported by the hands and feet. Ideally, the arms and legs should be straight and close together. Legs are bent in some variations to produce a different kind of stretch.
Cheststand
Any backbending pose in which the performer's chest is resting on the floor for support.
Contortionist
(also called: bender; frog; kinker; Limber Jim; posture-maker; posture-master; posture-mistress; rubber man; India rubber man; plastic acrobat; snake-man; snake-woman) -- An acrobat who specializes in bending the body into unusual postures.
Dislocate
1. [verb] To injure a joint by temporarily forcing the bone out of its normal socket. 2. [noun] In men's gymnastics, a rotating of the shoulders when performing a backwards turn on the still rings. Many skills in acrobatics appear to involve dislocating a joint, when they actually do not.
Durvasa's pose
(also called: crane pose) -- [From East Indian sage, Durvasa, who supposedly assumed this pose during his years of penance] To stand on one foot with the other leg lifted in front and placed behind the neck or shoulders. [Note: some yoga manuals say that this is a crane pose, others say a crane pose is a handstand in tucked position.]
Dynamic stretching
The use of a controlled swinging movements through the range of motion of a limb, in order to warm up or increase flexibility.
Elbowstand
Elbowstand is a bridge position dropped down onto your elbows. In this position the feet can also be lifted similar to a contortion handstand.
Extension
A term commonly used by dancers to refer to the height of the leg when it is raised into the air.
Flexible
Able to bend back and forth easily or to a great extant. See also: "limber", "lax", "supple".
FrontBend
Any pose that features an unusual degree of frontward bending of the waist and/or spine, either with the legs together or parted.
Front Split
(also called: stride split) -- A split in which one leg is extended frontward and the other leg is extended backward, both at right angles to the trunk. Ideally, the hips are square facing to the front, while both legs are turned out from the hips (See "turnout").
Golliwog
1. A grotesquely-dressed black-faced male doll with dark fuzzy hair. 2. In American vaudeville, a contortionist dressed as a golliwog. 3. See: "rag doll act" for how such a character is used in a contortion performance.
Grande Jete
A ballet term used to describe a split leap. (See "split leap")
HairPin
A pose in which one kneels down, sits on top of the feet, and bends backwards until the top of the head comes into contact with the tailbone; it may also done with a starting position on hands and knees.
Hamstring
The muscle at the back of thigh which is stretched when bending forward with the leg straight.
Headsit
An extreme backbend in which the top of the performer's head touches the buttocks; usually in a handstand or chest stand.
Hipflexor
A set of muscles and ligaments including the iliopsoas muscle and the iliofemoral ligament which influence turnout of the leg from the hip (See: "turnout"), and are primarily responsible for raising the leg upward. When raising the leg to the front, the hip flexors contract. When raising the leg to the rear, the hip flexors are stretched. The hip flexors are also stretched in the rear leg of any split (See: "split").
Human knot
(also called: yogic sleep; head-foot position; leg-head position) -- A frontward bend with both ankles placed behind the neck.
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Hypermobile
(also called: double-jointed; loose-jointed) -- 1. Having unusually lax muscles and connective tissue, and joint sockets that allow an extreme range of motion. 2. [Hypermobility test designed by Peter Beighton] One who can perform at least three of the following nine skills: place both palms on the floor with the legs straight, hyperextend the right or left elbow 15 degrees, hyperextend the right or left knee 15 degrees, passively place either thumb against the same forearm, passively bend the fingers of either hand backward 90 degrees with respect to the back of the hand.
Isometric Stretching
A method of increasing flexibility in which static stretching (See: "static stretching") is alternated with tensing the stretched muscle by pressing against the floor or a partner.
Lax
Flexible; loose; relaxed.
Leg Shouldering
A standing split in which the leg touches the shoulder. Can be done to front, side (shown), or rear. When done to the rear, it is an extreme needle scale (See: "needle scale").
Lever Scale
An assisted inclined split. The performer stands in front of their partner facing the same direction, holds both their hands, steps on one of their feet, and raises the other leg to the rear to perform a standing penche split (See: "split" and "arabesque penche"); the partner then lowers the performer until the performer's legs are parallel to the floor, and their back not quite touching the floor.
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Limber
[adjective] Flexible; having muscles that are warmed up and ready for activity. 2. [noun] A frontward or backward acrobatic skill that is similar to a walkover (See: "walkover"), except the legs remain together at all times, and instead of going through an inverted split the performer goes through a traditional handstand.
Limbo
Acrobatic dance from the island of Trinidad in which the dancer bends backward and passes underneath a horizontal bar, which is placed lower and lower. Also performed on roller skates, usually head-first in a straddle split. Roller-limbo is shown.
Living Statue Act
A dance or circus act for two or three performers, usually with metallic body paint and costumes, consisting of a series of hand-to-hand balances and other acrobatic poses which are held for a few seconds before slowly moving into the next pose.
Lotus
(also called: full lotus) -- To sit cross-legged with each foot placed on the opposite thigh.
Marinelli bend
[From contortionist and international theatrical agent H. B. Marinelli (1864-1924)] A head-seat with the legs extended, performed while supported only by a mouth grip at the top of a short post.
Mouthpiece
Mouthpiece is a chinstand position using only your mouth to hold on to a cane and elevate yourself.
Needle Scale
A front split while standing on one foot, and extending the rear leg upward while holding the rear leg overhead.
Oversplit
(also called: hypersplit) -- Any split in which the angle formed by the legs measures greater than 180 degrees. Can be done to the front with either or both legs elevated, or in a straddle split with one or both legs elevated.
Passive Stretching
(also called: static-passive stretching; assisted relaxed stretching) -- 1. A general term used to describe a static stretch (See: "static stretching") in which an external force (such as the floor or another person) holds the performer in the static position. Compare to "active stretching" 2. The practice of having a relaxed limb moved beyond its normal range of motion with the assistence of a partner.
Phillips
[From American artistic gymnast Kristie Phillips] A handstand straddle split, with a 90 degree backbend, originally performed on the balance beam.
Pike
To be bend forward at the waist with the legs and trunk kept straight.
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PNF stretching
[proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation] A technique for increasing flexibility which combines passive stretching (See: "passive stretching") and isometric stretching. (See: "isometric stretching")
Pointe
In classical ballet, when a dancer uses special shoes (called pointe shoes or toe shoes) to dance en pointe (on their toes). The arch of the top of the foot is at its maximum when the dancer "pushes over", causing the heel of the foot to be almost directly over the toes. Difficult and often painful to learn, both men and women may benefit from studying pointe technique, however, most performance opportunities are for women only. Children do not begin to study pointe until they have years of experience and sufficient ankle strength, as well as being old enough to ensure that their bones are strong enough.
Quadriceps
A group of four muscles at the front of the thigh which contract when the leg is straightened at the knee joint, and are stretched when the leg is bent at the knee joint.
RagDoll Act
(also called: golliwog act) -- Circus act in which a contortionist, dressed in a loose-fitting clown costume, gives the appearance of being a limp, life-sized doll, as one or two assistants bend, roll, carry and pose the "doll" and then stuff him/her into a small box.
Rope Act
(also called: Spanish web) -- Circus act in which an acrobat (usually female) performs exercises high above the floor while holding on to a long, vertically suspended rope, or hanging from a loop in the rope.
Rythmic Gymnastics
(also called: rhythmic sportive gymnastics (RSG); rhythmics) -- Olympic sport for one woman (or 5 women in group competition) consisting of a balletic floor exercise which demonstrates leaps, turns, balance and flexibility while moving and tossing handheld apparatus: a ball, a rope, a hoop, two clubs, or a ribbon. Men's rhythmic gymnastics currently exists in Japan, and is gaining worldwide acceptance.
Scale
In acrobatics, when the leg is raised high and held with one hand while standing. Typically done to the side. Similar to leg shouldering to the side (See: "leg shouldering"), excpet the leg isn't high enough to touch the shoulder. The position shown is very close to being leg shouldering to the side.
Scissors leap
(also called: switch leap) -- A split leap (See: "split leap") in which the legs exchange positions while in the air, showing a split with both legs in one jump.
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Split
(also called: the splits) -- Any pose in which the legs are extended in opposite directions such that the angle of the legs is 180 degrees. (See: "front split" and "straddle split")
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Split Leap
To perform a split in the air while jumping. Typically done with a front split (See: "front split") in the air, but can also be done with a straddle split (See: "straddle split") in the air. The position shown is an oversplit leap (See: "oversplit").
Sports acrobatics
An international sport (likely to soon have Olympic status) featuring tumbling, balances, lifts and pyramids. Athletes may compete in Mixed Pair (male base / female top), Women's Pair, Men's Pair, Women's Trio or Men's Four.
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Static Stretching
A type of stretching in which a relaxed position is held for a significant period of time (about one minute). Compare to "dynamic stretching".
Straddle Split
(also called: side split; box split; Chinese split; cut split) -- A split in which the legs are extended to the left and right, until a 180 degree angle between the legs is reached. The position shown is a suspended side split (See: "suspended split").
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Supple
Flexible; kept in a soft and bendable condition as a result of regular exercise.
Suspended split
A split in which both legs are elevated and the hands are not used for support. (See: "straddle split" for an example)
Tortoise Position
(also called: pancake) -- A seated forward bend with the chest against the floor between the legs; the outstretched arms are also against the floor and underneath the knees.
Triple Fold
A chest stand (See: "chest stand") in which the knees come all the way over to touch the floor, and the shins lie flat on the floor. Triple fold is an extreme chinstand/cheststand that requires your chin and chest to be on the floor and to drop your knees to the floor. Feet are pulled by your shoulders.
Turnout
In classical ballet, a rotation of the leg which comes from the hips, causing the knee and foot to turn outward, away from the center of the body. This allows for greater extension (See: "extension") of the leg, especially when raising it to the side and rear.
Twisting Split
An exercise in which the performer changes from a split with the left leg forward, to a straddle split, and then to a split with the right leg forward, by rotating the legs, and without using the hands for support.
Walkover
Starting from standing on one foot, go through inverted split and one footed bridge positions to return to stand. Can be done forward and backward. Compare with: "limber".
Yoga
A system of exercises (asanas) which originated in Hindu philosophy and are used for physical exercise, meditation and practice of self-control.