A-Cute Angle Trivia Quiz

Answer: Enterologist

Enterology is the medical specialty that studies the contorted mass known as the intestines. In the field of contortion this term is usually used for the seemingly impossible feat of fitting the performers body into a container that appears much too small for that person to fit in. The term is used for both the entertainer as well as the act.

Answer: Snake oil

Snake oil was a somewhat derogatory term for many of the elixirs and potions sold as medicine during the early age of modern medicine. Snake oil liniment was often sold by a huckster who would have a contortionist in the audience who appeared to suffer from arthritis.

After rubbing on the magical potion, this person would than begin to contort themselves in an attempt to show the curative powers of the formula.

Answer: Mongolia

Contortion has been practiced for centuries in Mongolia where it is viewed as an elite profession and a skill worthy of much admiration. Training begins at about 5 years of age and continues throughout life to maintain flexibility. The back-bending skills shown by these performers can be truly amazing and the shows are often flamboyant and very elaborate.

Answer: Most contortionists are born unusually flexible and train hard to enhance this ability

Most contortionists are born unusually flexible, but must train hard to enhance this ability. With practice anyone can become more limber, but not everyone has the natural ability to become a contortionist. Not all contortionists dislocate their joints nor are all contortionists able to do the same tricks.

Some may be able to bend forward far enough to put their heads on their knees while others can bend backwards far enough to touch their bottoms with their heads. Very few contortionists can do both.

While women are usually more flexible then men, both male and females are able to be contortionists and the ratio between the two is usually affected by cultural aspects.

Answer: Ligaments

Most, but not all, contortionists are born with loose, pliable ligaments. Since ligaments hold the joints in place, the looser they are, the more mobile the joint. There are a few disorders which can also lead to loose joints, including Ehler-Danlos syndrome and Cleidocranial dysostosis.

These are rare disorders and while both cause loose ligaments as a symptom, very few contortionist actually have either of these disorders.

Answer: Hindu

Contortion can be found in the Hindu system of religion and health that is known as Yoga. During daily mediation, the Hindu ascetic will assume a variety of contortion poses. These are believed to provide health benefits but help the body and mind achieve spiritual excellence. Front-bending and back-bending are common components of Hindu Yoga.

Answer: It makes the joint more prone to injury

Dislocation of the joints is not desirable for many reasons. These include the facts that it make the joint more prone to injury, makes it less stable, and a dislocated limb cannot lift itself nor support any weight. Not every contortionist can dislocate their joints at will. Also, the vast majority of contortionist poses do not require this ability.

When it is performed there is usually only a very quiet pop, and it is not known to cause heart attacks.

Answer: False

This is completely false. We often see more Asians performing contortion as it is an art-form in many Asian countries and held in higher esteem than in other parts of the world. No race is any more or less flexible than any other. The differences are from person to person, not race to race.

Answer: Daniel Browning Smith

Daniel Browning Smith is one of the most renowned contortionists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He holds the Guinness World record as the most flexible man in the world as well as multiple other records that attest to his flexibility. He can rotate his torso and amazing 180 degrees and can dislocate, at will and without discomfort, all four of his limbs.

He has appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, "Ripley's Believe It or Not", "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as well as being a featured performer in the preeminent Cirque du Soleil. One of his most famous tricks is the ability to dislocate both arms to crawl through an unstrung tennis racket! David Beckham is a famous soccer/football star. David Niven was a famous British actor who played James Bond in "Casino Royale" in 1967. And David Frost was a famous American journalist and writer, well-known for his interviews with President Richard Nixon, among others.

Answer: False

Learning to be a contortionist is a grueling process that usually begins at a young age. But if done correctly, and the person is naturally endowed with loose joints, contortion is not as dangerous as it looks. The idea that contortionists usually suffer from arthritis when they are older is an old wives tale.

Much of the mystery of contortion is due to a lack of knowledge on human anatomy and human kinesthetics.