Editing Contortion (section)

==Performances==
[[File:Man in a box.jpg|thumb|150px|This man in a trunk is an example of enterology.]]

Contortion acts are highly variable; many incorporate elements of humor, drama, shock, sensuality, or a blend of styles. Contortion may be incorporated into other types of performance, such as dance and theater.

* An [[adagio (circus skill)|adagio]] act is an acrobatic dance in which one partner lifts and carries the other partner as she/he performs splits and other flexible poses.
* In a rag doll or [[golliwogg]] act, one or two assistants bend, shake and carry the contortionist in such a way as to create the illusion that the disguised performer is actually a limp, life-sized doll. The act often ends by stuffing the doll into a small box.
* Contortion positions can be performed on a [[Spanish web]], an aerial act consisting of a rope with a hand/foot loop that is spun by someone underneath.
* Contortionists might manipulate props during their performance, for instance spinning [[hula hoop]]s or [[juggling ring]]s, balancing towers of wine glasses, or playing a musical instrument - such as Max Smith, AKA "The Musical Contortionist," a [[sideshow]] performer who played the banjo whilst in a series of contorted positions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lolwot.com/10-incredible-and-shocking-sideshow-performers-from-the-past/|title=10 Incredible And Shocking Sideshow Performers From The Past|date=2015-10-27|website=LOLWOT|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref>

A contortionist may perform alone or may have one or two assistants, or up to four contortionists may perform together as a group.

In the past, contortionists were associated almost exclusively with circuses and fairs. More recently they have also been found performing in [[nightclub]]s, [[amusement park]]s, in magazine advertisements, at trade shows, on [[television]] [[variety show]]s, in [[music video]]s, and as warmup acts or in the background at music concerts.

[[The Ross Sisters]] were American contortionists most famous for their musical rendition of 'Solid Potato Salad' in the 1944 movie ''[[Broadway Rhythm]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.littlethings.com/the-ross-sisters-potato-salad/|title=The Ross Sisters Prove No One Does It Like The 1940s In This Epic Contortion Performance|last=Pellot|first=Emerald|work=LittleThings.com|access-date=2017-10-03|language=en-US}}</ref> In addition, contortion photos and digital movie clips are traded by fans on the Internet, and several web sites provide original photos of contortion acts for a monthly fee, or sell videotapes of performances through the mail.

Some loose-jointed people are able to pop a joint out of its socket without pain, thereby making it difficult to determine if a joint is dislocated without medical examination such as an [[X-ray]]. However, as long as the joint socket is the right shape, most extreme bends can be achieved without dislocating the joint.<ref name="pmid16845345">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hahn F, Kissling R, Weishaupt D, Boos N |title=The extremes of spinal motion: a kinematic study of a contortionist in an open-configuration magnetic resonance scanner: case report |journal=Spine |volume=31 |issue=16 |pages=E565–7 |date=July 2006 |pmid=16845345 |doi=10.1097/01.brs.0000225983.44327.b1|s2cid=23025533 }}</ref> Actual dislocations<ref name="pmid20750190">{{cite journal |author=Owen E |title=Notes on the Voluntary Dislocations of a Contortionist |journal=Br Med J |volume=1 |issue=1114 |pages=650–3 |date=May 1882 |pmid=20750190 |pmc=2371707 |doi= 10.1136/bmj.1.1114.650}}</ref> are rarely used during athletic contortion acts since they make the joint more unstable and prone to injury, and a dislocated limb cannot lift itself or support any weight.