Bending art until you say ‘ouch’

Friday, Sept. 29, 2006 | 7:30 a.m.

There were a lot of folks bent out of shape at Sam's Town this week.

More than 40 contortionists demonstrated their flexibility at the fourth annual International Contortion Convention, which ran Tuesday through Thursday.

Not everyone at the event is a human pretzel, capable of folding himself up into a suitcase - which might be an interesting way to try to save on airfare, but could be quite a surprise to airport security.

An estimated 500 people - from athletes, agents and coaches to mere fans - attended this year's event, which was created by Ska (pronounced "Skay") von Schoening.

In addition to an opportunity to network, the Gumby-esque performers learned more about their art and profession at workshops and show off their skills during evening performances.

"This is a getting together of all the people who love and are fascinated by the art of contortion," Schoening said.

Las Vegas visitors have been exposed to a lot of contortionists in recent years, thanks to Cirque du Soleil.

But Cirque isn't necessarily all that appealing to all contortionists. "They do really, really long contracts so they're not very attractive for the young people I'm working with," Schoening said.

"We do a lot of performing at special events and conventions. I guess for a young talent Cirque might be wonderful for a while and then they move on."

Schoening's company, Showbiz, which is based in Germany, produced the convention. A former acrobat (but not a contortionist), Schoening trains and manages talent from all over the world. The greatest demand is in Europe.

"In the European variety scene there is hardly a show without a contortionist in it," Schoening said.

Not everyone can be a contortionist.

A candidate has to first be blessed with natural hyperflexibility, and then to develop that ability until he or she is good enough to charge admission.

Many of the world's top contortionists were at this year's convention.

"The idea behind this is to celebrate the art of contortion, which is as beautiful as ballet," said Schoening, who has homes in Las Vegas and Germany. "It's a hidden art that I wanted to bring out for everyone to enjoy."