PHOTO
INSERT CREDIT HERE
“As we get
older, we
trainmore,
because
our bodies
are getting
heavier and
our bones
are getting
harder”
C I R Q U E D U S O L E I L
Ulziibuyan
Mergen &
Oyun-Erdene
Senge
Discipline
Contortion
Ages
Both 20
From
Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Like
Movies
It’s a little-known fact that
Mongolians are often
bendier than other people,
thanks to a national
enthusiasm for contortion.
But, even among their
country folk, ‘Ulzii’
(bottom)
and ‘Oyuna’
(top)
are special.
“We started training
when we were six or seven,”
explains Ulzii. By 11, they
were performing with
Cirque, twisting their bodies
into impossible shapes eight
shows a week in various
exotic locations.
“It’s a lot of work,” says
Ulzii, “We’re already pretty
stretched but we have to stay
fit. We do two hours of cardio
every day.”
The time in the gym pays
off, however, when the
adulation rolls in. “Wherever
we go, people react
differently,” says Oyuna, “but
it’s always good.”
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