TARYN Leathart’s personal goal is “to get my bum on my head”.

The contortionist is one of a number of performers taking part in Cirque de Medusa, at the Medusa Bar on Saturday.

Taryn (right) casually puts her foot on the shoulder of hula hoopist Ernestynne Walsh to stretch before a practise session and says: “That’s not considered a stretch to me”.

Taryn says her contortion idol is Alexey Goloborodko who can bend over backwards, twist around so that he can put his hands between his legs and place his hand palm down on the ground in front of his feet.

“It’s kind of like a backwards pretzel,” she says.

Taryn has been training as a contortionist for about a year, while studying exercise science at Weltec.

She started in Christchurch at Circo Arts, and now trains as a contortionist and teaches aerial work with the Wellington Circus Trust.

Ernestynne (below) saw a circus in Lower Hutt, two-and-half years ago, and wanted to learn so she Googled and found the trust which runs classes with international performers.

She initially took tissue classes, which involve hanging on an 8m rope and performing with strands of tissue paper.

In October last year she started hula hooping.

After a preview performance last week, hula hooping to Deftones Knife Party she says: “I would have never thought I would be dancing with a hula hoop to a song about knives”.

She says the LED lights on her hula hoop make it much more impressive and she sees a change in people’s faces when they see it light up.

The Victoria University research assistant is a little bit nervous about performing at Cirque de Medusa because there are already 100 people confirmed to attend on the Facebook page.

This is the second year Medusa has put on a circus themed gig and other performers include a sword swallower, clowns, slideshow stalls and fortune tellers.

Bands will also play throughout the night.

Cirque de Medusa is on Saturday, April 16 at Medusa Bar, 154 Vivian Street, Wellington. Tickets are available from undertheradar.co.nz or the bar for $10 and there will be door sales for $15 on the night.

CONTORTED VIEW: Taryn Leathart wants to get her bum on her head.

Be Sociable, Share!

•