Unconventional Athletes Issue 11
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
www.unconventionalathletes.com<br />
Bella how long have you been training<br />
with Betsy? How did you get into this<br />
type of training?<br />
I’ve been training for 2 1/2 years with<br />
Bella. I got into it when an old teacher<br />
saw me bending around and told me to<br />
visit Betsy.<br />
Contortion is not just about being<br />
“bendy” it’s about performing the flexibility in a<br />
way that the audience will enjoy the<br />
uniqueness and grace of it all.<br />
How much time do you devote to<br />
practicing?<br />
I practice about 3 to 5 hours a day.<br />
My routine is about 3 minutes<br />
long. Here are some highlights:<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?<br />
v=9Qf74qzYElQ<br />
Disclaimer:<br />
<strong>Unconventional</strong><strong>Athletes</strong>.com ltd is a publication/magazine.<br />
<strong>Unconventional</strong><strong>Athletes</strong>.com ltd is an online publication/<br />
magazine and makes no representation, endorsement, portrayal,<br />
warranty or guarantee with regards to safety or the<br />
efficacy of the products or the techniques of training methods<br />
that are spoken about, debated, or are conversed either<br />
by writing or pictures/videos that represent the articles<br />
What’s your favorite trick to perform?<br />
My favorite move is the bow and arrow,<br />
but I also like playing around on my<br />
canes and making handstand combos.<br />
I have this thing I call “Combo of the<br />
Day” on my Instagram account. (@<br />
dancebella24) I make up new combos<br />
every day and post them. It helps build<br />
my strength. I work on variations of<br />
the bow and arrow trick, like doing it<br />
or any advertisements present in this magazine. <strong>Unconventional</strong><strong>Athletes</strong>.com<br />
ltd makes no warranty, guarantee<br />
representation regarding the use of the techniques, equipment/products,<br />
purchase of services that are in the United<br />
Kingdom or elsewhere in the world. It is mandatory that<br />
you discuss with a health care professional your physical<br />
health before or if you decide to try the techniques/exercises<br />
and equipment featured and discussed both literally and<br />
visually in this magazine. <strong>Unconventional</strong><strong>Athletes</strong>.com ltd<br />
takes no liability in your participation from the information<br />
received in the magazine and thus any participation is considered<br />
voluntary thus cannot hold responsible either <strong>Unconventional</strong><strong>Athletes</strong>.com<br />
ltd or its partners, contributors<br />
or anybody or products featured in this online publication<br />
from any harm or injury that may result from participation.<br />
on one cane, blindfolded and shooting<br />
from a prop that turns. https://www.<br />
youtube.com/watch?v=O2dM2xL2T3M<br />
https://www. youtube. com/<br />
watch?v=Qo0tQUs_6zQ<br />
How long did it take to master the bow<br />
and arrow move?<br />
It took me a whole year. I practiced for<br />
hours every week and still do. We started<br />
by shooting in an elbow stand as it was<br />
easier to balance. Eventually I improved<br />
enough to move up to the canes.<br />
How hard is it to manage to pull the<br />
bow and remain balanced to hit your<br />
target? What’s the smallest target<br />
you’ve hit?<br />
I can stay balanced and hit the target<br />
because I use a lot of core strength to<br />
hold myself on the canes, but I use every<br />
muscle too. The difficulty rating of this is<br />
a 10. I use a modified recurved bow. Betsy<br />
is looking for a company to make one just<br />
for me and maybe be my sponsor.<br />
I’ve shot a playing card and break<br />
balloons, too. That’s fun because the<br />
noise scares people! I also can do it<br />
blindfolded.<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?<br />
v=Y7vAycSJXvo<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?<br />
v=O2dM2xL2T3M<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?<br />
v=Qo0tQUs_6zQ<br />
Bella, besides doing the crazy trick with<br />
the bow handstand what are your other<br />
skills?<br />
My routine includes walking up and<br />
backwards and sideways on stairs with<br />
my hands and also doing it on 4’ high<br />
canes. I do poses like the head frame,<br />
the Mexican Handstand, which requires<br />
a lot of counter balancing and shoulder<br />
strength and head sit in a chest stand.<br />
I’ve also performed with groups like Le<br />
Petit Circus.<br />
http://www.lestudiola.com/le-petitcirque<br />
I also work with partners, like<br />
Alexa Siksa. She’s 14.<br />
What are your plans for the future?<br />
I’m hoping to perform with Le Petite<br />
Cirque more, get work modeling as<br />
a performer or for print work. I’m an<br />
Ambassador now for Justice so I’ll have<br />
scheduled appearances. And there<br />
are always skills to perfect and new<br />
ones to work on. Betsy is working with<br />
me partnering in a duet and trio and<br />
tweaking our work to make it amazing.
Change language