Mongolia, Rubber Attitudes

In Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital, little girls are contortionists like tutu dancers elsewhere. They are between 5 and 15 years old and dream of the greatest circuses in the world. The prestigious Mongolian State Circus, created by the Russians in the 1940s, trains the majority of artists who perform under the lights of big tops around the world. The selection process for classes is very rigorous; training in the art of contortion is exhausting and requires years of sacrifice, but for the most talented, it offers the hope of a better life far from a country with a faltering economy. While the enthusiasm is great, few will be chosen to earn their entrance ticket to a prestigious circus. Each year, the number of applicants increases, and schools are opening in many neighborhoods of the city where former contortionists passionately teach their art. Few boys turn to this flexibility discipline; they tend to focus more on wrestling or the trapeze. The girls train by age group in small rooms adjacent to the circus. They bend and unbend as if they had no spine, pushing themselves to the limits of the human body's flexibility. Classes take place throughout the day, and in the hallways that serve as changing rooms, laughter and games contrast with the concentration and seriousness that reign in the rooms. Class duration varies depending on the level, from 2 to 5 hours per day. Ms. Norovsambuu, one of Mongolia's most renowned instructors, helps a student bend to the extreme as if she were made of rubber. After excelling in circuses around the world, this instructor devotes all her energy to sharing her art. She states that approximately 40% of students drop out before the end of the first year, but those who complete this course earn the required diploma after five years of intense study. In the gymnasium of a school in a yurt district in the west of the city, girls dressed in their stage outfits rehearse their routine before a national competition where they will have to compete against children from other schools. These girls from the capital's poor neighborhoods dream of only one thing: to go and shine in the big tops of the world. Photographs taken on B&W film