ALEKSEI GOLOBORODKO

It’s not contortion itself that hurts people—it’s doing it incorrectly. I encourage you to work not only with your body but also with your mind. Educate yourself on how to do it properly.

Aleksei Goloborodko’s unparalleled flexibility has made him one of the world’s most renowned contortionists, often called the most flexible man in the world. With 26 years of experience in contortion, he is a key performer in Cirque du Soleil's LUZIA. Aleksei has earned prestigious awards, including the Bronze Clown and Prix Spécial at the Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo, further cementing his reputation as a leading figure in his craft.

How would you describe yourself and your background?

I began my artistic journey at the age of four, and last year I turned 30, meaning I’ve been dedicated to this art for 26 years. I started performing when I was about six or seven, always traveling with my coach rather than my parents. Around the age of 11 or 12, my coach started incorporating other disciplines into my training, with contortion as the foundation. He introduced me to ballet, modern dance, rhythmic and aesthetic gymnastics, and even wushu—a Chinese martial art. The goal was never to master each discipline fully but to take key elements from each and integrate them into my performances. He also brought in different teachers to refine my skills, helping me shape my artistic style.

During my teenage years, I developed 11 different acts, each with its own character and theme. One of the most well-known was an act with two folding chairs. I also performed pieces like A Swan, which incorporated lyrical ballet choreography, and The Secrets of the East, inspired by Eastern aesthetics. I played Mowgli, performed tango—which was one of the most challenging for me—and explored many other styles.

You discovered circus arts at age four. What qualities helped you stay committed to this path?

It’s difficult to recall exactly how I thought as a child, but I was completely dedicated. When I was four, I saw a circus advertisement and asked my mother to take me to a show. Watching it was mesmerising—so colourful, bright, and full of energy. I immediately told her; I want to do circus! At that age, I didn’t care which discipline—juggling, aerials, contortion, or any acrobatics. I just knew I wanted to be part of it.

My parents took me to a circus studio, where my future coach tested me in different disciplines. I tried juggling, acrobatics, and finally contortion, which came most naturally to me. He noticed I was more flexible than other kids and suggested we develop it further. The more I progressed, the more motivated I became—it was exciting to see my skills grow. Skipping training felt like a disaster. In fact, when I misbehaved, my mother’s biggest threat was not letting me go to the studio, which was the worst thing she could say to me.

You’ve said that your flexibility isn’t a genetic gift. What makes your training technique different from the countless flexibility methods out there?

When I started, my coach noticed that I was more flexible than other kids, but I couldn’t do much—I couldn’t do a proper bridge, a split, or anything extreme. My flexibility wasn’t extraordinary; it was something I had to develop.

One of the key factors—let’s call it a secret—is consistency. I loved the process of stretching, and sometimes my sessions lasted two to three hours a day. Never skipping training was the biggest factor in my progress.

Beyond flexibility, maintaining a balance between strength and flexibility is crucial. If you neglect strength, you become too loose and lose control over your flexibility, which can be dangerous for your joints and muscles. On the other hand, if you focus too much on strength, you start losing flexibility and become tight.

Could you share how your relationship with your coach influenced your approach to respecting your body’s limits?

My coach, Vladislav, has been with me since I was four. He’s more than just a coach; he’s like family. He always protected me—not only from physical harm but also emotionally. For example, when we were in South Korea, he went directly to the producer to ensure I wouldn’t perform if I wasn’t properly prepared after waiting for hours post-warm-up. He was always careful not to push me too far and helped me understand the importance of respecting my limits, particularly when I was a child.

Even now, we stay in touch regularly. He still offers advice, helping me refine my teaching techniques. His guidance on balancing intensity and recovery remains key to my longevity and success.

Is it true that you have never been injured?

Yes, that’s true. I’ve never been injured doing contortion, but of course, things can happen. Most of the time, it happens outside of work. One time, I had a severe back spasm after getting out of a taxi and had to stop performing for two weeks to recover.

A key to staying injury-free, besides consistency, is never skipping my warm-up. Working with Cirque du Soleil, I sometimes have up to 10 shows a week, with up to three in a day. My warm-up takes 45 minutes before each performance, and if I have multiple shows, I do it two or three times. Over eight years, I’ve never skipped my warm-up, whether I’m with Cirque or traveling with other shows.

Are you able to perform if you haven’t warmed up? Can you still do your tricks?

I can probably do them, but I wouldn’t even try. Now, my body doesn’t feel right when I attempt them without warming up. I could manage about 50%, but even at that level, my body tells me to stop—it’s simply not appropriate to perform without a warm-up.

What lifestyle habits do you pay attention to in order to keep your body at peak performance?

I don’t follow a specific diet, but I’m mindful of what I eat. I don’t drink alcohol or smoke—those aren’t my habits. My biggest weakness is sugar and chocolate.

That said, I have to be careful. Eating a lot of sugar doesn’t affect my flexibility directly, but it makes me feel worse, and I notice the difference. It’s not that my range of motion changes, but my body feels completely different. Poor sleep, overeating, or an unhealthy lifestyle also affect me. The amount of food I eat before training is important. If I eat a little and wait two hours, I feel fine. But if I eat too much and start training while still full, it feels awful—my stomach can really restrict my movement.

Which part of your body is the most challenging to keep at a high level?

My upper body. The easiest part to stretch is the lumbar spine because it’s the most mobile area—but that also makes it the most dangerous to overstretch. The upper body, on the other hand, is the hardest because of the rib cage, which limits the range of motion. It’s also connected to breathing—when you stretch your lumbar spine, you can still breathe comfortably, but when stretching the upper body, breathing becomes much more difficult.

The legs are also a challenge because they contain the largest muscles in the body, and bigger muscles take more time and energy to stretch. But for me, the most difficult areas are my chest and shoulders.

Did you play a role in shaping the term ‘dance contortion,’ and what does it mean?

Dance contortion is a term my coach came up with to make contortion different. Decades ago, contortion acts were mostly about performing a trick, standing up, taking a bow, and moving on to the next. It felt static and repetitive, and my coach believed that wouldn’t last. Over time, acts became more fluid, with tricks connected through choreography.

Vladislav worked with me to integrate dance into contortion, linking tricks through movement instead of stopping between them. It wasn’t just ballet—we also used modern dance for its unique vocabulary and trained in rhythmic and aesthetic gymnastics to refine movement and create beautiful lines. When combined, it’s no longer just about tricks but about sequences, character, and movement. I’m glad to see more performers adopting this approach.

Do you have a more flexible side of your body?

My left side is stronger (more flexible) than my right, especially in twisting positions, where one direction feels much easier. That’s why compensation work is crucial. Without it, the imbalance would only grow, which isn’t good for performance or health.

I was taught to train my weaker side at least twice as much as my stronger one to restore balance.

How do you balance extreme flexibility with strength to prevent injuries?

I work on my strength, but not just with exercises like bench presses, push-ups, or pull-ups. I integrate strength into my flexibility training, using my muscles to control movements through the full range of motion. Of course, I still do general strength exercises because I need overall strength—and I also want to look good.

I love jogging—it’s my hobby, and it helps me feel good while developing my endurance. If you don’t have stamina, you’ll get tired in the middle of a performance, and people shouldn’t see you struggling on stage. They should see ease.

When the pandemic started in 2019 and all the circuses closed, I decided to study physical education at university. I was bored and had nothing to do, so I started learning. The knowledge from my courses, combined with what Vladislav had taught me and my experience in the fitness industry, has helped me a lot. It refreshed and organised my knowledge and even influenced my performance. I also began practising meditation and mindfulness, which has really helped with how I feel and perform.

You’re listed as a myofascial stretch therapy practitioner on your Instagram. Can you tell us more about that?

I took the myofascial stretch therapy course during our Australian tour. It focused on manipulating the client to improve their range of motion, similar to stretching. The goal was to relax the muscles and relieve tightness and rigidity. The course lasted four days, with eight-hour sessions each day.

I’ve completed the first level, and I’m excited to take the second level, which is only offered in Australia. I hope to return and continue it.

Has your approach to training changed over the years?

Over time, my warm-up and stretching routine have evolved, both for myself and when teaching. As an artistic coach responsible for strength and flexibility, I adapt my approach to each student’s needs. If an artist wants to improve their splits, I create a tailored program. As I gain more knowledge, I keep adjusting these programs, making sure my methods aren’t rigid. It’s a process that constantly evolves.

I also want to highlight the importance of fascia. Years ago, I read that when you sit for long periods, your fascia changes and becomes more rigid. This limits movement and shows why you need to keep using your flexibility to prevent tightness. There’s a saying I love: Use it or lose it. Kids are naturally flexible, but without movement, they tighten up over time. I was lucky to start young, so my flexibility has been maintained. If someone starts at 15, 16, or 18, they can still develop flexibility, but reaching extreme levels is much harder.

Since you started studying fascia, have you started using any new recovery tools, like those for myofascial release, that you didn’t use before?

Yes, I’ve started using foam rollers, which I never used before. I used to think they were just something fun to see people doing, but I wasn’t convinced they actually worked. However, after trying them myself, I was amazed. While they might not directly improve my flexibility for my work, they help with release and make my joints feel more lubricated.

How do you typically approach your cool-down routine?

My cool-down routine is quite simple. I do some light stretching, but I don’t push myself to my full range of motion—that would be more like a warm-up or a full flexibility session. It’s just about moving my body a bit to help it relax. After that, I focus on strengthening my core and back muscles to keep them toned. That’s pretty much it—nothing too intense. Just enough to feel my muscles more toned and to feel safer overall.

What's the hardest part of your training that we don't typically see?

I’d say it’s bringing those two qualities together: strength and flexibility. After stretching, your body feels so soft, and sometimes you can even feel lazy, but that’s the moment when you need to engage. You have to work with that flexibility to gain strength and be able to control it, using the full range of motion during strength exercises. I think that’s the hardest part—not getting lazy and not stopping in the middle of the session.

What’s been your most challenging performance, either physically or emotionally?

A few years ago, we were in New York for a morning show, and the performance was outdoors in about five to eight degrees. That was pretty challenging. The act involved a few artists from Luzia, and I had to stay in the back in a contortion position. There were two or three acts before me, so I had to hold that position for two to three minutes before my turn.

It was tough both physically and mentally. I had to prepare myself, thinking, How am I going to do this? Is it going to be okay? But in the end, it went pretty well. That was definitely one of the toughest moments.

How do you keep challenging yourself with doing the same show for years?

I love what I do, and while my act stays the same, I can always add new tricks or sequences with approval from the artistic director. We sometimes do up to 10 shows a week, so it can get repetitive. However, I play with small details—adjusting my hands, fingers, or wrists—which keeps it interesting for me. I also experiment with rhythm, slowing down or speeding up moments to match the music and gauge the audience’s reaction. These small changes may not be noticeable to the audience, but they keep me engaged.

My character, Alebrije, is a mythical creature from Mexican culture, combining different animals into one. The concept comes from a man who, after falling ill, hallucinated animals melting into each other, which he then recreated in piñatas. In the show, my choreographers challenged me to embody different animals—I might move like a snake, a cat, or even a panther. It’s rewarding when the audience picks up on it. These little variations make the performance exciting for both me and those watching.

What was the hardest skill for you to learn?

In the act, the hardest thing was breathing. We had to find moments where I could pause and take a proper breath to maintain my energy and perform well. Over time, I developed more stamina, and it became easier.
In general, the biggest challenge is maintaining strength and flexibility as one. That’s the hardest part.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our audience and community?

For those who want to start stretching or maybe become a contortionist, I’d say that it’s not contortion itself that hurts people—it’s doing it incorrectly. I encourage you to work not only with your body but also with your mind. Educate yourself on how to do it properly.

The key is patience, consistency, and knowledge. You need to understand the correct technique to avoid injuries or damage. It’s also important to find a good teacher or instructor who can guide you on this path. So, work with both your body and mind.

Find Aleksei on Instagram | Cirque du Soleil's LUZIA