York Festival goers on Saturday had the chance to witness The Amazing Christina – the oldest performing contortionist in Australia.
Christina Danton the seventy-two-year-old contortionist has been performing since she was four.
“I started as a Dancer on Television when it first started in 1958 in Adelaide, and did my contortion act at the same time,” she explained.
“It has been my profession my whole life.”
Christine has spent a lot of time touring Australia and the world for her act, having been a circus performer and a featured cabaret artist as well as performing on Australia’s Got Talent.
Earlier this year she was on an ABC radio segment called The Body Sphere and was later asked by the Women’s Health Group in Bunbury to do her Bending the Rules Show at the BREC Theatre.
She performed recently at the Las Vegas Contortion Convention where she was invited as a special-guest to inspire others.
“They have contortionists from all over the world and I was asked to perform but I was also a living example to other performers – to show that their careers don’t need to finish at 25,” she said.
Christine has built a theatre on her 90-acre property where she holds stand-up comedy and contortion shows.
“I have my own rural theatre at home in a place called Langhorne Creek about an hours drive out of Adelaide in the wine district,” she said.
“It was originally a potato shed but now I use it as a small theatre that can fit about 100 people inside.
“I put on a summer and winter variety show in there and people come from all over the place in buses to attend.”
Christina said she tries to challenge ageing stereotypes.
“We as a society have preconceived ideas about ageing and we need to look at it and think of changing them – I had these ideas myself,” she said.
“When I was 18 I thought I would retire at 25 and when I got to 25 I thought 30 and so on. I don’t know how long I will continue but I see no physical reason why I can’t do this for my whole life time.
“I challenge others to not accept what you should be doing at a particular age – think things through for yourself and work out your own path.
“I believe our bodies are the most marvelous piece of creation and if we treat them well they will treat us well and I think I am living proof of that so that is my message.”
Christine said she enjoys every performance equally.
“Every time I do my contortion act is like the first time,” she said.
“It takes the same amount of effort to prepare myself and the same amount of effort to perform.”
“I appreciate it every time, it doesn't matter if there are three people in the audience or a whole theatre full.”
