Jim Pickles' ICC2000 pages

ICC2000 - the International Contortion Convention, held in the Sunset Station Casino, Las Vegas, September 10 - 13th, 2000.

Contortionists challenge our image of the human body. They surprise us with what human beings can achieve, and do this with beauty and elegance. They take us on a great aesthetic and cognitive adventure.

As with the first ICC, we owed this wonderful event to the stupendous energy and enthusiasm of the organiser, Ska von Schoning. A million thanks to you, Ska!



The perpetual twilight of Sunset Station - the view through the entrance doors shows that it is in fact day time

The convention took place inside the totally enclosed environment of the casino, covered inside by a perfect evening sky. The illusion was broken only by small round objects attached to the sky, probably something to do with the fire system. Sitting chatting on the first evening, I suddenly realised that it was midnight and that much more time had gone by than I'd thought. Stupid me - I hadn't realised until then that "it is always sunset" at Sunset Station. Spending three days continuously at this time of day, against a background of the continuous trilling of the gambling machines, was strange and hypnotic.

We came to see some of the most beautiful people possible doing extraordinary things. Below - some normal people, oblivious of the beauty just a few yards away from them.

To next page - Introduction 2. -- Return to Index page.

Site navigation: Index > Intro 1 (you are here) > Intro 2 > Disc 1 > Disc 2 > Disc 3 > Gala 1 > Gala 2 > Gala 3 > Gala 4 > Gala 5 > Gala 6 > Gala 7 > Finale.