( CNN ) -- As one woman in glittering Lycra gently bends her legs backwards over her head , another balances on top , slowly twisting her own limbs into a human pretzel . They move as one -- a fantastical insect bewitching the Las Vegas crowds in Cirque Du Soleil 's legendary stage show , called simply `` O . '' But despite their ethereal demeanor , each petite performer possesses a rare Herculean strength and snake-like flexibility . And almost all hail from one country : Mongolia . `` When you want a top baseball player , sometimes you look in America . Where we need a contortionist we look to Mongolia , '' said the show 's artistic director , Sandi Croft . `` When they dance they have a natural flexibility , even in their folk dance . It is just part of their culture to have this extra bend in delivery with their movement . '' Why Mongolia ? The bright lights of Las Vegas are a long way from the plains of Mongolia , a sparsely populated country bordering China and Russia . But in the last 70 years , Mongolia has become a breeding ground for the world 's top contortionists , who have performed everywhere from Russia 's Bolshoi Theater to the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival . Indeed , while other well-meaning parents around the world might send their little girls to ballet or piano lessons , in Mongolia they 're more likely to drop them off at contortion school . Watch : The art of contortion . While Mongolian contortion has some similarities to ancient folk dances and yoga poses , it was the launch of the State Circus in the 1940s that saw it really take off as a professional art form . When the contortion school 's first official trainer , the now legendary Tsend-Ayush , began performing across the country , she quickly inspired a generation of girls hoping to quite literally mold themselves in her likeness . One of those children was then-eight-year-old Angelique Janov , now the trainer for Cirque du Soleil 's `` O . '' `` We 'd never seen anything like Tsend-Ayush before , '' she said . `` It was her combination of strong technical skills and the beautiful way she moved to the music -- she made it look so easy . `` After that , every little girl wanted to be a contortionist . '' Child 's play . Of course , training to be a contortionist is far from easy . Students as young as five train for around three hours a day , five days a week . They build up their strength , flexibility and balance through various exercises such as handstands , splits , and push-ups . `` My homework was 300 push-ups a day , '' said 29-year-old Nomintuya Baasankhuu , former contortionist and Arts Program director at the Arts Council of Mongolia . `` It was intense . But by eight years old I could do most of the technical moves -- I was considered a professional . '' There are some risks -- Baasankhuu suffered a knee injury after falling from a human tower three meters high . But many contortionists insist that much like any sport , it is safe if done properly . `` Contortion is not dangerous , '' said 55-year-old Cirque du Soleil trainer Janov . `` It 's like yoga -- if you 're stretching every day you stay young . '' Naturally gifted ? Such rigorous training regimes have been a huge factor in the Mongolians ' success around the world . But how much of a role does genetics play ? `` Some people are naturally more flexible and this is often due to genetics -- if one of our parents is flexible , we 're more likely to be flexible too , '' said Tim Allardyce of the British Osteopathic Association . `` That said , a naturally flexible person would not be able to get themselves into positions that contortionists can without extensive training -- it is only very gradually , over many months and years , that the ligaments and muscles lengthen , allowing the joints to become more mobile . '' World of opportunity . For many youngsters in Mongolia , contortion is seen as more than simply a hobby -- it 's a golden ticket to the world . `` Mongolian contortion is globally competitive -- today many performers work for Cirque du Soleil and other international circus companies , '' said Baasankhuu , who also researched the history of Mongolian contortion at the National University of Mongolia . `` That is why so many girls would like to become contortionists and travel around world and make living from it . '' So what is it about these mysterious performers that continues to beguile audiences across the world ? Janov perhaps summed up their allure best : `` It 's the realization that an individual can do things that seem impossible . ''
Mongolia home to some of Europe 's greatest performers . Many now perform in international circuses , including Cirque du Soliel . Youngsters train from just two years old , up to three hours a day .