An Interview with Contortionist Lilia Stepanova

Some performers, when exhibiting themselves onstage, can take on a seemingly magical quality. With that in mind, imagine this: a lean, beautiful woman able to do such feats as handstands, backflips, and outstanding archery. This is Lilia Stepanova!

Stepanova, true to the description above, is a striking 22-year-old gymnast, contortionist, and archer. Watching her in action, in a sense, is akin to attending an abbreviated version of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Her movements, done in time to highly rhythmic music, tell a story all their own, so that no words are necessary.

Stepanova was born in Chişinău, Moldova to parents Alex and Ina, from whom she inherited her athletic abilities. They, too, were professional performers when she was growing up. Together, they toured as the Stepanov Family, amazing audiences wherever they went. One might wonder if this made for a stressful childhood. "Not at all!" she says. "I've been traveling ever since I was young. I once ran up onstage during a show when I was three years old."

Over the past six years, Stepanova has definitely made a name for herself, displaying her talents before NBA, NHL, and NCAA audiences, as well as on TV talk shows and talent shows. However, she says that of all the performances she's done, it's near-impossible to pick a favorite: "Many have asked that question...honestly, I can't give you an answer! They're all different, and I enjoy each one in its own way. I really enjoyed Celebrity Circus; I had the chance to meet Stacey Dash. She's in her 40's, and she still looks like she did in Clueless! I told her, 'I want to look like you at 40!'"

For those who missed Stepanova's appearance on Celebrity Circus, she helped train Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, who had to pull off aerial maneuvers using parachute straps. During the actual show, Stepanova and Acuña performed together, in a fantastic demonstration of not only Stepanova's acrobatic skills, but her abilities in working with a team member.

As you can see in any of Stepanova's photos and videos, she is incredibly gorgeous. So, as one might expect, she attracts the attention of quite a few men. Some, in fact, tell her so directly on Myspace and Facebook. Is she bothered by it? "No, because there's nothing I can do to control men. That's how men's minds work! I have to approve every single comment...so I don't allow anything that's really creepy. But men will never stop having sexual thoughts, whether it's me or another female. So it doesn't bother me." Perhaps her male fans will find that reassuring.

But sorry guys, she's not single at the moment. Formerly in a very public relationship with a certain baseball player, she now has a new boyfriend: "I'm dating another guy now, and I'd rather not say his name because of his work. He's a pilot, and he has his own company. I'd like to learn to fly, because that's something completely different, and I feel that would be so amazing! My mom's boyfriend's dad built two planes of his own from scratch! I'm interested in this whole plane business." Perhaps, one day, Stepanova will add piloting to her extensive list of talents.

Due to her picturesque beauty, Stepanova has had the opportunity to do some photo shoots for various magazines and such. However, despite these experiences posing for photographers, "I don't do regular modeling...I had a spread in 944 Magazine. It's a nightlife type of magazine, and it's popular out here in L.A. It covers some of the big cities, like Chicago, Phoenix, and Vegas. {But} I don't consider myself a model; I'm too little to do modeling. I'm 4'11"! On my driver's license, I lied and said that I was 5'0"!"

Her height, fortunately, has not hampered her success any. Perhaps one of her most widely seen performances took place on the 2006 season of America's Got Talent, in which Stepanova showed off what has become one of her signature abilities: she can shoot a bow and arrow...with her feet! On her first performance, she did so twice, the second time using hand-balancing canes, and hit the bull's-eye both times! (How many of you can do that, even using your hands?) Though she didn't ultimately win the coveted $1 million, she did make it to the semi-final round.

Currently, she is working with Vertigo Posse, a Los Angeles-based circus company. According to their brief web bio, they "{take} the acrobatic artistry of the nouveau cirque movement and {blend} it with a sexy, edgy, high fashion aesthetic." By simply taking even a sneak peek at any of their videos, you can see that this description holds absolutely true. Stepanova, of course, shows off all her tricks of the trade with the troupe.

Vertigo Posse has a long list of high-profile clients and appearances, including The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Steve Harvey's Big Time, Disneyland, and Britney Spears. The full list is available at VertigoPosse.com. They have many more performances lined up: "We're doing a Halloween party at the Playboy Mansion for the Wounded Warrior charity, and booking all the talent for it. All the money we raise goes to the soldiers who have been wounded in Iraq."

Before putting on the actual show, Stepanova and some of her Vertigo Posse cohorts visited Hugh Hefner's stomping grounds. "I was being like a tourist," she says, "I got to meet Hugh Hefner's new girlfriend. The Playboy Mansion is nothing like you expect! There were no Playmates just hanging around...sorry, wish it were more exciting than that!"

Another recent performance of Vertigo Posse's was "a concert called Wango Tango at the Amphitheater in Orange County...there were 20,000 people there!" According to Stepanova, if you go to YouTube and search for "Vertigo Posse web," you will see a video from their Wango Tango appearance.

Other potential performers who wish to put themselves in the limelight may wonder how Stepanova has the confidence to do what she does. "Honestly, I have to tell myself to relax...every single performance I do, I get nervous. I feel that as an artist, if you don't get nervous, get the adrenaline rush, you don't care about what you do." Hopefully, this will inspire other artists to put themselves out there!

As stated earlier, Stepanova gets an incredible amount of attention from the men. One, in fact, on a website that featured sexy photos of her, commented that he could see her being in Maxim or FHM. Would she go for it? "I would love to! I would do it tastefully...I wouldn't want to do anything that would disrespect myself or my parents. If that opportunity came along, I would go to my parents first, just to get their approval."

Being that some men have difficulty knowing how to pull off the romance thing, Stepanova sweetly offers some advice on how to treat a lady: "Respectfully!" she emphasizes. "Whether you're enjoying the date or not, don't be a jerk. Not just because it's a date; just respect people around you." Stepanova humorously refers to the Tay Pushaz song "I'm a Jerk" as the perfect example of what not to do.

It seems almost inevitable that both men and women focus on Stepanova's looks at times. Though she clearly takes great care of herself, she doesn't believe in going overboard: "Actually, I don't go to the regular gym. I go to an aerial gym...all the muscles I have are from lifting my own body! I've never gone on a diet...I don't believe in diets. I enjoy food too much! Do not ever take food away from me," she warns, "You'll be in trouble!"

As far as women who experience conditions such as anorexia and bulimia, however, Stepanova says, "I think that it's horrible and awful; I think that there are other, healthier ways to improve your body. I don't put my body through things like that; I don't do drugs either. Women just have to be secure with themselves and take a different path."

Despite the fact that she already has a number of public performances under her belt, Stepanova admits, "I would like to work more at awards shows. That's something I'm in the process of doing...I feel that everything has its time."

If you've yet to see this amazing woman for yourself, check out her Myspace page, which has many photos and videos, and also be sure to stop by Vertigo Posse's website.

Stepanova will surely leave you breathless.