I made a vow to be more adventurous this year, so I’m signing up for all the weird and wonderful workouts I can find in my hometown of London, then reporting back on what I’ve learned about fitness, ...

When you think of contortionists, images of circus performers (perhaps a la Cirque du Soleil) likely come to mind. The bending, twisting, and stretching seem impossible — and never fail to mesmerize.

In order to travel around the world, Jacki Ward had to bend over backward. Ward, a contortionist for the past five years, has turned her passion for the art form into a $25,000 fellowship that will ...