Jules Léotard invented the flying trapeze
act. Born in France in 1842 he was originally trained by his
father who ran a swimming pool in Toulouse. Jules would practise
on his trapeze over the swimming pool. Léotard started
performing with the
Cirque Franconi in Paris as their main aerialist. He first performed in London
at the Alhambra in May 1861. He was a great success and his
notoriety was marked by George Leybourne’s popular music hall
song of the day, ‘The Flying Trapeze’.
“He’d fly through the air
with the greatest of ease
A daring young man on the flying trapeze.
His movements were graceful
All girls he could please
And my love he purloined away.”
At the Ashburnham Hall in Cremorne, Léotard performed
on five trapezes turning somersaults between each one.
He appeared again in London in 1866 and 1868 mainly in music
halls and
pleasure gardens where he was immensely popular. He died at the young age of
28 from an infectious disease (possibly smallpox).
Introduction
