The daring Jules Leotard The most anyone can really hope for in this world is one solid claim to fame, but today we celebrate a man with three. Jules Léotard was born in Toulouse, France, in 1842. Though his father was a renowned gymnastics teacher, Jules's yearnings were for a career in law. His legal ambitions were short-lived, however, and before long, young Jules was soaring over a swimming pool, experimenting with ropes, rings, and the apparatus that would make him famous: the trapeze. On this day in 1859, Léotard made his first public appearance with the Cirque Napoleon (now the famed Cirque d'Hiver). His debut dazzled the crowd; he was the first to either turn a complete somersault in mid-air or to leap from one trapeze to the next. His twelve minute act, performed with only a few mattresses to break his fall in case of a misstep (safety nets weren't used until 1871), was a sensation. Soon, Léotard was flying above the heads of amazed diners at London's Alhambra Theatre -- to the tune of £180 per week (close to £5000 in today's economy.) His costume of choice (and claim-to-fame number two) was a skin-tight garment he invented to provide unrestricted movement during his aerial feats -- and to show off his impressive physique (much to the pleasure of his admiring audiences). He called it a maillot, but today it's known as the leotard. Its popularity quickly spread from the circus to the ballet studio, and today the leotard is the de rigueur garment for dancers, acrobats, aerialists, and superheroes alike (not to mention keen fodder for the nightmares of the body conscious.) In 1867, Léotard was immortalized in song, cementing his third claim to fame. British lyricist George Leybourne and composers Gaston Lyle and Alfred Lee wrote their enduring classic "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" about Jules. The song has since been covered by everyone from Eddie Cantor to Popeye to Bruce Springsteen, and remains popular to this day. An act, a garment, and a song -- we think that's a pretty impressive legacy for a man who lived only to the tender age of 28. Suggested Sites... Trapeze School New York - world-famous trapeze school with locations in New York, Baltimore, Boston, and Los Angeles. Circus Historical Society - not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to recording the history of the American circus. CircusWeb - step right up and read about circuses past and present! The Flying Wallendas - official site of the famed circus family, known for their death-defying aerial and acrobatic feats. eHow: How to Buy a Leotard - not sure how to shop for that leotard you've always wanted? Look no further.

Directory categories: Trapeze and Aerial Acts, Circus Arts, Dance Apparel, Circus Arts Companies

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