La Norma Fox obit

La Norma Fox, 100-year-old aerial circus legend, passes away 

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Did you know… the world just lost a 100year old aerial circus legend? Born February 9, 1926, La Norma Fox died on August 8, 2026. Born in Denmark. La Norma Fox started in a ballet school before being selected to join the circus. She did a stunning single trapeze act where her feats of skill and daring included planges, bare heel, ankle, and toe hangs, iron jaw, and a sensational swinging one knee catch. Her act opened with her being pulled up by one arm and shedding her elegant gown as she ascended. La Norma toured Europe with shows like Circus Scott and Cirque D’Hiver. She married a French bareback rider Andre Fox. She was doing her trapeze act under the Eiffel Tower in 1949 when she was spotted by a talent scout from Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus who brought her to America where she performed in the center ring for several years before touring with other shows. She was the stunt double for Betty Hutton in the movie The Greatest Show on Earth. At the end of her aerial career she worked at incredible heights from a rocket ship rigging. There is a Danish book by Aase Thomassen about her life titled “La Norma – Sorrow, Longing and Success – a Danish Trapeze Artist's Path to International Fame.”

In addition to her native Danish, she spoke French, German, Swedish, and English. La Norma retired in 1974 to care for her son who had been paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. At this time, she also started making ceramic figures – dolls she called them— of people doing different circus acts. La Norma was also a sought after aerial teacher. She would tell young people who wanted to perform, "Be very happy and proud," she said. "If you find yourself with a feeling of wanting to dance, dance, my goodness, because it's all there for you, and whatever you can accomplish in this life here, show how much you have."