Marietta Zanfretta

Marietta Zanfretta (31 August 1832 – 8 February 1898), known as Madame Siegrist, was an Italian tightrope dancer who found success in the United States. One of the greatest female tight-rope dancers in the world, she was known for performing en pointe on the tightrope, a rare feat. In about 1855 the Zanfettta family were hired as part of the troupe of performers of Antoine Ravel (1812–1872) with whom Marietta Zanfretta also did solo and ensemble dancing. She quickly became popular with audiences because of her beauty, charm and skill on the tightrope on which she performed en pointe in addition to doing pirouettes and somersaults. As her father's joints began to stiffen with age, and finding himself unable to perform, he returned to Paris where, because of his physique, he became an artists' model.

Performing career After her booking with Ravel ended Zanfretta appeared in variety and theatres where she performed her signature tightrope descent. She toured the United States with the Caron and Ravel troupes which included the trapeze artists François and Auguste Siegrist and appeared at The Boston Theatre in Boston (1858). In that year she had a severe fall from which she soon recovered and resumed performing. With the Zanfretta Troupe she also performed in a number of circuses across the United States including in an equestrian act in which she danced and balanced on the back of a horse as it circled the ring. She also appeared with her brothers, with the clown Alexander Zanfretta (1830–1899) regularly appearing on playbills with her.

She appeared with Orton & Older (1859–60) and appeared on the road for them in 1861, when she was billed as: 'Senorita Marietta Zanfretta, the Venetian rope dancer, and most brilliant star of the Ravel Troupe, during their last visit to America. This talented young lady exhibits in remarkable degree the grace, beauty and elegance, for which the belles of her native country have long been celebrated, while her wonderful exploits upon the tight rope, without the aid of balance pole, baffle description, and have challenged the admiration of assembled thousands in the theatre of the old and new world.' In Leavenworth in Kansas where the local newspaper described her as "a miracle of grace and skill on the tight rope", such was her charm that even when performances went awry the audience applauded. In 1862 she performed with the Ravel troupe at the National Theatre in Boston while in 1863 it was announced that she would walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. She was at Lent's Equescurriculum (1864) and the Hippotheatron in New York (1864). In November 1865 she was at Tony Pastor's Opera House in New York while she spent the Winter of 1865 to 1866 at the National Circus in the New American Theatre in Philadelphia. In 1866 the Zanfretta Troupe, composed of Alexandre and Marietta Zanfretta, Siegrist brothers and members of the Caron family of entertainers took over the lease of the Olympic Theatre in New Orleans.

Later years

In 1871 she was performing with Van Amburgh & Co. With her husband and fellow trapeze artist François 'Frank' Laurens Prosper Siegrist (1828–1878), a French clown, gymnast and acrobat whom she met in New Orleans Later she formed her own family troupe with her daughter and adopted sons and continued to perform in public until 1880, with her last appearance being with Orrin Bros.’ in Havana

Marietta Zanfretta died in February 1898 in New York. She was survived by her husband, her daughter and her adopted children.

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