David Belle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Belle
Belle at the New Yorker Festival 2007
Born	David Nicolas Williams Belle (1973-04-29) 29 April 1973 (age 52) Fécamp, France
Occupation	Celebrity, Choreographer, Stunt coordinator
Known for	Parkour, film District 13
Parent(s)	Raymond Belle (father) Monique Kitten (mother)

David Nicolas Williams Belle (born 29 April 1973) is a French actor, film choreographer, and stunt coordinator. He is known as the founder and a main leader of parkour. He created the name "parkour" based on his own training and what his father, Raymond Belle, taught him.

Belle became well-known through his parkour videos and movie roles. These include films like District 13 and District 13: Ultimatum. These movies were written and produced by Luc Besson. He also starred in the American remake Brick Mansions. David Belle has also helped with stunts and movements in movies like Babylon A.D., Prince of Persia, and Colombiana. He is currently the head of the Parkour Committee for the International Federation of Gymnastics.

Early Life and Parkour Beginnings

David Belle was born and grew up in Fécamp, France. His father was Raymond Belle, and his mother was Monique. His grandfather, Gilbert Kitten, his father Raymond, and his brother Jean-François Belle were all very skilled rescuers. They worked for the Military Paris Fire Brigade. His father, Raymond Belle, was from Vietnam and had French-Vietnamese heritage. His mother, Monique Kitten, had French and English family roots.

David Belle started creating parkour when he lived with his grandfather, Gilbert, in Normandy. In 1984, when he was 11, Belle moved to Lisses, France. There, he became good friends with other teenagers who loved physical activities. They started training with him. They used the techniques he learned in Normandy and adapted them for city environments. Some of these friends later became known as the Yamakasi.

Later, David spent time in the military and the fire brigade. He wanted to follow in his father's and grandfather's footsteps. However, David left soon after for personal reasons. He felt that the strict military life did not fit his personality. While he was in the Marines, he set a new record for rope climbing. His father, Raymond, had held the previous record. David also earned an award for his gymnastics skills.

Developing Parkour and Film Career

After finishing his national service, David Belle worked in different jobs. He was a warehouse worker, a security guard, and a furniture salesman. He also spent three months in India learning kung fu. When he returned, he kept training in parkour. He filmed videos of his amazing skills. These videos later became the famous Speed Air Man video. In 1997, a TV show called Stade 2 saw a video of Belle. They decided to film the first news report about him and the Yamakasi group.

During the filming of this news report, the name Yamakasi was used for the first time for the team. David Belle did not like the name. He felt it did not give enough credit to his father. So, he left the group after the TV feature. Later, Belle trained other students. These students called themselves 'tracer.' The spelling was later changed to 'traceur.' This word is now used to describe someone who practices parkour.

David Belle started his acting career after meeting Hubert Koundé. They talked about how parkour could be used in movies. He then began to improve his acting skills with the play Pygmalion. Since then, he has had many roles, mostly in French films and commercials. Belle has appeared in promotional videos for Tina Turner and Iam. He starred in "Les gens du voyages" and "Un monde meilleur." He also appeared in "L'Engrenages" and "Femme Fatale." He was in "Les rivières pourpres 2" with Jean Reno.

After filming more commercials for the BBC, Nissan, Canon, and Nike, Belle was contacted by Luc Besson. Luc Besson is a famous director known for Nikita and The Fifth Element. Besson wanted David Belle to co-star as the main actor with Cyril Raffaelli in the action movie District 13. They later made a sequel, District 13: Ultimatum. Belle also co-starred with Paul Walker in Brick Mansions (2014). This movie was a remake of District 13.

Movies and TV Shows

Stunt Work

Video Games

Public Appearances and Endorsements

David Belle usually stays away from the public eye. His last big public appearance was as a guest at the New Yorker Festival in 2007. He was interviewed for an article about parkour called "No Obstacles." This article was published in April 2007.

Belle used to support a clothing company called Take Flight. However, he decided to stop working with them. He did not agree with their business actions and reasons.

See also

In Spanish: David Belle para niños

• Sébastien Foucan