Michele Laine -  Founder & Artistic Director

Trained in gymnastics from age 4, Michele discovered a passion for performance in 1991 with Swamp Circus Theatre in Sheffield, UK gaining skills in clowning, character, aerial, stilts and circus big top touring, before going on to co-found Greentop Circus School in 1994.

She moved to London in 1999 to co-found her company, Viva Aerial Dance which specialised in aerial performance for  corporate events. Pioneers of the UK silks industry Viva brought the art to a national audience on BBC1's red silks IDENT aired for 4 years with 40,000 showings.

Multiple girl acts followed on silks and rope, along with a solo act: Fling acrobatic tumbling.

Michele also has extensive performing and production experience from the worlds of circus, theatre, film and tv, working as an aerialist, acrobat, stiltwalker and aerial stunt artist for several Hollywood movies including Batman Begins, Sherlock Holmes II and as Eva Green's Stunt double for The Golden Compass. She was Kate Moss's trapeze double for Rimmel and featured in TV commercials for Sony Playstation and Sunny D.

She has developed a reputation as a go-to professional for aerial and acrobatics entertainment and productions and with her technical background of a PhD in Physics and Materials Engineering, she has a special interest in equipment design, teaching and performance projects involving science.

Following a move to Western Australia in 2015, Michele has been developing local capacity and capability in Circus Arts based at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre (BREC) in Western Australia, generously supported as a Company in Residence. From here, she trains her next generation Viva performance team. She also brings her industry experience into the local community as BREC's first and current Associate Producer of Engagement.

Viva's young Aerial Performance Team is aged 12-18 and trained in aerial, acrobatics and stilts by Michele and guest tutors, performing when ready at in-house and at local events in the air and on the ground as stilts and clown mime characters.  

The newest part of Michele's journey is a full circle back to her circus roots with new clown acrobatic partner Isaac Salter as Head Over Heels.  

Isaac Salter is an Australian performer, director and producer, NICA trained and specialising in tumbling, Chinese pole, teeterboard, manipulation and especially clowning. From worldwide touring at festivals and events with Trash Test Dummies, Cirque Eloise, Circa and Bete de Cirque, Isaac has put his travelling suitcase away... for now. We are delighted to welcome him to the South West of WA as he keeps it local with family and friends.