Michele Jenkins -  Founder & Artistic Director

Trained in gymnastics from age 4, Michele discovered a passion for performance in 1991 with Swamp Circus Theatre in Sheffield UK, going on to co-found Greentop Circus School in 1994. She moved to London in 1999 to co-found Viva Aerial Dance with Jane Osborn and develop aerial silks, performing worldwide as an aerialist and acrobat. She has extensive performing and production experience from the diverse worlds of circus, street, theatre, film and tv, working as an aerial stunt artist for several Hollywood movies and developing a reputation as a go-to professional for aerial acrobatics productions. With a technical background of a BSc and a PhD in Physics and Materials Engineering, she has a special interest in teaching and in performance projects involving science. Known in the UK and on IMDB by her maiden name, Michele Lainé.

Darren Jenkins - Operations Manager

Originally from Western Australia, Darren joined Viva in 2009. As Operations Manager and Head Performance Rigger, he has been instrumental in the development of Viva’s Occupational Health and Safety Management system looking after everything technical including site visits, equipment design, LOLER examinations, stage management and performer liaison on events. Darren enables performer flying at BREC for incoming shows as well as all Viva’s performance rigging. He is qualified to IRATA Level 3 and has a high risk work licence (CV, RA, WP). He also has a BSc in Exercise and Health, a PGDip in OHSM (Level 7) and is a Graduate Member of IOSH.

Core Team Performers

Viva (Western Australia) is currently developing and training a new generation Aerial Performance Team from the local South West of WA aerial, gymnastics and dance community. Based at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre where we are a Company in Residence, we provide silks, harness flying, hoop and stilts training and performance for local and national events. All our performers have a respect and passion for aerial and we work to the highest of artistic, safety and professional standards.

Viva (UK) works with an experienced core team of show riggers, prop and costume makers and beautiful aerial acrobatics performers with high level aerial skills covering silks, hoop, trapeze, corde lisse and harness flying. Many of our performers are multi-disciplined to include floor work of acrobatics, adagio, contortion, dance, artistic ribbon and stilts. Our UK performers are all Equity Union members and hold public liability insurance for aerial performance.