Vau de Vire Society... Leading the sub-culture Circus Revolution!

Spawned from the depths of San Francisco’s thriving Dance and Circus sub-cultures, the Vau de Vire Society has ravaged and titillated live entertainment, causing jaws to drop in awe and admiration around the Bay Area and beyond.  This Avant-Cabaret community consists of classically-trained dancers, some of the nations most acclaimed acrobats, aerial artists, contortionists and circus side-show acts, an array of unique fire-performers, a handful of thespians and a barrage of the most enticing go-go’s. Vau de Vire offers a variety of entertainment scenarios including: curation and production of large-scale festival environments showcasing 6+ hours of variety-show entertainment; customized 60 min. ensemble stage-shows w/ accompanying live orchestra; providing atmospheric circus specialty acts, living-art installations or a series of circus solos w/ accompanying choreography. The group has been cross-pollinating genres by collaborating with an eclectic variety of world-renowned musicians and Dj’s in creating original stage shows and festival productions spanning social barriers.  Most notable recent collaborators include Cirque du Soleil, San Francisco Symphony, Paul Oakenfold, The Dresden Dolls, Peaches, The Alkaline Trio, Fishbone, The Madd Vibe Orchestra, Crystal Method…while providing live support performances for James Brown, 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean, Velvet Revolver, The Cure and many more widely respected international artists

Transcending the wall between audience and performer…

Attending a Vau de Vire event is akin to stepping into an interactive Circus where all layers of pretension are discarded at the door.  The common 2-dimensional wall between audience and performer is shattered by VdV artists emerging amongst the crowd performing thematic roaming vignettes. The audience and performer become a single force, creating an art-filled environment providing all in attendance a safe-haven to indulge fantasies of running away with the circus…if even for the night.

 

No matter the genre they infiltrate with their unique brand of Circus Theatrics, the Vau de Vire Society creates a live choreographed explosion of all that is beautifully talented.

Vau de Vire Production Services and Large-Scale Aerial Sculptures

 

From staging, lighting, sound, projections/visuals, décor, custom aerial rigs and programming, Vau de Vire’s tenacious production team creates a variety of artistically novel environments grand in nature.  In 2006, Vau de Vire teamed up with large-scale metal sculpture artist Michael Christian in converting his 40’ tall, free-standing Hypha sculpture into VdV’s aerial playground, accommodating Aerial Art performances from the newly fabricated steel leaves 30’ off the ground.  The sculpture has also been engineered to allow several to ascend Hypha’s 30’ stalk which at 40’ opens into a 8’ diameter bulb, perfect for viewing Festival grounds from a bird’s eye. 

 

In May 2007 Vau de Vire unveiled the 2nd of it’s large-scale aerial sculptures…Gussy.  Gussy is a 3-sided, pitched steel armature reaching 35’ in the sky.  Gussy is a one of a kind aerial rig in that it allows 4 separate aerial acts to take place simultaneously on the single structure…allowing Vau de Vire to create an aerial tablo unlike any other.

 

Vau de Vire Featured Performances and Client List

 

In less than 4 years, Vau de Vire Society has established a resume worthy of the most seasoned Performance-Art/Entertainment Company.  Career highlights include:

 

Festival Productions and Featured Shows:

944 Super Village @ SuperBowl ’08, Phoenix (Feb.’08) – VdV was Featured, Main Stage each of the three night’s, opening for international superstars 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean, Velvet Revolver and accompanied by Paul Oakenfold.

Download Festival, Shoreline Amphitheater, CA (Oct. ’07) – VdV shared billing with The Cure, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Metric while producing the Circus Village.

Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle (Sept. ’07) – VdV produced the Circus Stage and installed our large-scale aerial sculpture/stage while programming 3 days of Variety Acts in front of 150,000 appreciative spectators.

Alcatraz Exprescion, Alcatraz , SF (June ’07) –  VdV was handed the cell-block keys to the Hospital Ward of this infamous historical island prison and commissioned to create a performance-tour spanning 8 rooms, culminating in an ensemble choreographed stage show accompanied by Barry Syska’s 10 piece orchestra.

Le Rossignol w/ the San Francisco Symphony, Davies Symphony Hall, SF, (Nov.’06) – Widely known as the world’s foremost interpreters of Stravinsky pieces, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas presented Le Rossignol  with Vau de Vire performers/contortionists portraying the mechanical nightingale.

Cirque du Soleil, SF (Nov.’05) – Vau de Vire performers were featured at the opening night gala of Cirque’s Corteo production.

Bohemian Carnival, SF (Sept.’06-present) – VdV plays monthly hosts to the wildest sub-culture circus/variety-show/dance party in the States.

Burning Man Festival (’03 -’07) –  VdV have been featured Center Camp performers every year since the company’s inception…as well as playing co-host to The Red Nose District theme camp. 

w/ the Dresden Dolls – On 4 occasions over the past 2 years, VdV has joined forces with Boston duo the Dresden Dolls in staging accompanying vignettes to several of their hit singles.

Edwardian Ball, SF (Jan.’04 –‘08) – VdV co-produces this ever popular annual event celebrating the illustrated works of the infamous Edward Gorey.  Every year a Gorey story is chosen to guide an evening highlighted by a Vau de Vire stage show accompanied by the macabre orchestral styling’s of Rosin Coven.

w/Peaches, Cow Palace, SF (Oct. ’07) – Vau de Vire choreographed an original 60 min. stage show to the accompanying in-your-face lyrics and music of Peaches…perfect match to Vau de Vire’s wild-side.

Xingolati Groove Cruise, LA to Ensenada (Oct.’05) – VdV built their 30’ aerial sculpture on deck of a Carnival Cruise line and staged their original interpretation of a nautical “crossing the line ceremony”.

Vegoose Festival, Las Vegas (Oct.’05)-  Vau de Vire assembled a cast of 75 and hosted 1 of the 5 stages, in our very own circus tent, for the 90,000 in attendance. 

 

 

Alkaline Trio “BURN” music video (Dec.’06) - The video entitled Burn has experienced wide release throughout the MTV & FUSE

FOGG Festival, Grand Meadows, SF (Aug.’06) – featured performers alongside James Brown, Brian Setzer, The Donnas and more.

Fire Arts Festival , Oakland, CA (July ’05,’07)

Burning Man Decompression Festival (Oct. ’04,’05)

Health and Harmony Festival   Santa Rosa, CA (July ’05)– Main-Stage Featured Artist Techno Tribal Mass  

Lightning in a Bottle Festival, Santa Barbara, CA (July ’06, May, ’07)

Sea of Dreams, SF (’04, ’05, ’06, ‘08)

ArtsFest Spectra Ball, Regency, SF – Featured Performer, (April ’07)

 

Corporate Events, Television and Film, Talent Casting :

The Butler’s in Love, Director, David Arquette (Short Film - April ’08)

E Network, “Kimora’s Life in the Fab. Lane”, St. Louis, MO (March ’08)

Microsoft Developers, San Jose Tech. Museum (Feb.’08)

Paris Hilton’s Birthday Bash, Phoenix (Feb. ’08)

Sony - E-3 PlayStation event, Dodger Stadium, LA (May ’07)        

Toyota/ Scion – ExpreScion, San Francisco/ Las Vegas/Alcatraz (April ‘07/July ‘07/Oct. ’06)

Redbull Air Race World Series, SF (Oct. ’05)

Google/Double Click, W Hotel, SF (April ’07)

Moto GP National Races (July ’05,’06) Monterey, CA

Massive Black, Insomania Workshops– (Prod. Vau de Vire) Dec. ’06, SF

 

 

 “the most amazing artistic landscape that I have ever witnessed first hand.  I can say no more, see them if you can…it changed the way that I will view art from here on out”

GlideMagazine, Josh Klemmons