FOUNDING DIRECTORS
ALOYSIA GAVRE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Aloysia, started her circus career touring internationally with San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus at the age of 18 after spending her youth training under Master Lu-Yi, Shana Carroll and at the Ecole Nationale de Cirque. At 23 she joined Cirque du Soleil as an aerialist performing in both O and Quidam in over 2,000+ shows over 5 years. In 2001 her Aerial Hoop Trio with Quidam was honored to be asked to represent CDS at the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo, leading them receive special honors. Performance highlights since leaving CDS include Cirque Mechanics, Teatro Zinzanni, Cirque de la Symphonie, the film Water For Elephants and numerous corporate events & television shows. Aloysia still performs today including recent appearances at the renowned Kennedy Center and the Sydney Opera House.
Aloysia began her circus choreography and directing career in 2004 starting with a co-production with the Pickle Family Circus and Cirque Mechanics show Birdhouse Factory. Since that time she has remained a collaborative partner with Cirque Mechanics working on numerous shows including Pedal Punk currently on tour. Additionally she continued her creative work with the Pickles co-creating 3 other shows - these successes lead her to create both Cirque School and Troupe Vertigo Circus Theater in Los Angeles in 2008. Aloysia now strives to bring opportunities for Anybody with Any Body to learn Circus skills and to help grow an audience to enjoy circus.
Aloysia is energized by visual imagery and the storytelling capacity created by challenging one's body to the extreme hence her choreography and directing work has become known as an eclectic mix of theater, circus, dance and music bridging the quirky with the sublime. This vision has lead her to varied creative endeavors including for the film Pitch Perfect 2, Cirque de la Symphonie, PBS, Eclipse Shadow Acrobatics & Dance, and numerous corporate events. Her leadership of Cirque School has lead the company to been seen on television shows including NBC's First Look, Last Call with Carson Daly, Housewives of Beverly Hills, Millionaire Matchmaker among others.
Aloysia has additionally given numerous lectures & demonstrations on Circus Creation at TED-X, Directors Lab West and the Center Theater Group.
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REX CAMPHUIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Rex Camphuis has been working in Theater, Film, Television or Circus Production since 1986. Rex attended The San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and is a graduate of San Diego Jr. Theater Training Program. After a 3 season apprenticeship at San Diego’s Starlight Opera Rex went to Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz where he studied Acting and Direction for the stage.
While working for the Tandy Beal Dance Company as a stage manager Ms. Beal became San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus’ Artistic Director. Rex stage-managed the Pickles from '92-'95.
In '96 he moved to Los Angeles to begin work in film and television production where he was the Production Coordinator for WB’s “Felicity” and ABC’s “Alias”.
Rex served as the Board President for Pasadena Jr. Theater, a youth theater school, for 4 years.
In '04 Rex Co-directed and was the Musical Director of the Pickle Circus Production Birdhouse Factory. His directing work along with partner Aloysia Gavre continued with the Pickle Circus productions High Water Radio, Elevation 63 and E63:Vertigo. Rex spent the '07/’08 season as San Francisco's Traveling Jewish Theatre’s Associate Producer and Sound Designer in Residence whose credits include their recent productions of Rose and Death of a Salesman.
Also in ’07 Rex and Aloysia co-founded TROUPE VERTIGO a theatrical circus entertainment company bringing the thrill of the circus and the art of the theater to special events and theatrical productions around the world. Rex is currently the Executive Director of CIRQUE SCHOOL. Located in Hollywood, CA, CIRQUE SCHOOL is a place for both amateurs and professionals to train as well as the home of TROUPE VERTIGO INC.
Rex keeps his hand in film production every year producing and directing five short Children’s Defense Fund/Beat The Odds documentaries for co-producers JJ Abrams and Katie McGrath. The Beat The Odds scholarship is awarded to students across the country that are working hard to overcome tremendous obstacles in their personal lives, demonstrating academic excellence and giving back to their communities.
Other film work includes working with Lorenzo Pisoni on his documentary about life in The Pickle Family Circus and Rex is the Associate Producer on the award winning Horton Foote short film ONE ARMED MAN directed by Tim Guinee.
Rex is a baseball coach at LAUSD’s Roybal HS in downtown Los Angeles.