The Snow Must Go On!

Over an epic wintery weekend coinciding with a milestone birthday for Duo Rêves' very own company Enchantress, we presented a big show for a corporate event at Seattle's posh W Hotel.

The swanky setting leant itself well to a circus vibe. Incidentally, the building is also sandwiched in between two more hotel venues at which we had made very recent appearances.

Pink Roses for a Special BDay

Pink Geometry at W on a Snowy Show Day

That same weekend, snow began descending from the heavens, threatening the ill-prepared city of Seattle with cold and chaos. Word on the street was that mass event cancellations were to go into effect in response to the flurious weather. Indeed, our performance at an event the following day was rescheduled for a later date.

Video Above: Snow dancing about the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, where we had danced together just six days prior. Lil' snow won't hurt ya.

But the party monsters at Adaptive Biotechnologies were undeterred by the unfavorable weather. True troopers, they braved the snow and ice to come out and party like it was...2019.

And so despite snowmaggedon pandemonium in the Pacific Northwest, the day, night, and entire weekend went off without a hitch. We gratefully experienced the world-class hospitality of W Hotel, along with the festive crowd from Adaptive Biotechnologies.

Our performances included ambient sets and a featured show including aerial arts, Cyr wheel, sword dancing and more. Starring Eric the Invincible and Quynbi, the glowing Birthday Girl, Duo Rêves loved spending time together at their favorite place: Onstage!

Backstage Selfie!

Wishing everyone near and far minimal stress and maximum magic in the winter wonderland!

And remember, as they say: The Snow Must Go On!

Fairy Tales in the Air

What do you get when you cross a shiny canary yellow ball gown, cinematic shadow animation, a rubber beast mask and an aerial dance harness?

That would be Duo Rêves' cirque interpretation of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.

This particular show remains a favorite of our productions, and we built the original for an enterprise based in Richmond, B.C. Incidentally, we think Belle looks pretty cool with tattoos.

For our second invitation to entertain for the company's annual awards ceremony, the theme was chosen by the client. Being the fairy tale enthusiasts that we are, we were thrilled to hear that we were to play Belle and her Beast. And so we got to work.

The Beast Mask in question

Logistically, our live performances were limited. We had a very narrow stage that was shared with a speaker podium, a low ceiling, and those fantastic, yet cumbersome costumes.

But we didn't let any of that stop us from putting on a great aerial show.

We opted for showcasing our filmmaking chops with some serious shadow animation art that was projected overhead, interspersed with live numbers performed on that skinny stage.

The live performances included Quynbi's ethereal aerial gem number and Eric's daring straps act. These we wove in to the story during parts where Belle was still in her iconic blue and white frock, and before the prince's fated curse.

We both agree...creating shadow theater together is a blast. We start with the narrative and distill its essence into the shadows.

Storytelling minus light is a challenge and a thrill. With skilled players, advanced shadow technique and a healthy dose of artistic vision, the result is always a crowd-pleaser.

Check out this shadow reel we made for the show, featuring the prince and a practitioner of mischief:

The presentation came to an enchanted conclusion with a charming sky waltz between the beast prince and the princess. The show, accompanied by a custom soundtrack composed by Duo Rêves, ended right on time.

There is talk of expanding this Beauty and the Beast show to include a full video you can watch in the comfort of your own home, as we did with our full cruise ship show we call Into the Dreaming.

Are you interested in enjoying our live shows for your very own special event? Contact us to find out more. We love to get mail!

Golden Romance

Codex on the Flight of the Human Body

Image: Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

A collaborative effort comes with risks and rewards. It can be inspired, or things may fizzle out. But sometimes, artists join forces to create work that is magic.

We gratefully experienced a little bit of that alchemy with photographer Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli in a series of epic photo projects.

Dominic worked with Quynbi on a promotion for Light Art. For this project, the company built illuminated ring sculptures in concentric circles to create an otherworldly look. The glowing rings in the images below were suspended above and around Quynbi, encircling her in light while she moved. Light Artists tossed silken scarves into frame while Bonuccelli captured the images from the floor. Perfectly dreamy.

While we were at it, in a nod of appreciation to polymath Leonardo da Vinci, the crew created a Vitruvian Woman:

Seems like a long day, doesn't it?

As Leo himself so famously mused, "Art is never finished, only abandoned."

Grazie mille, Dominic!

Shooting for Rick Steves in Slovenia

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker who has travelled to more than 80 countries - from Cuba to Cambodia and Kiribati to Tibet - capturing images for Lonely Planet travel guides and Rick Steves' Europe. His forte is environmental portraiture, although his projects include corporate, editorial, travel, and fashion work, including music videos. He has hosted six seasons of travel shows for Lonely Planet, the National Geographic Adventure Channel, Discovery Asia, the Travel Channel and the BBC across Latin America, Europe and Asia. His editorial work has been featured in Variety, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal, and he is the cover photographer for MovieMaker Magazine in Los Angeles. His photographs are represented by AGE Fotostock (Spain), Arcangel (England) and Getty Images (USA). His film and photo clients include the Space Needle, the Gates Foundation, 3 Form, the Clinton Foundation and the United Nations. He has shot such luminaries as Stephen Hawking, Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek, Kenneth Branagh, Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama and Sting. A graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinema, Bonuccelli is a dual American and Italian citizen, and is currently working on a coffee table book of his best images of the last 20 years for Rick Steves’ Europe.