Born in England, Viv trained in Ballet from the age of 4, then Jazz, Modern and Folk, performing in the vaudeville group the Roaring Twenties in Alberta. She has been training, dancing, choreographing and acting both collaboratively and as a solo artist since 1979. Viv co-founded Remote Control with Dave Wilson, performing and teaching in Sweden, Australia, England and Canada; worked with community dance in London, England and Canada (RNIB, CNIB, deaf & partial hearing, multi-abilities, psychiatric survivors); was National Coordinator of Fight Directors, Canada, during which time she gained Advanced Actor Combatant level in 6 weapons. Viv has taught Dance and Movement part-time at Humber College since 1985, as well as McMaster and Ryerson Universities.

Viv has studied Clown and Bouffon (Sue Morrison, Jos Houben, Nathaniel Justiniano, Mike Kennard), Physical Theatre (Theatre de Complicite) and Butoh (Denise Fujiwara, Diego Pinon, Yukio Waguri, Jay Hirabayashi, Natsu Nakajima, Yomiko Yoshioka) since the mid-80s. She is a recipient of a Chalmers Arts Fellowship (2011) where she researched clog, Whip, Knife and Archery and Butoh. She is a movement director, choreographer, rehearsal director, outside eye and performer for dance, plays, musicals and films, receiving a Dora Award for Sanctuary Song (Theatre Direct, Tapestry New Works; NAC Ottawa) 

Selected Choreography consists of Ghosts (Dance Ontario), Dora Award winner Sanctuary Song (Theatre Direct, Tapestry New Works; NAC Ottawa); curator/macro choreographer for 60×60 (Vox Novus) curator Nuit Blanche (Dance Ontario); Artistic Director of Body Percussion Festival, 2014 & 2017 (Harbourfront, Toronto). 

She was Movement Director for YPT’s Under The Stairs (Dora nomination best choreo) and Antigone (best Ensemble), as well as one of their 2018-19 Resident Artist Educators.