Livona Ellis & Rebecca Margolick

Fortress

MST Territories / Vancouver BC

We relate this idea of a fortress, a stronghold, something impenetrable, with the specific vulnerability and strength required to carry out the multilayered role of our Matriarchs. The shift of our perspective over time has created space to understand the complexity of their lives.

ANYA SAUGSTAD

[MST Territories]

Created in response to an ever lasting fear of death, Here it is acknowledges our brief existence, the animal in us, and the longing and pain we hold in a world where we leave one at a time. The duet was created as an experiment in making only an ending and then expanding the ending until it was a full-length work.

Livona Ellis was born in Vancouver on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She has performed with Ballet BC (11 seasons), Buhnen Bern,, Mascall Dance and Rachel Meyer. Livona has created works for Dances for a Small Stage, Dance Deck, Public Salon 2019, Contemporary Art Gallery Gala 2018, Arts Umbrella Season Finale, and Ballet BC Take Form. In 2017 she received the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for Emerging Artist and in 2023 received the inaugural Louise Bentall Award for Emerging Choreographer. Livona began dancing with Kidd Pivot in June 2023 and is currently collaborating with NYC-based artist Rebecca Margolick on the creation of their full-length duet Fortress.

Rebecca Margolick’s dance works have been presented in Turkey, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Mexico, Israel, across U.S and Canada. She was named one of Dance Magazines Top 25 to Watch, and received fellowships and residencies from Ailey’s New Directions Choreography Lab, Banff Centre, Derida Stage, Croatian Institute for Movement and Dance, Dance Deck, La Galerie Choreographique, LABA, BC Movement Arts Society. She created original works at Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, LITVAK, Ballet B.C.’s Annex, Ailey BFA Program, Michiyaya, and DancePORT Derida. She is creating a new work for Oregon Ballet Theater’s 2023/2024 season.