Livona Ellis and Rebecca Margolick join forces in Fortress

New collaboration plus four solos at Scotiabank Dance Centre on December 17 and 18

SPONSORED POST BY The Dance Centre

Livona Ellis and Rebecca Margolick. Photo by Faviola Perez

The explosive talents of two exceptional female dance artists, Livona Ellis and Rebecca Margolick, are set to be showcased in an evening of solos and the world premiere of their first collaboration, a duet titled Fortress. The production is taking place at the Scotiabank Dance Centre on December 17 and 18. 

Ellis is perhaps best known as a longstanding dancer with Ballet BC, and as a choreographer has also created works for Dances for a Small Stage, Dance Deck Trois, and Arts Umbrella Dance Company, among others. B.C.-born and -raised Margolick is currently based in New York City but returns frequently to work here; in addition to dancing with companies such as Sidra Bell Dance NY, she has seen her choreography shown internationally. 

Both artists have known each other since they were children training together at Vancouver’s renowned Arts Umbrella, but this is the first time they have had the opportunity to collaborate on a work together.

Ellis will also perform her pensive solo Unmoved, a deeply felt response to the idea of overcoming the limitations we place on ourselves. Margolick’s solo Bunker hums with energy, drawing on themes of memory and the shared history of previous generations of women. 

The program also includes two solos revived last season specially for them: Peter Bingham’s 1997 Woman Walking (away), danced by Ellis with exquisite simplicity and focus; and Allen Kaeja’s Trace Elements (2000) performed by Margolick, a passionate call to learn from the mistakes of our past.

“The solos were originally scheduled to be performed last season but the pandemic intervened, so we streamed the works online,” says The Dance Centre’s executive director Mirna Zagar, “but I am so happy audiences will now have the chance to see these wonderful works in person.”

The production is presented by The Dance Centre and BC Movement Arts. Find info and tickets here.

This post was sponsored by The Dance Centre.