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Livona Ellis is a bi-racial dance artist born in Vancouver on the unceded CoastSalish Territories. She completed her training at Arts Umbrella under the direction of Artemis Gordon. In 2010 she received her Dance Diploma and began dancing with Ballet BC. Throughout her eight years with the company shehas been fortunate to perform works by world renowned artists such as Crystal Pite, Sharon Eyal, Lesley Telford, Johan Inger, William Forsythe, and many others. Independently she has collaborated with Jennifer McLeish-Lewis for the EDAM Spring Series and Rachel Meyer and Jennifer Mascall for Dancing on the Edge Festival 2019.
Livona has performed in international venues such as Sadler’s Wells, Movimentos Festival Wolfsburg, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival,Fall for Dance NYC, and International Dance Festival Birmingham UK.
She has created works for Dances for a Small Stage,Dance Deck Trois, Public Salon 2019, Contemporary Art Gallery Gala 2018, andArts Umbrella Season Finale. In 2017 she received the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for Emerging Artist.
This past year Livona staged Medhi Walerski’s “Prelude” on Staatsoper Hannover in Germany and was a guest artist with Konzert Theater Bern in Switzerland.
Livona rejoined Ballet BC for their 2020/21/22/23 seasons and is currently on faculty at Arts Umbrella. She has also been offered a residency at Left of Main in January 2021 and will continue her choreographic research towards developing a new solo work. Her work will also be seen in the BC Movement Arts Society's 1st and 2nd North Island Contemporary Dance Series.
