Legacy Project: Participants
© Michael Slobodian
Over fifty international participants are involved in the Legacy Project.
Margie has chosen to work with high-calibre professional dancers because of their understanding and commitment to her legacy. These participants include dancers from companies such as José Navas/Compagnie Flak (Montreal), Marie Chouinard (Montreal), Anatomiae Occultii (New York), Ballet BC (Vancouver), Dancemakers Dance Company (Toronto) and KUNST-STOFF Productions (San Francisco/Europe).
The project was inspired by and has ongoing artistic affiliation with Alexandra Wells, founder of Springboard Danse Montréal.
The Legacy Project includes, but is not limited to the following performers. Each tour is unique depending on location and artist availability.
Legacy project performers – Literature of the body 2024
Chelsea Bonosky (New York, NY)
Chelsea Bonosky is a dancer, activist and advocate based in New York City. She is honored to be a longtime partner in collaboration and assistance with Adam Barruch, has been guest artist to multiple creators, and was a member of PUNCHDRUNK immersive show ‘Sleep No More.” Chelsea is an LMSW, working as a therapist in women’s health and currently works for the United Nations Foundation, FP2030 as a Coordinator to High Impact Practices in Family Planning- specifically postpartum and post abortion FP.
Geneviève Boulet (Montreal, QC)
Geneviève graduated from the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal and worked with O Vertigo, Roger Sinha, Lina Cruz, Dany Desjardins and Roy Assaf (Israel). She has been a dancer with Destins Croisés since 2009. In addition, she is co-founder of the collective LA TRESSE where she acts as a choreographer and dancer.
Rachelle Bourget (Montréal, QC)
Based in Montreal, Rachelle Bourget is a contemporary dance artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. A 2012 graduate of The School of Contemporary Dancers, she has worked with Daina Ashbee, Paco Ziel, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, ENTITEY/jason martin, VIVUS – James Viveiros, @tendance/C.Medina, Pablo Bronstein + The Plug-In Institute of Contemporary Art and Riley Sims.
Working primarily as a solo artist, she has explored themes surrounding shame, isolation, escapism and the deconstruction of sex, beauty and fixation. She presented her solo AFTER THE CAUSE in Winnipeg at the Rachel Browne Theatre (2019) and in Montreal at Tangente Danse (2021) and Festival OFFTA (2022). Presently, she is creating a new duet piece, MERIDIAN RESPONSE, with the support of Studio 303, LA SERRE – arts vivants, Usine C and Tangente Danse.
Alexandra Caron (Montreal, QC)
Alexandra is a performer, dancer, and dance teacher. She received her training at the École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. Since then, her artistic journey has led her to become a part of the Héritage project by the Margie Gillis Dance Foundation and collaborate on various projects with Lumière Noire and pianist Zach Éli. Alongside musician Emmanuelle Lizère, she creates workshops for preschoolers and the interactive show “Chemin aux mille pousses.” Alexandra also conducts workshops in primary schools with the Ample Man Danse Company.
Isabel Cruz (Montreal, QC)
Isabel Cruz graduated from l’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec in 2022. She is currently working with Margie Gillis as part of the Legacy Project as well as with Paco Ziel and Diana León for Vias Company. Her creative background has evolved through the years, including dance and music performance. Isabel is also interested and enjoys playing with choreography, design, painting, and photography, all of which she does for her own pleasure and as well as to serve her community. Isabel aims to reach a profound knowledge of dance’s breathtaking language in order to convey her feelings, ideas, and emotions through the practice, and consequently reach a level of communion both with herself and as a consequence with the audience. For more information: isabelcruz.squarespace.com
Marc Daigle (Montreal, QC)
The Acadian contemporary dancer, Marc Daigle, began his career more than 3 decades ago with the Groupe de la Place Royale in Ottawa. He has danced for Montanaro, JP Perreault, Carbone 14, Red Rabbit Project and Margie Gillis since arriving in Montreal.
Cailtin Griffin (Vancouver, BC)
Caitlin is a performer, choreographer and teacher. She graduated from the Goh Ballet Academy in commonly called Vancouver, BC. She has worked independently and for companies and projects including Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, MOVE: the company, and the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies under the direction of Jean Grand-Maitre. Caitlin is honoured to have joined Margie Gillis’ Legacy Project in 2016 and she continues to perform and tour with Margie Gillis while carrying the values of dance for resiliency into her role as an ambassador for the Huntington Disease community
www.caitlingriffin.com
Tessa Rae Kuz (Regina, SK)
Tessa Rae Kuz is from the Treaty 4 Territory of Regina, Saskatchewan and graduated from University X (formerly Ryerson) with a BFA in Performance Dance. She works as a dancer, educator and emerging choreographer in both the modern-contemporary and street dance scenes. She is honored to have the opportunity to work with Margie and the Legacy Project.
Ruth Naomi Levin (Calgary, AB)
Ruth Naomi Levin is an independent dance artist currently based in Montreal, Canada. She holds an MFA in Dance from York University, is a graduate of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and has performed and taught across North America. She is honoured to have been a member of the Margie Gillis Legacy Project since 2014 and thrilled to continue to work alongside such astounding artists and human beings as Ms Gillis and the other dancers of the project. She also teaches and facilitates transformation through embodiment through her company Embodied in Motion.
Kyana Lyne (Montreal, QC)
Kyana Lyne graduated from Ryerson University’s dance program in 2018. She has since worked in Montreal as a freelance dance artist and emerging choreographer for performance and film.
Hoor Malas (Montreal, QC)
Hoor is a Syrian dance and movement artist who recently moved to Montreal. She started dancing at the age of eight in the Ballet School in Damascus. She received a B.A in dance from the Higher Institute of Arts in Damascus-Syria and a diploma in contemporary dance from The Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds-UK. Hoor is currently working as a dancer, performer and choreographer in Montreal and in Syria.
Jason Martin (Montreal, QC)
Jason Martin is a choreographer, dancer and teacher from Montreal, Québec. After graduating from l’École Danse Contemporaine de Montréal in 2012, he performed with Compagnie Marie Chouinard, Daniel Léveillé Danse, Compagnie Virginie Brunelle, le Carré des Lombes and Margie Gillis Dance Foundation, among others. In 2016, he founded ENTITEY/jason martin, creating dance works internationally that revolve around the resilience and interdependence of the human condition. In 2021, his solo étude nO.1 won Best Dancer at the SoloDuo NRW + Friends International Dance Festival in Cologne (Germany), the Jury Prize in the Certamen Coreográfico 10 Sentidos in Valencia (Spain) in 2022, and in 2023, La Gomera Choreography Center – Artistic Residency Prize at the Masdanza Festival (Spain) Jason has also created commissioned pieces, notably for the Ballet Nacional Dominicano (Dominican Republic), Ballet Metropolitano de Medellín (Colombia), Sadna Gaaton (Israel), Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (Canada) and Compañía Nacional de Danza (Costa Rica).
Lucy M. May (Montreal, QC)
Lucy M. May is a dance artist born in Eqpahak/ Wolastokuk/ Fredericton and based in Tiohtiá:ke/ Mooniyang/ Montréal since 2003. Improvisation resides at the heart of her work, nourished by her experiences performing with Compagnie Marie Chouinard (2009-16) and as a freelancer, and her practice of Krump since 2016. She has been an affiliate of Margie Gillis’s Legacy Project since its inception in 2015. The iconic Canadian choreographer entrusted her with two solos: A Complex Simplicity of Love (2003) and Give Me Your Heart Tonight (1983). Programmed across Canada, Lu’s choreographic work investigates the materiality of human attention and our relationships to place.
Annmaria Mazzini (New York, NY)
Annmaria performed with the Paul Taylor Dance Company from 1999-2011, and remains on faculty at The Taylor School in New York City. A graduate of Southern Methodist University, her choreography has been presented by her company, Mazzini Dance Collective, at Carnegie Hall, Battery Dance Festival, and Cape Dance Festival, and in the short film The Pink Pony. Annmaria is also a mom and the creator of Dancing Amulets, handmade, magical jewelry.
Erin O’LOUGHLIN (Montreal, QC)
Originally from Calgary/Treaty 7 Territory, O’Loughlin is a Montreal/ Tio’tià:ke- based dancer, choreographer, teacher, and founding member of LA TRESSE. Erin holds a BA in Dance and International Relations from the University of Calgary and additional training includes the Ailey School. She currently performs with Andrea Peña & Artists, Sylvain Émard Danse, Sinha Danse, Margie Gillis, and LA TRESSE.
Susie Paulson (Montreal, QC)
Montreal freelancer, Susan Paulson is honoured to be working with Margie Gillis. She is the co-founder of Le Broke Lab and has worked with Dave St Pierre, Virginie Brunelle and Cas Public among others.
Alisia Pobega (Montreal, QC)
Alisia Pobega graduated from l’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec and danced with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for over 12 years, rising to a soloist ranking. She is currently an independent artist and works within the Montréal dance community as a dancer, a teacher and a rehearsal mistress. Since June 2023, she has been the Artistic and General Director of Danse à la Carte.
James Viveiros (Montreal, QC)
James Viveiros is a dance artist of mixed Cree, Metis and Portuguese descent whose performance career spans over 25 years, most notably with Montreal’s Compagnie Marie Chouinard. Graduated at Alberta’s Grant MacEwan University in 1998, James has since performed in various theatre, performance, film and choreographic works in festivals and theatres worldwide. In 2015, James studied with Ohad Naharin of the Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv, Israel. He is a recent independent study graduate of the directing program at The National Theatre School of Canada.
Jerome Zerges (Montreal, QC)
Montreal-based Jerome Zerges is a multidisciplinary artist with a background encompassing circus arts, contemporary dance, and visual arts. A graduate of École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal (EDCM) and a recipient of the Hnatyshyn Grant for Young Artists, he is committed to creating art rooted in self- discovery and human connection, while actively seeking out enriching practices.
Other Legacy Project members
Adam Barruch (New York, NY)
Adam Barruch began his career as a young actor, and later received dance training at LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and Performing Arts and at The Juilliard School. He is an artist-in-residence at the 92Y in 2016-2017 and founder of Anatomiae Occultii.
Élise Boileau (Montreal, QC)
Elise Boileau graduated from the Conservatoire de Paris before joining the École de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal. Since 2014 she has been part of the Quebec Dance community as a performer, rehearsal director and journalist.
Daphne Fernberger (Frankfurt, Germany)
Sarah Murphy (NS)
Sarah Murphy received dance training from NCSA and The Juilliard School. Upon graduation in 2010 Sarah danced for Nederlands Dans Theatre II. Based in Den Haag, Sarah also worked as a freelance artist performing, creating and teaching throughout Europe and Asia until 2017. Sarah is currently based in Nova Scotia.
Troy Ogilvie (New York, NY)
Troy Ogilvie performs solos by Margie Gillis, Itzik Galili, Roy Assaf, and Idan Sharabi; teaches improvisation; and is a creative director for The McKittrick Hotel’s SUPERCINEMA parties. She graduated with a B.F.A. from The Juilliard School.