# Sabrina Matthews > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sabrina_Matthews > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sabrina_Matthews.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrina_Matthews > Source revision: 1355331512 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Canadian ballet choreographer (born 1977)}} {{Infobox artist | name = Sabrina Matthews | caption = Photograph by Clay Stang | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1977}} | birth_place = [Toronto](/source/Toronto), Ontario, Canada | field = Ballet Choreographers | training = [National Ballet School of Canada](/source/National_Ballet_School_of_Canada) | awards = }} '''Sabrina Matthews''' (born 1977) is a Canadian [ballet](/source/ballet) [choreographer](/source/Choreography). She has choreographed pieces for prestigious ballet companies around the world, including [Stuttgart Ballet](/source/Stuttgart_Ballet), [Royal Swedish Ballet](/source/Royal_Swedish_Ballet), [Boston Ballet](/source/Boston_Ballet), [Royal Academy of Dance](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Dance)'s [Genée International Ballet Competition](/source/Margot_Fonteyn_International_Ballet_Competition), and the [National Ballet of Canada](/source/National_Ballet_of_Canada).{{Cite web |url=http://www.staatstheater.stuttgart.de/ballett/spielplan/page.php?aktiv=archiv_0607 |title=Stuttgart Ballet's Repertoire |access-date=2008-09-23 |archive-date=2011-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719181652/http://www.staatstheater.stuttgart.de/ballett/spielplan/page.php?aktiv=archiv_0607 |url-status=dead }} Her choreography has been performed internationally in Canada, the United States, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Netherlands. In 2008, ''[Chatelaine](/source/Chatelaine_(magazine))'' magazine recognized Matthews as one of Canada's Amazing Women to Watch.see Chatelaine Magazine's April 2008 80th Year Anniversary Edition ==Biography== Sabrina Matthews is a [Toronto](/source/Toronto), [Ontario](/source/Ontario), [Canada](/source/Canada) native and a graduate of the [National Ballet School of Canada](/source/National_Ballet_School_of_Canada), attending from 1987–1995.{{Cite web |url=http://www.geneeballetcompetition.com/Faculty_main.htm |title=Genee Ballet Competition - Faculty |access-date=2008-02-25 |archive-date=2008-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828165041/http://www.geneeballetcompetition.com/Faculty_main.htm |url-status=dead }} From 1995–2005, she was a leading soloist and aspiring choreographer with the [Alberta Ballet Company](/source/Alberta_Ballet)[http://www.albertaballet.com/users/news_view.asp?FolderID=3219&NewsID=40 May 30, 2006 Alberta Ballet News Article][http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/August-2005/Alberta-Ballets-Dramatic-Moves August 2005 Dance Magazine Article] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215120628/http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/August-2005/Alberta-Ballets-Dramatic-Moves |date=2011-12-15 }} under artistic directors [Mikko Nissinen](/source/Mikko_Nissinen)[http://www.bostonballet.org/Reps/ein_von_viel.html Boston Ballet biography for Sabrina Matthews] and Jean Grand-Maître. During this time, Matthews performed in several ballet tours across four continents. Her choreography and dance films have received national and international awards, including a 2008 PACE Award, a 2006 Ballet VIP Honorable Mention from [''Pointe Magazine''](/source/Pointe_(magazine)), the 1995 Peter Dwyer Award,[http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/peter_dwyer/mp127238406645937500.htm Canada Council for the Arts - Peter Dwyer Award Winners List] a 2005 Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award, and a 2003 nomination from the Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association for the 2002 [Bravo!FACT](/source/Bravo!FACT_Presents) short film ''Dance to This''.[http://www.bravofact.com/shorts/details.asp?projectID=2040&searchStatus=active&DisciplineID=0&provID=0&searchText=dance%20to%20this&ANDOR=AND Bravo!FACT Film Synopsis of Dance to This][https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488384/combined IMDB Listing for Dance to This][http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/films/detail.asp?fid=323 Brooklyn International Film Festival Listing for Dance to This] In 2006, after Matthews choreographed pieces for the [Alberta Ballet Company](/source/Alberta_Ballet_Company)[http://www.sabrinamatthews.ca/choreography.html Sabrina Matthews' Choreography and Reviews] and the [New York Choreographic Institute](/source/New_York_City_Ballet)[http://www.nycballet.com/nyci/support/nyci_matthewsbio.html New York City Ballet Biography for Sabrina Matthews] on the [School of American Ballet](/source/School_of_American_Ballet), [Stuttgart Ballet](/source/Stuttgart_Ballet) artistic director [Reid Anderson](/source/Reid_Anderson_(dancer)) invited her to attend the Noverre Society; a program for young choreographers to create and present their original works.{{Cite web |last=Ballett |first=Stuttgarter |title=Noverre {{!}} Stuttgart Ballet |url=https://www.stuttgart-ballet.de/noverre/ |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=www.stuttgart-ballet.de |language=de}} While there, she created ''soles'', which earned positive reviews among German critics. The piece was included as part of Stuttgart Ballet's [repertoire](/source/repertoire) and was reprised during Stuttgart's December Gala. Matthews' success in the Noverre Society led to ballet companies commissioning her for choreography. She ended her dance career early and pursued choreography full-time. Since then, Matthews has created pieces for the [National Ballet of Canada](/source/National_Ballet_of_Canada)[http://www.ballet-dance.com/200708/articles/NBoC20070628.html August 2007 Ballet Dance Magazine Article regarding the NBoC's 2007 Gala][http://www.ballet-dance.com/200704/articles/BruhnPrize20070303.html April 2007 Ballet Dance Magazine Article regarding the Erik Bruhn Competition][https://web.archive.org/web/20121103182120/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2007/03/05/bruhn-dance-prize.html March 5, 2007 CBC News Article regarding the Erik Brun Competition][http://www.national.ballet.ca/performances/season0809/innovation.php National Ballet of Canada 2008/09 Season - Innovations] and a second piece for Stuttgart Ballet,[http://www.staatstheater.stuttgart.de/ballett/spielplan/a_z.php?id=46 Stuttgart Ballet Biography for Sabrina Matthews] all of which have been reprised. In 2008, Matthews created a piece for the [Royal Academy of Dance](/source/Royal_Academy_of_Dance)'s [Genée International Ballet Competition](/source/Margot_Fonteyn_International_Ballet_Competition). She also created a new piece, ''quondam'', in 2008 for the [Royal Swedish Ballet](/source/Royal_Swedish_Ballet), which has since been reprised in 2009 and 2010. Matthews made her United States debut in March 2008 with ''ein von viel'' at the [Boston Ballet](/source/Boston_Ballet) to critical praise. ''ein von viel'' has been performed by three ballet companies for a total of eight reprisals in four countries.{{Cite web |title=Sabrina Matthews - ein von viel |url=http://www.sabrinamatthews.ca/einvonviel.html |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=www.sabrinamatthews.ca}} In addition to working with major international ballet companies, Matthews works closely with her ''alma mater'', Canada's National Ballet School.[http://www.nbs-enb.ca/about/events/showcase2009.aspx Canada's National Ballet School website] She also choreographed a [figure skating](/source/figure_skating) solo for four-time world figure-skating champion [Kurt Browning](/source/Kurt_Browning),[http://www.kurtfiles.com/profile.php Kurt Browning fan website] and works for television in North America[http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091007/sabrina_matthews_dance_bio/20091007?s_name=dance2009&no_ads= So You Think You Can Dance Canada]{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} and Europe,[http://www.video.mediaset.it/video/amici/danza/155472/al-boston-ballet.html#tc-s1-c2-o1-p6 Amici Television Show] including choreography for the television dance competition ''[So You Think You Can Dance Canada](/source/So_You_Think_You_Can_Dance_Canada)''. ==Choreographed work== All pieces are world premieres unless otherwise indicated. ===Stuttgart Ballet=== * ''soles'' (2006) * ''veil'' (May 4, 2008) ===Royal Swedish Ballet=== * ''quondam'' (November 7, 2008) ===Boston Ballet=== * ''ein von viel'' (March 6-9, 2008) - U.S. premiere ===National Ballet of Canada=== * ''clearing'' (2007) * ''veer'' (2008) - Originally commissioned for the 2007 [Erik Bruhn](/source/Erik_Bruhn) Competition * ''DEXTRIS'' (March, 2009) * ''In Peril'' (February, 2011) - Stuttgart Ballet's 50th Anniversary Gala ===National Ballet School (Canada)=== * ''Sequentia'' (May, 2009) ===Alberta Ballet=== * ''delude'' (2000) * ''ein von viel'' (2001) * ''transience'' (2002) * ''unbound'' (2003) * ''fallen arm'' (2004) * ''losing ground'' (2005) ===Competitions and festivals=== *''Dance to This'' (2002) [Bravo!FACT](/source/Bravo!FACT_Presents) short film - 2002 [Calgary International Film Festival](/source/Calgary_International_Film_Festival), 2003 [Brooklyn International Film Festival](/source/Brooklyn_Film_Festival), and 2005 Constellation Change Screen Dance Festival * ''unbound'' (2001) - Beijing International Dance Festival * ''Rodin'' (2005) - [Glenbow Museum](/source/Glenbow_Museum) * ''veer'' (2007) - [Erik Bruhn](/source/Erik_Bruhn) Competition (Not performed due to injury) * ''clearing'' (2007) - [Canada Day Celebration](/source/Canada_Day) in Ottawa, Canada * ''monas'' (August 2008) - [Genée International Ballet Competition](/source/Margot_Fonteyn_International_Ballet_Competition) ==Awards and recognition== * 1994 Peter Dwyer Award ([Canada Council for the Arts](/source/Canada_Council)/[National Ballet School](/source/Canada's_National_Ballet_School)) - Excellence in Dance * Nominated for the 2003 Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association Awards - ''Dance to This'' * 2005 Clifford E. Lee Award ([Banff Centre for the Arts](/source/Banff_Centre_for_Arts_and_Creativity)) - Choreography * Honorable mention in 2006 [''Pointe Magazine''](/source/Pointe_(magazine)) - Ballet VIP * 2008 Alberta Provincial Awards Celebrating Excellence (Banff Centre) - Outstanding Alumnus * 2008 ''[Chatelaine](/source/Chatelaine_(magazine))'' magazine - Canada's Amazing Women to Watch ==Reviews== * Reid Anderson, artistic director of the [Stuttgart Ballet](/source/Stuttgart_Ballet) (May 2006): "Sabrina is an excellent Canadian cultural ambassador for Canada. The dancers loved working with her, the German audience deeply connected with her ballet and she inspired everyone here during the process. She has successfully pierced the highly competitive European market". * Karen Campbell, ''[Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe)'' (March 8, 2008): "Surprisingly, the most effective work on the program was also the smallest, the duet ''ein von viel'', marking the US debut of Canadian choreographer Sabrina Matthews. Set to selections from Bach's exquisite 'Goldberg' Variations (given a stellar performance onstage by pianist Freda Locker), it was commissioned by Nissinen while he was artistic director of Alberta Ballet, and it's a beauty. Friday night, [John Lam](/source/John_Lam) and [James Whiteside](/source/James_B._Whiteside) were dazzling in Matthews's virtuosic choreography. Matthews matches the clarity of Bach's score while consciously subverting the elegance with bits of 'you lookin‘ at me?' attitude and quirky nuances. Dynamics shift with quicksilver speed, long lines dissolve into squiggles, complemented by playful gestures – feet that paw the ground, hands that cover the face, backward runs. But it‘s all fairly subtle, cast in phrases of tensile fluidity from which erupt brilliant leaps and turns in vivid asymmetric shapes." * Gabriele Müller, ''[Stuttgarter Zeitung](/source/Stuttgarter_Zeitung)'' (May 22, 2006): "The exceptional ballerina [Alicia Amatriain](/source/Alicia_Amatriain) is partnered by [Evan McKie](/source/Evan_McKie) in Sabrina Matthew's piece ''soles'' set to spiritual vocal music by Tomas Luis de Victoria. This ''pas de deux'' of continuous movement conveys an impression of eternity. Pain, suffering and longing are expressed as a fulfillment." * Denise Sum, ''[Dance Magazine](/source/Dance_Magazine)'' (August, 2007): "The following work, also by a young Canadian, succeeded where Robinson's did not. [National Ballet School](/source/Canada's_National_Ballet_School) alumnus and former [Alberta Ballet](/source/Alberta_Ballet_Company) member Sabrina Matthews’ 'clearing' has direction and form. The work, set to Mozart's powerful 'Great Mass in C Minor,' has three couples moving through patterns of movement like the many voices of a fugue. [Bridgett Zehr](/source/Bridgett_Zehr) was particularly stunning, her ''pas de deux'' with Piotr Stanczyk almost spiritual. Stacey Shiori Minagawa and Chris Body plus [Greta Hodgkinson](/source/Greta_Hodgkinson) and [Nehemiah Kish](/source/Nehemiah_Kish) rounded out this strong cast. Near the end of the ballet, the black backdrop is lifted, ever so slowly. The white background behind it 'grows,' the way light fills a room. The dancers turn to face the back, in some sort of reverent or ceremonial action, as the curtain falls." * Bob Clark, ''[Calgary Herald](/source/Calgary_Herald)'' (July 15, 2005): "For her new creation, Matthews too has chosen carefully, building the emotional intensity of the work, losing ground, through a combination of complex passionate movement and a slow luminous score. The score is fashioned from the music of Thomas Tallis, Brahms and J.S. Bach, with important contributions from Calgary soundscape artist Dewi Wood." "Massively framed by set designer Scott Reid’s evocation of vertical steel plates and dramatically lit by lighting designer Harry Frehner, losing ground’s eight characters seem to be in a state of alert as they try to connect and re-connect – bodies bending then arching back, arms spreading in both supplicating and questioning gestures – to find their way back from loneliness and isolation. The powerful work was performed beautifully by the dancers, led by Tara Williamson and Daniel Marshalsay. The standing ovation from the large crowd was richly deserved by all concerned." * Salena McDougall, ''[SEE Magazine](/source/See_Magazine)'' (April 3, 2003): "Alberta Ballet’s Sabrina Christine Matthews is being outrageously understated when she describes the past dance season as 'one of the biggest years' for her. In her eighth year with the company, Matthews was blazing at the forefront ... 'It has been exciting, and a whole lot of work,' Matthews says reflecting on a breakthrough season. "Last February, Matthews was in New York, invited by the [New York Choreographic Institute](/source/New_York_City_Ballet) to workshop her own choreography on dancers from the [School of American Ballet](/source/School_of_American_Ballet). And she recently added video star to her resume with ''Dance to This'', a short Bravo!” * Jean Grand-Maître, artistic director of the Alberta Ballet (May 2006): "Many of the most respected and cutting edge choreographers working today have had their beginning during the Noverre series of the Stuttgart Ballet and Ms. Matthews’ success will bid well for her future career as a dance creator in Europe." ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.sabrinamatthews.ca Sabrina Matthews' Webpage] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20040715090053/http://www.national.ballet.ca/ National Ballet of Canada] * [http://www.albertaballet.com Alberta Ballet] * [http://www.geneeballetcompetition.com/ Genee Ballet Competition] * [http://www.staatstheater.stuttgart.de/ballett/start.htm Stuttgart Ballet] * [http://www.nycballet.com/nyci/about.html New York Choreographic Institute] * [http://www.pointemagazine.com/ Pointe Magazine] {{So You Think You Can Dance Canada}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Sabrina}} Category:Ballet choreographers Category:Canadian choreographers Category:Canadian ballerinas Category:Living people Category:1977 births Category:So You Think You Can Dance choreographers Category:So You Think You Can Dance Canada Category:Participants in Canadian reality television series Category:Canadian women choreographers --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sabrina Matthews](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrina_Matthews) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrina_Matthews?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.