Sabrina Matthews (born 1977) is a Canadian ballet choreographer. She has choreographed pieces for prestigious ballet companies around the world, including Stuttgart Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Boston Ballet, Royal Academy of Dance's Genée International Ballet Competition, and the National Ballet of Canada. Her choreography has been performed internationally in Canada, the United States, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Netherlands. In 2008, Chatelaine 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, Ontario, Canada native and a graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada, attending from 1987–1995. From 1995–2005, she was a leading soloist and aspiring choreographer with the Alberta Ballet CompanyMay 30, 2006 Alberta Ballet News ArticleAugust 2005 Dance Magazine Article under artistic directors Mikko NissinenBoston 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, the 1995 Peter Dwyer Award,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 short film Dance to This.Bravo!FACT Film Synopsis of Dance to ThisIMDB Listing for Dance to ThisBrooklyn International Film Festival Listing for Dance to This
In 2006, after Matthews choreographed pieces for the Alberta Ballet CompanySabrina Matthews' Choreography and Reviews and the New York Choreographic InstituteNew York City Ballet Biography for Sabrina Matthews on the School of American Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet artistic director Reid Anderson invited her to attend the Noverre Society; a program for young choreographers to create and present their original works. While there, she created soles, which earned positive reviews among German critics. The piece was included as part of Stuttgart Ballet's 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 CanadaAugust 2007 Ballet Dance Magazine Article regarding the NBoC's 2007 GalaApril 2007 Ballet Dance Magazine Article regarding the Erik Bruhn CompetitionMarch 5, 2007 CBC News Article regarding the Erik Brun CompetitionNational Ballet of Canada 2008/09 Season - Innovations and a second piece for Stuttgart Ballet,Stuttgart Ballet Biography for Sabrina Matthews all of which have been reprised. In 2008, Matthews created a piece for the Royal Academy of Dance's Genée International Ballet Competition. She also created a new piece, quondam, in 2008 for the 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 to critical praise. ein von viel has been performed by three ballet companies for a total of eight reprisals in four countries.
In addition to working with major international ballet companies, Matthews works closely with her alma mater, Canada's National Ballet School.Canada's National Ballet School website She also choreographed a figure skating solo for four-time world figure-skating champion Kurt Browning,Kurt Browning fan website and works for television in North AmericaSo You Think You Can Dance Canada and Europe,Amici Television Show including choreography for the television dance competition 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 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 short film - 2002 Calgary International Film Festival, 2003 Brooklyn International Film Festival, and 2005 Constellation Change Screen Dance Festival unbound (2001) - Beijing International Dance Festival Rodin (2005) - Glenbow Museum veer (2007) - Erik Bruhn Competition (Not performed due to injury) clearing (2007) - Canada Day Celebration in Ottawa, Canada monas (August 2008) - Genée International Ballet Competition
Awards and recognition 1994 Peter Dwyer Award (Canada Council for the Arts/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) - Choreography Honorable mention in 2006 Pointe Magazine - Ballet VIP 2008 Alberta Provincial Awards Celebrating Excellence (Banff Centre) - Outstanding Alumnus 2008 Chatelaine magazine - Canada's Amazing Women to Watch
References
External links Sabrina Matthews' Webpage National Ballet of Canada Alberta Ballet Genee Ballet Competition Stuttgart Ballet New York Choreographic Institute Pointe Magazine