clearing

Picture Galleries

 

sequentia | quondam | monas | veil | veer | ein von viel | clearing

soles | losing ground | Dance to This | fallen arm | unbound

 

clearing 13 - Sabrina Matthews
clearing - National Ballet of Canada

(Presented by the National Capital Commission)

Sonia Rodriguez and Kevin Bowles

Photograph by Tanya Howard, Courtesy of the National Ballet of Canada

 clearing 14 - Sabrina Matthews
clearing - National Ballet of Canada

(Presented by the National Capital Commission)

Sonia Rodriguez and Kevin Bowles

Photograph by Tanya Howard, Courtesy of the National Ballet of Canada

 clearing 15 - Sabrina Matthews
clearing - National Ballet of Canada

(Presented by the National Capital Commission)

Sonia Rodriguez and Kevin Bowles

Photograph by Tonya Howard, Courtesy of the National Ballet of Canada

 

Ballet Name
 clearing

Choreography

Music

 

Lighting Design

Costume Design

 

Ottawa Premiere

Company

 

World Premiere

Company

 

Invitation Only Preview

Company

Sabrina Matthews

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, excerpts from Great Mass in C Minor, Missa K.66 dominicus, Missa solemnis c-moll

Christopher Dennis

National Ballet of Canada Wardrobe

 

July 1, 2007 Canada Day Celebrations Parliament Hill

Canada Council for the Arts/National Ballet of Canada

 

June 28, 2007

National Ballet of Canada

 

September 12, 2006

National Ballet of Canada
Reviews:

Denise Sum, Ballet Dance Magazine – "…clearing has direction and form." (More)

Susan Walker, Toronto Star – "…Sabrina Matthews thrilled the audience with clearing…" (More)

Gary Smith, Ballet Review – "…exciting dance architecture… has the instincts of a serious choreographer." (More)

Paul Citron, Globe and Mail – "Sabrina Matthews is one of Canada's brightest new choreographers." (More)

Denise Sum, in Ballet Dance Magazine, August, 2007:

 

The following work, also by a young Canadian, succeeded where Robinson's did not. National Ballet School alumnus and former Alberta Ballet 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 was particularly stunning, her pas de deux with Piotr Stanczyk almost spiritual. Stacey Shiori Minagawa and Chris Body plus Greta Hodgkinson and 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.
Susan Walker in the Toronto Star, September 14, 2006:

 

Choreographer Sabrina Matthews, a graduate of the National Ballet School and recently retired as a performer from Alberta Ballet, thrilled the Tuesday audience of about 80 dancers, critics and patrons with clearing, a work driven by the passion of Mozart's choral masses. Sonia Rodriguez, Stacey Shiori Minagawa and Jennifer Fournier danced like women possessed in complicated twosomes with partners Kevin Bowles, Adam Toth and Piotr Stanczyk.

Gary Smith in the Ballet Review, Fall 2007:

 

In the new work department, emerging choreographer Sabrina Matthews’ clearing to Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor, Missa Solemnis K 139, and Missa Solemnis K 66, revealed a capacity for creating exciting dance architecture. Matthews, who retired from Alberta Ballet in 2005, has the instincts of a serious choreographer. Bridgett Zehr and Piotr Stanczyk, gave deeply-etched, heartfelt accounts of the strectched, yet volatile choreography. These are dancers of superb potential who grip the senses and touch the heart. Great Hodgkinson and Nehemia Kish, as well as Stacey Shiori Minagawa and Christopher Body, danced with incandescent beauty, filling the spaces between Matthews’ steps with intelligence and imagination.

Paula Citron in the Globe and Mail, June 30, 2007:

 

Karen Kain knows when she's on to a good thing…

 

Sabrina Matthews, a former principal dancer with Alberta Ballet, is one of Canada's brightest new choreographers. Her world premiere of clearing featured three couples in dramatic partnering to Mozart's Great Mass in C Minor . Newly promoted first soloist Bridgett Zehr was partnered by first soloist Piotr Stanczyk. The other couples were first soloists Stacey Shiori Minagawa and Christopher Body, and principals dancers Hodgkinson and Nehemiah Kish. The piece seemed to be about yearning and radiated angst. Matthews created an attractive rush of movement, much of it in a wave effect, that still managed to contain stately partnering…

 

The National Ballet is looking very, very good these days.