’Sabrina’s whole life is geared to her art. Her dedication, and her belief in art and what it can do, could shame most monks in its intensity…’

 

Says Grand-Maître: ’This pas de deux is the best work she’s ever done. What’s brilliant about Sabrina’s work is that she’s developing her own voice. A lot of young choreographers… imitate some of the big names in modern dance, such as William Forsythe, and Balanchine, and they get quick commissions that way.

 

But when you want to develop your own vernacular that’s instantly recognizable, it can take eight to ten years. Sabrina’s not taking any shortcuts. She’s really taking the long road to discover her way of choreographing and how she wants to say things.

 

…And she really has something to say.’

 

By contrast, Matthews’ fallen arm – danced by Amanda Walsh and Jonathan Renna – was a more serious and personal work. Set to Calgary composer Dewi Wood’s original and imaginative soundscape design, the piece explores fear, anguish, and the feeling of loss in the wake of a spent or disintegrating relationship – or perhaps even the memory of it. Beautifully crafted and flawlessly done, the aptly tilted fallen arm is a rich and compelling work that ultimately depends as much on the dramatic intensity in the bearing of the dancers themselves as on the bursting, wilting or back-and-forth recoil that informs much of their movement and many of its gestures…

 

Also on the program was the premier of Matthews’ fallen arm, a poetic, intense duet that seemed to take place in a distant place. The movement is intricate, and was wonderfully performed.