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About the Ballets

The vibrancy and richness of contemporary Canadian choreography is amply and thrillingly demonstrated in this program of short works by three of the country’s brightest new dancemakers. Encompassing a broad range of styles, imaginative strategies and visions, the three works, by Peter Quanz, Sabrina Matthews and Crystal Pite, are a testament to the recent flowering of choreographic talent throughout Canada and which is making itself felt not just at home, but internationally.

Peter Quanz has choreographed works for the Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, The Banff Centre for the Arts, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and Pennsylvania Ballet. He has been invited twice to attend the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet. He also created experimental work for the young choreographers’ evenings of Stuttgart Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In 2006, Mr. Quanz was invited to create a new work for the Fire Island Dance Festival using artists from the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Sabrina Matthews has created pieces for some of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world, including multiple pieces for the renowned Stuttgart Ballet. This in demand choreographer has premiered works on three continents in over a dozen cities from Beijing, to New York, to London. Her choreography and dance films have been recognized with several prominent national and international awards. Over the past year, Sabrina Matthews has received commissions from Stuttgart Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Boston Ballet, England's Royal Academy of Dance's 2008 Genée International Ballet Competition and the National Ballet of Canada.

Vancouver-based choreographer and performer Crystal Pite has created works for Cullberg Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theatre 1, Ballett Frankfurt, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (Resident Choreographer 2001 – 2004), Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Ballet British Columbia, Alberta Ballet, Ballet Jorgen, and several independent dance artists; most recently Louise Lecavalier. Pite is a former company member of Ballet British Columbia and Ballett Frankfurt. In 2001, she formed her own company, Kidd Pivot, and continues to create and perform in her own work. Kidd Pivot tours nationally and internationally with productions that include Fault (2008), Lost Action (2006), Uncollected Work (2002) and Double Story (2004), created with Richard Siegal. Kidd Pivot is the recipient of the Alcan Performing Arts Award for 2006. Crystal Pite is an Associate Dance Artist of Canada’s National Arts Centre and Associate Choreographer of Netherlands Dance Theatre. She is the recipient of the 2008 Governor General’s Mentorship Award.

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