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Sophie Martin
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Biography
Born in the French city of Cherbourg, Sophie trained at the Conservatory National Supérieur of Paris under the tuition of Noëlla Auguste, and performed with the Junior Ballet. She has also worked with leading dancers and choreographers in France.
She joined Scottish Ballet in 2003 and has danced in Page’s The Nutcracker (Marie), Acrid Avid Jam, Nightswimming into day, 32 Cryptograms, The Pump Room, Cinderella (Cinderella), Fearful Symmetries, The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora and Cinderella), Pennies From Heaven and Cheating, Lying, Stealing, Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, Apollo, Agon, Episodes and Rubies, Richard Alston’s Dangerous Liaisons (which she also performed as part of the Dance Umbrella Gala), Darrell’s Othello (Desdemona), Loosmore’s Chasing Ghosts, van Manen’s Two Pieces For Het, Forsythe’s Artifact Suite (Duet I and II), Ashton’s Façade, Petronio’s MiddleSexGorge and Ride The Beast, Pastor’s In Light and Shadow and Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), and Alston's Carmen (Carmen).
Sophie was promoted to Principal in August 2008, and was number 20 in The List magazine’s Hot 100 poll of influential figures in Scottish culture in December 2008.
Sophie is sponsored by Hamilton & Inches.
Quotes
SPRING 2009
Alston’s Carmen
.jenniemacfie.wordpress.com, 17th May 2009 - Sophie Martin as Carmen had much in common with her fellow countrywoman Sylvie Guillem, demonstrating an enviable precision, strength and musicality. She has a graceful, unhurried perfection of movement which runs all the way to the very tips of her elegant fingers and toes.
Page’s Cheating, Lying, Stealing
.Kelly Apter, The Scotsman, 17 April 2009 - one of the best performances the principals of this company have ever given
.jenniemacfie.wordpress.com, 17th May 2009 - The individual duets and trios provided many opportunities to admire the dancing skills of the company members, including Martin, now ably partnered by Adam Blyde, Claire Robertson and Erik Cavallari, and the ever-watchable Paul Liburd.
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 2008-2009
Page’s The Sleeping Beauty
.Press & Journal, 29th January 2009 – Sophie Martin’s Princess Aurora was the icing on the fantastic cake.
.Big Issue, 15 January 2009 – Sophie Martin’s Aurora receives a rapturous reception in her awakening performance with The Prince (Adam Blyde). It’s a concise and tightly choreographed yet almost impossibly romantic performance that captures the sweeping, epic, soaring heartfelt optimism of the original piece.
.Turriff Advertiser Series, 06 Feb 2009 – Sophie Martin and Adam Blyde made a well matched Aurora and her prince and Sophie’s grace and speed and ease of movement were beautiful.
ROMEO AND JULIET 2008
Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet
.The Guardian, 17th May 2008 - Sophie Martin portrays that combination of sweet innocence and petulant adolescent determination that makes for a believable Juliet.
.Edinburgh Guide.com, 14th May 2008 - Sophie Martin, as Juliet, who exquisitely portrays the ardour and innocence of youth caught up in unexpected turbulent love.
.Moray Firth Radio, 31st May 2008 – Sophie Martin, a French artiste with a stage presence quite beyond her teenage appearance and peasblossom delicacy.
.The Skinny June 2008 - Sophie Martin is a stand out.
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 2007-2008
Page's The Sleeping Beauty
.Scotland on Sunday, 16 December 2007 – Some of the duets in the wedding scene, particularly the stylish, spiky pas de deux between Sophie Martin and her Prince and the pure romance of the ballet danced by principals Claire Robertson and Erik Cavallari as Princess Aurora and the Prince, showcase Scottish Ballet’s talent at its best.
EIF 2007
Page’s Fearful Symmetries
.The Herald, 21 August 2007 – Erik Cavallari is the wonderfully self-possessed Alpha Male, with three stunning ballerinas – Eve Mutso, Claire Robertson and Sophie Martin – servicing the different facets of his technique.
Petronio’s Ride The Beast
. The Scotsman, 20 August 2007 - …an awkward male crumbling in the face of perfection (aka Eve Mutso and Sophie Martin)
SPRING 2007
Balanchine’s Agon
.Edinburgh Evening News, 19 April 2007 – It was Sophie Martin and Ruth Vaquerizo Garcia who stole the show, however. Their duet was so perfectly symmetrical that it looks as if there was only one ballerina onstage, dancing in a mirror.
Darrell’s Othello
.The Scotsman, 16 April 2007 – Sophie Martin [as Desdemona] is fast becoming a compelling force to be reckoned with.
Pastor’s In Light And Shadow
.Sunday Express, 15 April 2007 - a stunning opening duet by the breathtaking Sophie Martin partnered by Blyde
CINDERELLA 2006/2007
.Criticaldance.net, 10 Dec 2006 – Of the seasons, Sophie Martin (Summer) and Ruth Vaquerizo Garcia (Winter) were the standouts.
EIF 2006
Balanchine’s Agon
.Sunday Herald, 03 Sept 2006 – The women, especially Eve Mutso, Sophie Martin and Claire Robertson, are ravishing.
SPRING 2006
Balanchine’s Episodes
.The Daily Telegraph, 20 March 2006 - … a meditative piece that boasted some strong individual performances (Eve Mutso, Sophie Martin, Paul Liburd)…
.The Scotsman, 1 April 2006 – When Ashley Page arrived at Scottish Ballet, one of his aims was to create “star” performers, much like Royal Ballet. In Patricia Hines, Claire Robertson, Paul Liburd and Sophie Martin, he’s got them.
.Sunday Herald, 9 April 2006 – In Episodes, we are dazzled by Sophie Martin (with Adam Blyde) in the opening sequence, as she makes vivaciously slinky work of Mr B’s sharp-edged choreography.
AUTUMN 2005
Page’s The Pump Room
.The Herald, 12 September 2005 – Pump Room – danced by its original quartet of Diana Loosmore, Jarkko Lehmus, Sophie Martin and Paul Liburd – now feels like a thrumming pressure cooker where each heat exchange bodies threatens to blow the roof off. Utterly brilliant…
.Ballet-Dance Magazine, October 2005 - Patricia Hines and Erik Cavallari (in jazz shoes), and Sophie Martin (on pointe) and Paul Liburd all gave an excellent showing of smooth virtuostic contemporary dance.
Balanchine’s Episodes
.The Independent, 1 September 2005 – The lead couple, Sophie Martin and Adam Blyde, capture the mood perfectly in their swift, neat, measured but lyrical movements.
.Dance Scene International, October 2005 – Sophie Martin illuminates the opening Symphony.
SPRING 2005
Page’s The Pump Room
.The Herald, 14 April 2005 – His new piece, The Pump Room – to pistoning rhythms by Aphex Twin – celebrates the physicality and technical prowess of four dancers: Diana Loosmore (off pointe), with Jarkko Lehmus and Sophie Martin (on pointe) with Paul Liburd.
.The Observer, 1 May 2005 - The Pump Room is for two powerful men – Jarkko Lehmus and Paul Liburd (both with contemporary dance background) – interacting with rogue particle women, Diana Loosmore and Sophie Martin.
Balanchine’s Episodes
.The Independent, 19 April 2005 - Sophie Martin gives the first theme a grand, flowing shape.
AUTUMN 2004
Van Manen’s Two Pieces for HET
.The Stage, 23 September 2004 – Sophie Martin and Cristo Vivancos dance a beautifully different pas de deux.
. Nairnshire Telegraph, 5 October 2004 – Sophie Martin and Cristo Vivancos were equally convincing in the sexual display and sparring of the later work…