Ruth Abramovitsch Sorel

Who was Ruth Abramovitsch Sorel?

Ruth Elly Abramovitsch Sorel was a German choreographer, dancer, artistic director and teacher. She spent the first half of her career working mainly in Europe and then was predominantly active in Canada after moving to that nation in 1944. In Canada she worked under the stage name "Ruth Sorel", but in Europe she was known under her maiden name, Abramovitsch.

The Canadian Encyclopedia states that Abramovitsch Sorel was, "A well-known, expressive performer, who was praised by local and international critics for her intensely theatrical German dance style, her literary inspiration and the emotion, musicality and precision of her execution... Working in Canada prior to the existence of grants for innovation, Sorel was a pioneer of European expressionism in Québec." As a choreographer she was at the forefront of modern dance and contemporary ballet, combining two contrasting elements: German expressionist dance and classical ballet. For many years she operated and directed her own dance company in Montreal, Les Ballets Ruth Sorel.