David Earle

Last updated

David Earle
Born (1939-09-17) 17 September 1939 (age 84)
Toronto, Ontario
Occupation(s)Choreographer, dancer, artistic director
Career
Current groupDancetheatre David Earle
Former groups Toronto Dance Theatre

David Earle (born 17 September 1939) [1] [2] is a Canadian choreographer, dancer and artistic director. In 1968 Earle was co-founder and co-artistic director of Toronto Dance Theatre alongside Patricia Beatty and Peter Randazzo, where Earle choreographed new modern dance pieces. In 1996 Earle started his own company called Dancetheatre David Earle where he continues to choreograph new works, to teach, and to create with the next generation of modern dancers. David Earle has received many accolades; a member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Jean A. Chalmers Award for Distinction in Choreography, also an honorary doctorate degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. [3]

Contents

Early life and training

David Earle grew up in the suburb of Etobicoke. Earle's dance training began at the age of five with ballet and tap lessons from Toronto teachers Beth Weyms and Fanny Birdsall, debuting at Eaton Auditorium. In 1947, he joined Dorothy Goulding's Toronto Children's Players, where we would act for eleven years. [3]

After graduating High School at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, David Earle studied Radio and Television Arts for two years at Toronto's Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. At the age of twenty he left Ryerson after a Bolshoi Ballet performance inspired him to dance; he auditioned and was accepted as a scholarship student at Canada's National Ballet School. [3] There he would meet Eurhythmics teacher Donald Himes who introduced him to the Laban technique at, modern dance artist, Yoné Kvietys' studio. David would go on to perform for two years with Kvietys' company. [3]

In New York David Earle studied with Martha Graham. He was a dancer with the José Limón Dance Company for a single season, then assisted with setting up the London Contemporary Dance Theatre in England. [4]

Toronto Dance Theatre

After returning to Toronto Earle co-founded Toronto Dance Theatre with Patricia Beatty and Peter Randazzo in 1968. [4] They agreed to share the role of artistic director and each create choreography for the company. Earle became known for emotional theatricality and attractive ensemble pieces. As time passed Earle assumed a more dominant role in the affairs and choreography of the company. [5]

Earle joined the founders in 1977 to buy St. Enoch’s Church to convert it to the Winchester Street Theatre. [6] In 1979 Earle created the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, a training program for professional modern dancers. [4]

One of Earle’s dances during this time was Miserere, originally part of a larger work called Exit, Nightfall (1981). The piece incorporates liturgical themes [4] and other religious imagery. [7]

Earle and the other founders offered the artistic directorship of the company to Kenny Pearl in 1983. [5]

During this time, Earle continued to choreograph in various places across Canada. In 1984 he created Sacra Conversazione at the Banff School of Fine Arts. The piece touches on themes of mortality and grief and is danced to Mozart’s unfinished Requiem Mass. The piece was later remounted with Toronto Dance Theatre in 1986. [8]

In 1987 Earle returned as Toronto Dance Theatre’s sole artistic director. He continued in this role until 1994, where he became artist-in-residence with the company for two years. [4]

He was profiled in Moze Mossanen's 1987 documentary film Dance for Modern Times , alongside Christopher House, James Kudelka, Ginette Laurin and Danny Grossman. [9]

Dancetheatre David Earle

After leaving Toronto Dance Theatre in 1996 Earle founded a new dance company called Dancetheatre David Earle, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. His recent[ when? ] work features collaborations with choirs, orchestras and chamber choirs. [4]

In 2014 Earle premiered Exile, performed by three dancers. The piece drew upon traditional modern dance and was danced by young artists. [10]

Choreography

David Earle has choreographed more than 130 works over five decades as founder/artistic director of Dancetheatre David Earle and co-founder/co-artistic director of Toronto Dance Theatre. [3]

YEARTITLEMusicNotes
2014Exile [10]
2006Only 2 For 4 In 5 [3]
2006Barn Dance [3]
2006Pavanne From The Sleeping Beauty [3]
2006Shalom [3]
2006Partings [3]
2005The Heart at Night [3]
2005The Bridge of Dreams [3]
2005Collecting Light [3]
2004The Merman of Orford [3]
2004The Death of Enkidu [3]
2004A Farther Shore [3]
2003Piccolo Teatro or Self Portrait as a Drowned Man [3]
2003Jesu, Meine Freude [3]
2003Sealevel [3]
2003Somewhere I Never Traveled [3]
2002A Play of Light [3]
2002King David [3]
2002Zoroaster [3]
2002The Reproaches [3]
2002Vanishing Perspectives: parts one and two [3]
2002Strip Show [3]
2001Richot Mass [3]
2001Tango for String Quartet [3]
2001Meridian [3]
2001Dirait-on [3]
2001In Spite of and Because [3]
2001Le Minotaur [3]
2000L'Histoire du Soldat [3]
2000Horizon [3]
2000Night/Summer [3]
2000The Creatures of Prometheus [3]
2000There Was a Song [3]
1999Three Winter Prayers [3]
1999Imagined Memories [3]
1999Ex Voto [3]
1999Reunion [3]
1999Endangered Worlds [3]
1998Vertical Thoughts 3 [3]
1998Serious Games Part 1 [3]
1998Serious Games Part 2 [3]
1998Three Duets for Two Friends [3]
1998In Memoriam [3]
1998Kyrie [3]
1997Walking in Venice [3]
1997Danny Boy [3]
1997Walking in Venice II [3]
1997Last [3]
1997Hour of Light [3]
1997Une Cantate de Nöel [3]
1996Elsewhere [3]
1996Maelstrom [3]
1996Ark of the Covenant [3]
1996Sang [3]
1995Furniture [3]
1995Stardust [3]
1994Three Bach Arias [3]
1993Pillow of Grass [3]
1993Errata [3]
1993The Painter's Dream [3]
1992Architecture for the Poor [3]
1992Untitled Monument [3]
1992Visible Distance: A Bach Suite [3]
1992Angels and Victories [3]
1992Undetermined Landscape [3]
1992The Clay Forest [3]
1992Diving for the Moon [3]
1991Romeos & Juliets [3]
1991The Voice of the Ancient Bard [3]
1990Capriccio [3]
1990Romance [3]
1990Autumn Leaves [3]
1990Dreamsend—A Melodrama in 12 Moving Parts [3]
1990Openings and Inventions [3]
1989Ancient Voices of Children [3]
1989El Amor Brujo (Wedded to Witchcraft) [3]
1989Schéhérazade [3]
1988Palace of Pleasure (or Death by Love) [3]
1988La Valse [3]
1988Chichester Psalms [3]
1987Sunrise [3]
1987Cantata {renamed The Triumph of Love, 1988} [3]
1987Cloud Garden [3]
1986Emotional Geography [3]
1986Sacred Garden [3]
1985Adagio from "The Theatre of Memory" [3]
1984Orpheus and Euridice [3]
1984Cape Eternity [3]
1984Sacra Conversazione [3]
1983Realm [3]
1983Court of Miracles [3]
1982Ormai [3]
1982Dido and Aeneas [3]
1981Moonchase [3]
1981Exit, Nightfall [3]
1981Journey [3]
1981Christmas Concerto [3]
1981All the Books in Heaven [3]
1980Courtyard [3]
1980Akhenaten [3]
1980La Bilancia [3]
1980Frost Watch [3]
1980Emozioni [3]
1979Time in a Dark Room [3]
1979Rejoice in the Lamb [3]
1979Raven [3]
1979The Wedding Dance [3]
1978Courances [3]
1978Sweet and Low Down [3]
1977Fauré Requiem [3]
1977Mythos [3]
1976Quartet [3]
1975Waltz Suite [3]
1975Deux Épigraphes Antiques [3]
1975L'Hôtel Splendide [3]
1975Vignette [3]
1975Field of Dreams [3]
1974Bugs [3]
1974Parade [3]
1973Ray Charles Suite [3]
1973Baroque Suite Finale [3]
1973Atlantis [3]
1972Lyrical Solo [3]
1972Baroque Suite Duet [3]
1972Lament [3]
1972Boat, River, Moon [3]
1971Balleto al Mio Bel Suon [3]
1971Legend [3]
1971The Silent Feast [3]
1970Operetta [3]
1970Portrait [3]
1970Pie Jesu [3]
1969Lovers [3]
1969Fire in the Eye of God [3]
1969A Thread of Sand [3]
1968Angelic Visitation #1 [3]
1968Angelic Visitation #2 [3]
1968The Recitation [3]
1968Mirrors [3]
1967Witness of Innocence [3]
1963Recitative and Aria [3]

Accolades

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References

  1. ↑ Profile of David Earle
  2. ↑ https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/david-earle
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 Green, Michele (2007). "David Earle Exhibition". Dance Collection Danse. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Crabb, Michael; Cauthery, Bridget (4 March 2015), "David Earle", Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, retrieved 19 April 2015
  5. 1 2 Crabb, Michael; Cornell, Katherine (4 March 2015), "Toronto Dance Theatre", Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, retrieved 19 April 2015
  6. ↑ Walker, Susan (13 November 2008), "Show celebrates two anniversaries", The Toronto Star, Tor Star Newspapers Ltd., retrieved 19 April 2015
  7. ↑ Citron, Paula (16 September 2011), "Six modern-dance pioneers strut their stuff, beautifully", The Globe and Mail, The Globe and Mail Inc., retrieved 19 April 2015
  8. ↑ Bowring, Amy (3 August 2009), "Pearl Remounts Earle's Sacra", The Dance Current, retrieved 19 April 2015
  9. ↑ Littler, William (27 November 1987). "Dance feature puts viewers on stage". Toronto Star .
  10. 1 2 Forcier, Marie France (4 June 2014), "Dancing with the Devil-May-Care", The Dance Current, retrieved 19 April 2015
  11. ↑ "The Governor General of Canada". The Governor General of Canada. 19 July 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Ontario Arts Council Awards". 19 July 2017.
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