David Earle


David Earle 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.

Early life and training

David Earle was born in Toronto on 17 September 1939. He 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, at eight years of age, David Earle joined Dorothy Goulding's Toronto Children's Players, where we would act for eleven years.
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. 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.
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.

Toronto Dance Theatre

After returning to Toronto Earle co-founded Toronto Dance Theatre with Patricia Beatty and Peter Randazzo in 1968. 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.
Earle joined the founders in 1977 to buy St. Enoch’s Church to convert it to the Winchester Street Theatre. In 1979 Earle created the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, a training program for professional modern dancers.
One of Earle’s dances during this time was Miserere, originally part of a larger work called Exit, Nightfall. The piece incorporates liturgical themes and other religious imagery.
Earle and the other founders offered the artistic directorship of the company to Kenny Pearl in 1983.
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.
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.
He was profiled in Moze Mossanen's 1987 documentary film Dance for Modern Times, alongside Christopher House, James Kudelka, Ginette Laurin and Danny Grossman.

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 work features collaborations with choirs, orchestras and chamber choirs.
In 2014 Earle premiered Exile, performed by three dancers. The piece drew upon traditional modern dance and was danced by young artists.

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

Accolades