David remained as artist-in-residence at Toronto Dance Theatre until 1996 when he felt he could no longer support the company's direction. Harbouring feelings of resentment and betrayal along with lingering unresolved matters, David presented Maelstrom and Sang in his final TDT season. He then walked away from twenty-eight years of singularly dedicated work. David had created ninety-five choreographies to that point, many independently, including Orpheus and Eurydice, directed by Bill Glassco for the Guelph Spring Festival; Dido and Aeneas for the Stratford Music Festival; Realm, commissioned by Erik Bruhn for the National Ballet of Canada; Cape Eternity for the opening of the Toronto International Festival; and Sacra Conversazione and Cloud Garden for the Banff Festival of the Arts. In collaboration with James Kudelka, he choreographed Scheherazade for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. For Ballet British Columbia, he created Architecture for the Poor; for the Polish Dance Theatre, Angels and Victories for the World Music Days Festival in Warsaw and the 1992 Edinburgh Festival; and for Canadian Children's Dance Theatre, Chichester Psalms.

In 1996, wanting to establish a permanent vehicle for his work, David launched Dancetheatre David Earle (DtDE) based in Guelph, Ontario “… to support continuing creation, for the preservation of my repertoire and to serve as a forum for younger artists whose concern is the expression of humanity in dance.”

On July 19, 1997 DtDE, a company of twenty dancers, made its debut at the Elora Music Festival. During this time David was also artist-in-residence for the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre's 1997/98 season. He co-founded Temple Studios in Guelph in 2001 and the following year expanded DtDE to include the third floor of their premises, providing a full-sized studio and chamber performance space. In 2002, the first DtDE summer school of intensive professional training was initiated, attracting students from five provinces.

Throughout the years, Suzette Sherman has played a significant role in David Earle's career as his companion, muse and constant support. Her own career included nineteen years as a dancer with Toronto Dance Theatre (1978-1997) during which time she performed in the majority of the company's repertoire and danced numerous original roles. For many years she was vice-principal and a senior faculty member for the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Currently associate director of DtDE, Suzette has become a key figure in the teaching and preservation of David's technique and repertoire and has assumed the role of assistant choreographer and rehearsal director on many of his projects. In 1999 David created Imagined Memories as a tribute to twenty years of collaboration with Suzette.

Since leaving TDT, David has choreographed forty works, most of which have been commissioned. DtDE presented works in Waterloo in 1998, 1999 and 2000 for Passchendaele, a collaboration with dancer/choreographer D.A. Hoskins and dancer Michael Moore to honour Remembrance Day. The Company has performed at Spring Rites 2000, the Open Ears Festival, Elora Festival, Numus Concert Series and New Brunswick's Baie de Chaleurs Festival, as well as with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and the vocal ensemble, Tactus. In September 2002, the company presented a full evening of works at the Guelph River Run Centre in collaboration with the Penderecki String Quartet. Extended workshops for young professionals have preceded performances in Vancouver at MainDance and for Ballet British Columbia's Arts Umbrella Mentor program as well as in Waterloo, Sudbury and Quebec City. (next page)

©2007, Dance Collection Danse
David Earle Exhibition Curator: Michele Green
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