COMPANY PROFILE
In 2008, along with several key collaborators, DA Hoskins launched The Dietrich Group as a platform for the creation of interdisciplinary dance works. The Dietrich Group draws from a broad range of artistic disciplines while maintaining a focus on the strength and power of dance in theatre. Initially an entity that spoke independently of D.A Hoskins’ belief in collaborative arts, The Dietrich Group has now broadened into a not-for-profit incorporated dance company in order to strengthen its support base for the artists and arts it represents.
To date, The Dietrich Group has created seven full evening works – four produced independently and one as a co-production with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. National and International venues have selected four of these works – PORTRAIT (FestivalTransAmerique, Montreal, June 2010), the triple Dora nominated PARIS1994/Gallery (World Stage at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, April 2012 and da:ns Festival in Singapore, October 2012), The Land of Fuck (a fable) at the Danse Danse Festival in Montreal in April 2014 and This Is a Costume Drama part of World Stage in April of 2015. These opportunities indicate tangible growth and have created momentum for The Dietrich Group.
Exploring, creating and elevating dance through engagement with theatre, film and arts both nationally and internationally, The Dietrich Group’s mandate is to create opportunities for artists in both dance and multidisciplinary art, in turn blurring the established strictures of what dance is deemed to be.
The Dietrich Group gives voice to its community and raises the platform on which art and dance is seen by encouraging open communication with artists, presenters, festivals, critics, and arts supporters. The Dietrich Group is committed to an exceptional standard of presentation of new works encompassing theatrical presentations, art installations, film and media while continuing to explore an existing body of work through remounting, touring and filming.
CHOREOGRAPHER/DIRECTOR- DA Hoskins
words about DA Hoskins by Fabienne Cabado
DA Hoskins has a holy horror of constrictions. Even though he is artistic director of The Dietrich Group, he remains an independent choreographer and a critic of the conformism that he believes holds sway in contemporary dance training and performance. “I’m an artist… and my job is not to play it safe,” he says. He finds in interdisciplinarity an excellent means of not being confined to such strictures, and since the beginning of his career has been joining forces with all sorts of different artists. These include the composer Gilles Goyette and the filmmaker Nico Stagias, who have participated in several projects such as Death of a Serious Clown, a piece commissioned for senior male performers, members of the Old Men Dancing company. It was with an eye to taking more risks in his approach to choreography that in 2008 DA Hoskins founded The Dietrich Group, a platform focused on exploring a non-conformist aesthetic and a forum for interactive exchange. Taking risks involves not only an ongoing exchange and interacting with the different artists working on a piece, but also their commitment to exposing themselves in the process, for Hoskins believes that the idiom must be eminently personal in order to touch an audience. It is also how an artist responds to a quest for meaning. It comes as no surprise then that critics praise his audacity and his ability to renew his aesthetics. Style, elegance, humour, sensuality and power are terms often used when describing his work.
“DA Hoskins combines intellectual rigour with emotional wallop, resulting in works that engage hearts and minds.”
Toronto Life Magazine
DA Hoskins- Biography
DA Hoskins is a choreographer and visual artist based in Toronto. Recipient of the Clifford E. Lee Award from the Banff Centre for the Arts and the KMHunter Award, Hoskins has created over 60 choreographic works. His work has been presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario as part of an evening examining Sexuality and Censorship, as well as, a retrospective on artist Barbara Hepworth. An excerpt from his first full evening work The Mortality Songs was presented at the Holocaust Perspective at the Toronto Jewish Community Centre and later presented in its entirety as a fundraiser for the Toronto People with AIDS foundation. Hoskins choreographic works include commissions from the Elora Music Festival, Pendrecki String Quartet, ArtsUmbrellaVancouver, KitchenerWaterloo Symphony, Hubbard Street Dance II in Chicago, Dancetheatre David Earle, Ballet Jorgen Canada, Open Ears Festival, Toronto Dance Theatre, Ballet Kelowna and Via Salzburg Chamber Orchestra.
In 2008 DA Hoskins instigated The Dietrich Group – a platform that facilitates interactive exchanges in art to ultimately create potent interdisciplinary works in dance. Since its inception The Dietrich Group has created five full evening works – ARTFAG at Buddies in Badtimes Theatre, PORTRAIT, which premiered at the Theatre Centre in January 2009 and was presented at the Festival TransAmerique in Montreal, Paris1994/Gallery which received three Dora Mavor Award nominations and was recently presented at HFC”s World Stage 2012 season and at the da:ns Festival in Singapore (Oct 2012), The Land of Fuck (a fable) premiering in March 2011 at the Workman Arts Theatre and toured to Place des Arts in April 2014 as part of the DanseDanse series in Montreal. His youth project I AM AN ANIMAL was self produced at the Citadel Theatre(Toronto) in the fall of 2012. Upcoming is the premiere of his new work with The Dietrich Group entitled This is a Costume Drama as part of the World Stage 2015 season.
In November of 2013 The Dietrich Group became incorporated as a non for profit company with DA Hoskins as the Artistic Director.