PORTRAIT
A piano, Chopin, a woman wearing nylon stockings, a black curtain and frenetic dancing. Black and white images of cars, fire, an apple and a man lying down.
This static scene is by D.A. Hoskins. Portrait is a variation on the theme of the sources of the creative act. In a series of vignettes with sharply contrasting ambiences, the choreographer and visual artist renowned for his bold style portrays many of his sources of inspiration, ranging from a piece of music to an image, a drama or silence. Onstage the dialogue between the artist and his work – or perhaps his imagination – materializes in the rich, ever-changing relationship between a man and a woman. Their duos are fluid. Their body language and their interactions indicate a couple not restricted by limits, individuals who are never bored. In keeping with The Dietrich Group emphasis on encounters among several disciplines and interactive exchanges, the piece evinces the unique approach of one of the most extravagant artists on the Toronto scene.
PRODUCED BY THE DIETRICH GROUP
CHOREOGRAPHY: D.A. HOSKINS
PERFORMERS: DANIELLE BASKERVILLE + BRODIE STEVENSON
MUSIC: GILLES GOYETTE
VIDEO: NICCO STAGIAS
LIGHTING DESIGN: SIMON ROSSITER
REDACTION: FABIENNE CABADO
TRADUCTION: NEIL KROETSCH
D. A. HOSKINS (TORONTO)
THE DIETRICH GROUP
D.A. Hoskins has been joining forces with all sorts of different artists since the beginning of his career. These include the composer Gilles Goyette, a long-time accomplice, and the filmmaker Nico Stagias, who worked with him on 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 creative risks that in 2008 D.A. Hoskins founded The Dietrich Group, a forum for interactive exchange. The company’s very first piece, ARTFAG, was a triptych inspired by the novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover, where he explored individuality and sexual stereotypes.
