Philip Andrew McDermott is a first-generation Canadian, born and raised in St.John's, Newfoundland, with his family hailing from Liverpool, United Kingdom.

 

As a dance artist, choreographer, dramaturg and director, McDermott’s practice encompasses his diverse training, his own life experiences, his network of professional connections, and a dynamic performance style.  

 

McDermott started dance classes at the age of four with Marie Steffen at her school, The School of Dance.  In, 2014, he was accepted into The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. Against the ongoing challenges of dyslexia, ADHD and Central Auditory Processing Disorder, he successfully graduated from the school in 2017. Repertoire works include those by: Massimo Agostinelli, Kate Alton, Paul -André Fortier, Peggy Baker, Marc Boivin, Danny Grossman, Allen Kaeja, James Kudelka, Sharon B. Moore, Julia Sasso, and Darryl Tracy.

Whilst still in his first year of school, McDermott danced professionally in Sharon B. Moore’s commissioned work for The PANAM Games, A Thirst for Love & Water, which was nominated for a Dora Award. In his second year, he also appeared in Apolonia Velasquez’s work, Unmoored, at Dance Ontario Weekend. In 2018 he continued his education in the form of a mentorship with Paul André Fortier in Montreal, and as a guest student with Nederlands Dans Theater.

 

Upon graduating in 2017, McDermott continued to work with local companies in his home town of St. John’s, as well as performing and working to establish his career nationally and internationally.

 

Stage credits include: James Kudelka’s classic work,15 Heterosexual Duets (Fall for Dance North and Live Art), Laurence Lemieux’s Jusqu`a Vimy (Dora Nominated), Patricia Beatty’sRadical Light (Toronto Heritage Dance), and Danny Grossman’s 9 McAllister Street. He has also appeared in works by: Paul-André Fortier; October Sky, David Earle; Yesterday (Ray Charles solo) and Peter Randazzo; Simple Melody. He was the youngest participant in the Newfoundland Dance Project, a three-year process featuring choreography by Christopher House, performing in St. John’s and Toronto. Whilst a member of the company Free Flow Dance Theatre, he performed in: Two Men and Their Lives by Newton Moraes, Resurgence by Terrill Maguire and, Earth by Danny Grossman, and Jackie Latendresse in a show called “Reunite".

 

In 2020 McDermott performed and co-created with Jenn Edwards the dance film SHIPWRECK  – winning the Audience Choice Award / Wild-Dogs Calgary.

 

More recently, McDermott received a grant from the Toronto/Canada/Newfoundland Arts councils to create a new solo work, BIGTHINGSsmallthings, in collaboration with choreographer Lois Brown and visual artist Ned Pratt, both from Newfoundland. He also, finished a season with Free Flow Dance Theatre in Saskatoon. 

 

Whilst in Toronto, McDermott was an assistant teacher for Robert McCollum at Canadian National Ballet School. He also taught and assisted with classes at WE Dance and The Young Dancers Programme at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. More recently, he has taught students of all ages and abilities at Dansing, in Labrador City. In Saskatoon, he taught movement to the elderly who have mobility and memory difficulties . As a certified Kaeja Elevations teacher, McDermott has also taught partnering workshops in Toronto and Vancouver, as well as to figure skaters at the American Contemporary Skating Festival in Boston, MA and in St. John's Newfoundland for competition teams. 

Recently McDermott performed Magnetoreception in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, with ODYL Creations, a new company he cofounded in January of 2023.

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