Dave Toole (31 July 1964 – 16 October 2020) was a British dancer and actor. He was well known for his performance in the

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

of the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...

. He died on 16 October 2020 at the age of 56.

Biography

Toole was born with

sacral agenesis Sacral may refer to: *Sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property ...

. His lower spine and legs had not developed properly during gestation and his legs were amputated when he was around 18 months old.

Career

After working at a post office for nearly nine years, he shifted to London and pursued his career as a performance dancer in 1993 with the

Candoco Dance Company Candoco Dance Company is a contemporary physically integrated dance company, founded in 1991 by Celeste Dandeker and Adam Benjamin. The company is based at the Aspire National training centre in Stanmore, North London. History Candoco Dance Compa ...

. He also later worked with the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

and then worked with the Stop Gap Dance Company for over ten years. He also had a stint with the

DV8 Physical Theatre DV8 Physical Theatre (or Dance and Video 8) was a physical theatre company based at Artsadmin in London, United Kingdom. It was officially founded in 1986 by Lloyd Newson (1986–2015), Michelle Richecoeur (1986–1988) and Nigel Charnock (1 ...

. He also acted in a few films including ''Amazing Grace'' and '' The Tango Lesson''. His most notable performance came during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London where he delivered ballet persuaded solo dance performance as he was hoisted up into the air around 22m above the ballet dance floor. The performance was well received and highly appreciated by the viewers. He also performed in 2012 International Dance Festival in Birmingham in collaboration. In 2013, he also performed in a show titled The Johnny Eck and Dave Toole where he narrated the story of the actor Johnny Eck of the 1930s. He was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the

2020 New Year Honours The 2020 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebration ...

for services to dance and people with disabilities.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Toole, Dave 1964 births 2020 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors English dancers Officers of the Order of the British Empire Male actors from Leeds Sportspeople from Leeds English male stage actors English male film actors English male television actors