Third generation Australian, Tomás Dietz grew up in the country town of Goulburn, New South Wales. Crowning his rich ancestral heritage from Germany, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, England and Spain is Tomás's clear identity as a flamenco - indeed, it is the spirit of this art form that defines him today.
After first studying flamenco guitar as a teenager, Tomás turned to flamenco dance at age 23 to join his flamenco dancing sisters, studying under Gunta Hamra, Francesca Duthie, Anita Ortega, Ruby Buena, Diana Reyes and Antonio Vargas before undertaking intensive professional studies in Spain.
His Spanish teachers form a long list of renowned masters, including Manuel Betanzos, Antonio Canales, La China, Ciro, Merche Esmeralda, Belén Fernández, Marco Flores, Paloma Gómez, El Guïto, Timo Lozano, María Magdalena, Manolete, Domingo Ortega, Juan Ramírez, Ana Romero and La Tati. This early yet extensive experience galvanised Tomás, firmly establishing his integrity and life-long devotion to the art form, giving him specific and diverse tools to achieve the cachet of excellence in his work.
Very much at home on stage his artful line, emotional depth and assertive zapateado combine to deliver the full visceral force of pure flamenco.
Tomás Dietz expresses Siguirillas with mantón.
Tomás continues his work as a freelance dancer, choreographer and producer, presenting regularly to Australian audiences. His earliest performance experiences were in the companies of Antonio Vargas Flamenco Theatre; Diana Reyes Flamenco; Danza Viva Spanish Dance Company (Deanna Blacher); and in his own Sydney based flamenco dance company, Metro Flamenco. Recently he has become established at Opera Australia as flamenco advisor and Revival Choreographer for Francesca Zambello's heady production of Bizet's Carmen.
Now with over 20 years experience in the flamenco industry, Tomás is well known for his precise, transformative teaching. He is accredited by the two leading international flamenco examining bodies, Alianza Flamenca and the Instituto de la Danza Española, the latter employing his choreographies in their performance grading awards. With such extensive experience Tomás deftly leads his students straight to the core of flamenco to confront their deepest emotions and learn to express them with highly skilled movement. One of the few male flamenco teachers in Australia, he is particularly gifted in teaching the elusive nuances of both the male and female styles.
He is Founder and Director of both the Flamenco Centre Canberra and the Flamenco Centre Sydney. Also in Sydney he is assistant flamenco teacher/choreographer at Los Carmonas Flamenco Academy. Students under his tutelage at the Los Carmonas Academy have won awards time and again at the prestigious Sydney Eisteddfod (McDonald's Performing Arts Challenge). With a firm reputation as a leader in his field in Australia, Tomás is in frequent demand to conduct workshops at home and abroad.