Alvin Erasga Tolentino

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Alvin Erasga Tolentino is a Filipino Canadian choreographer and dance artist, and the founding Artistic Director of Vancouver, British Columbia's Co.ERASGA Dance. [1]

Filipino Canadians are Canadians of Filipino descent. Filipino Canadians are the third largest subgroup of the overseas Filipinos and one of the fastest growing groups in Canada.

Vancouver City in British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2016 census recorded 631,486 people in the city, up from 603,502 in 2011. The Greater Vancouver area had a population of 2,463,431 in 2016, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Vancouver has the highest population density in Canada with over 5,400 people per square kilometre, which makes it the fifth-most densely populated city with over 250,000 residents in North America behind New York City, Guadalajara, San Francisco, and Mexico City according to the 2011 census. Vancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada according to that census; 52% of its residents have a first language other than English. Roughly 30% of the city's inhabitants are of Chinese heritage. Vancouver is classed as a Beta global city.

British Columbia Province of Canada

British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. With an estimated population of 5.016 million as of 2018, it is Canada's third-most populous province.

Contents

Early life and education

Tolentino was born in Manila, Philippines. [2] He studied with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, at York University in Toronto and at the SUNY Purchase and Limon Institute.

Manila Capital / Highly Urbanized City in National Capital Region, Philippines

Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital of the Philippines. It is the most densely populated city proper in the world. It was the first chartered city by virtue of the Philippine Commission Act 183 on July 31, 1901 and gained autonomy with the passage of Republic Act No. 409 or the "Revised Charter of the City of Manila" on June 18, 1949.

Philippines Republic in Southeast Asia

The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital city of the Philippines is Manila and the most populous city is Quezon City, both part of Metro Manila. Bounded by the South China Sea on the west, the Philippine Sea on the east and the Celebes Sea on the southwest, the Philippines shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Vietnam to the west, Palau to the east, and Malaysia and Indonesia to the south.

Royal Winnipeg Ballet

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is one of the world's premier dance companies. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, it is Canada's oldest ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America.

Career

Tolentino worked with several dance companies, including EDAM, Lola Dance, Mascall Dance, Kinesis Dance, Kokoro Dance and Karen Jamieson Dance. [3]

In 2000, Tolentino founded Co.ERASGA Dance. As its artistic director, [4] he has choreographed several major works for this company, including SOLA, BATO/stone, MINORI, VOLT, FIELD, SHE SAID, OrienTik/Portrait, BODYGlass, (with Peter Chin), PARADIS/PARADISE, [5] ADAMEVE-Man/Woman, Shadow Machine [3] and 2011's EXpose, (with Martin Inthamoussú,) [6] some of which toured internationally.

Tolentino's work SOLA has been choreographed for film and was a recipient of two 2001 BC Leo Awards, and awarded the Grand Prix Video International competition for UNESCO in Paris in 2002. [3]

In 2010 Tolentino was awarded the Vancouver Mayor's Arts Award for dance in recognition of his contribution to the city's culture. [7]

In 2012, Tolentino choreographed and performed a solo piece, Colonial [8] In 2015 he collaborated with Thailand's Pichet Klunchun on a piece entitled Unwrapping Culture. [9]

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References

  1. "Colonial". Review Vancouver, by Ed Farolan, 2014.
  2. "Filipino Canadians celebrate 116th anniversary of Philippine independence in Vancouver". Georgia Strait, by Carlito Pablo on June 13th, 2014
  3. 1 2 3 Anderson, Carol. "Enter, Dancing - Narratives of Migration". Dance Collection Danse. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  4. "East and West meet at Undivided Colours event". Georgia Strait, Janet Smith on November 5th, 2014
  5. "Alvin Erasga Tolentino is dancing in paradise". Georgia Strait, by Alexander Varty on March 19th, 2008 "
  6. Citron, Paula. "EXpose Co. delights with a cross-cultural celebration of gayness". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  7. Lederman, Marsha. "Mayor announces 2010 Arts Awards". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  8. "Alvin Erasga Tolentino digs up Filipino roots". Montreal Gazette, Victor Swoboda, Gazette dance critic 10.17.2012
  9. "Unwrapping Culture digs at some dark issues beneath all the flashing lights and plastic trinkets". Georgia Strait, by Janet Smith on October 17th, 2015