>> B I O G R A P H Y

 

"In the process, Tolentino established himself as a daring virtuoso dancer, with his originality, exuberance, technical brilliance and powerful grace."
-Mel Tobias, The Philippine Chronicle of Vancouver.

Alvin Erasga Tolentino is one of the most active Asian/Canadian artists to captivate, provoke and fascinate audiences around the world. He is renowned for his dynamic, hybrid performance works, which combine explorations of his Asian roots and identity with contemporary Western issues. His masterful works have garnered him international acclaim and the distinct reputation of an innovative and daring modern dance artist.

Born in Manila, in the Philippines, Tolentino moved to Canada in 1983. He received his dance training from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, in Winnipeg and studied Modern Dance at York University in Toronto, SUNY at Purchase and at the Limon Institute in New York. As a veteran of the contemporary dance scene, Tolentino is known as a solo performer, choreographer, guest company dancer, teacher and visual artist. Since embarking on his professional career in 1988, Tolentino has received outstanding praise not only for his own work, but for his dance interpretations with some of Canada's finest choreographers. He is known across Canada for his work with such dance companies as, Edam, Karen Jamieson Dance, Kinesis Dance, Kokoro Dance, Lola Dance and Mascall dance.

In 2001, Tolentino founded Company Erasga Dance, a dance company dedicated to creating and presenting contemporary works. The creative emphasis of the company is on combining dance with multi-media arts, and on collaborating with artists internationally. To date, Tolentino has created over 15 solo works, which include, Sola 1998, and Minori 2001, Volt 2002 and Field 2003. He has created ensemble works, such as, Bato /Stone 2001, Flesh and Blood 2002, and Field 1 for Ballet Philippines.

Tolentino has worked internationally and performed pieces in the Philippines, Japan, Belgium, the United States, France, the Dominican Republic and Croatia. His filmed works include Birth, In the skin of Becoming, Swan and Sola. These films have been presented at national and international video/film festivals and have received prestigious awards including, the 2000 BC Leo award, a 2001 Canadian Gemini, and most recently, a nomination for the 2002 Grand Prix International video dance competition for Unesco in Paris.

>> FEATURED CHOREOGRAPHIC CREATIONS
>> WHAT THE CRITIQUES SAY