By: Phone Min Thant, Arts & Culture Editor  

It was a cold October afternoon for myself and many other Southeast Asian studies scholars attending the 2025 Canadian Council for Southeast Asian Studies (CCSEAS) Conference. In the momentary relief of a catered lunch, I had my first introduction to Alvin Erasga Tolentino, whose speech piqued my interest, prompting me to network with him later on. A month later, I found myself speaking to Tolentino again — this time on Zoom — to learn more about his life and experiences in dance, and about his dance company, Co.ERASGA.

This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.

Please tell me a little bit about yourself and a short history of Co.ERASGA.

I am a Filipino Canadian contemporary choreographer, dancer, and founding director of Company ERASGA Dance, based in the Coast Salish lands. In 1999, I founded Co.ERASGA, which officially became a non-profit dance company in 2000. The company reflects my interests in the work of Asian Canadians in the diaspora, especially in the performing arts, and my desire to highlight the cultural heritage of other artists in Canada working in the same intersection. A large part of our big mandate is to support artists of colour, especially the Asian artists in the community. 

What are the artistic and cultural inspirations behind the Dance Society and behind your inspirations to start Co.ERASGA in 1999?

I was always drawn to dance as a child, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that dance is so embedded into the culture of Filipinos. When I immigrated to Canada in 1983, I wanted to continue the practice of dance, and it was here that I was introduced to contemporary dance. I really enjoyed the experimentation that is inherent in the work of contemporary dance, and I built the company because I felt that I was the very first Filipino Canadian who had a contemporary dance company. The company is a platform where different artists of all generations can come in and collaborate to do different kinds of work.

We’ve done huge work on community outreach that really serves the Asian diaspora, and to dismantle the notion of art as an elite thing. That’s something that I’m trying to instill in the company, to allow a space for community members and share stories of migration and immigrants.

– Alvin Erasga Tolentino, Founding Director of Co.ERASGA

The milestone that celebrated Co.ERASGA’s 25th anniversary was the performance of Eternal Gestures at the Dance House. Could you tell me about the performance and your experiences performing it back in October?

For the 25th anniversary, I really wanted to offer something that is quite deep in terms of my great respect and interest towards Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. I’ve had a lot of great relationships with some renowned contemporary Indigenous artists here in our community, and with them, I wanted to honour the notion of respect for mothers, matriarchs, sisters, and women. And so, I worked alongside three Indigenous female contemporary choreographers based on Coast Salish lands: Michelle Olson and Starr Muranko, directors of Raven Spirit Dance, and Margaret Grenier, the artistic director for the Dancers of Damelahamid. Eternal Gestures is also a continuation of the work that I do towards environmental stewardship in exploring how art can be a voice for climate action, and how we can take care of this land that we’re in. 

Throughout your time at Co.ERASGA, what did you find the most rewarding for you personally?

I think that building relationships with fellow artists is so critical to me, because we’re all in the same pathway, but we’re also carrying very different ways of understanding the work that we do for ourselves, the community, and the international platform. And so I get to know more about people and their culture when there’s collaboration. To me, it’s really been a very fruitful, nurturing, and enriching experience building relationships and collaborations with a lot of artists. It’s a real education for me when I can collaborate with other people, because there’s always something to learn in collaboration. And I’m just amazed about that and discovering ways of working in the studio, in the theatre, and on tours. It’s also really important for Co.ERASGA to acknowledge that we have this reciprocity with the community that is really integral — that’s one of the important parts of why I make art, because I have an audience.

Are there any future events that our readers should look out for?

We are about to go on a tour in Yokohama, Japan for a three-night performance from December 8 to 10. 

Keep track of Tolentino’s and Co.ERASGA’s activities in the new year by visiting their website and following them on their social media: @alvinerasgat and @co.erasga.