OrienTik/Portrait, Saturday, May 8, 2010, 7:30pm, Frederic Wood Theatre, UBC, 6254 Crescent Road, Vancouver, BC, $28
The first week of Asian Heritage Month in Vancouver starts off with a bang with a night of “Music! Dance! Taiko! Fusion! Food!” with Co.ERASGA Dance’s OrienTik/Portrait. They’ll be touring across Canada (including Toronto, Montreal, Fredericton and Winnipeg) but are kicking off their tour at Vancouver’s ExplorASIAN Festival. The production features dancer Alvin Erasga Tolentino performing with dancer Andrea Nann from Toronto, taiko percussionist Jordan Riley, and pianist Alison Nishihara along with an all Canadian Asian cast of performers.
OrienTik/Portrait will include contemporary dance, taiko drum and adapted classical music and is an “electric and highly specialized juxtaposition of varying sounds and rhythms, coupled with Tolentino’s signature style of hybrid choreography performance” (taken from show description on Explorasian webpage). Tomorrow night is also a fundraiser, benefiting two great Asian Canadian organizations – ExplorASIAN and Co.ERASGA Dance.
Read a review of the 2005 show from the Georgia Straight.