Reflection | Representation | Remembrance: A Retrospective of the Works of Co.ERASGA (1999-2010)
Reflection | Representation | Remembrance: A Retrospective of the Works of Co.ERASGA (1999-2010) is a collection of image and textual materials commemorating the first ten years of Co.ERASGA contemporary dance company. As Co.ERASGA enters its twentieth year this collection is an opportunity to both look back on the company’s first half-lifetime of work and look forward to preserving its continuing legacy. An important pillar of Co.ERASGA’s work is the principle of social reflection, of confronting contemporary issues such as migration, globalization, and identity, themes close to the heart of its Filipino-Canadian founder, Alvin Erasga Tolentino. The bulk of the collection is comprised of a ten-year anniversary book (Revealing: A Decade of Choreographic Creation 1999-2010) in remembrance of selected works by Tolentino, as well as individual performance-related photographs, postcards and posters. The collection will be publicly accessible through two online platforms (CONTENTdm and Arca) where users will be able to browse by subject and use keyword and full-text searching for increased navigability. Collection items will be made available to users subject to the fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act of Canada. Access copies of each image object will be available as JPEG files while individual book pages (up to ten pages per user) will be available as PDF files. This collection contributes to the increased representation of creators of colour in contemporary art spaces in Canada, and adds to the growing awareness of the diversity, innovation, and artistic integrity of Canadian performance dance. Collection materials will appeal to choreographers, dance historians and scholars, students of the performing arts, and anyone interested in the preservation of Canada’s unique cultural and creative documentary heritage.