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In Loving Memory of Dr. Eury Chang (1971 - 2023)
Beyond Borders And Boundaries
I write this tribute in memory of Eury Chang – a friend, respected colleague, and resolute supporter of Asian Canadian dance and theatre. Eury has made an immense contribution in the development of Asian performing arts advocacy in Canada.
Eury and I shared a path in Canadian dance ecology that goes back since the early 2000's. Two of the most memorable moments I spent with him was when we collaborated on a dance film project and a marvellous trip we had in Singapore for the Asian Arts Market. Eventually, he took a management position for Co.ERASGA's 2006/07 season in which he contributed in the early development of the company’s commitment for championing Asian-Canadian voices. Over the years, I spoke with Eury with frequent curiosity that resulted in many enlightened discussions and illuminating exchanges of ideas about Asian dance representation in Canada. In these discussions, his intelligence consistently shone and his passion for AsianCanadian dance constantly sparked deep inspiration.
His kind presence and approachable self, yet wilful tenacity invigorated Asian cultural advocacy through his artistic and scholarly work and certainly made an immeasurable impact, not just in our community in Vancouver but across Canada. As a public scholar, Eury held editorial positions at Dance Central and the renowned Vancouver Asian magazine, Rice Paper where he engaged in conversations with many dance artists, advocated their works, and championed the brilliance of Asian Canadian imaginations. His scholarly work both investigates and provides a historical map of Asian Theatre in Canada which is groundbreaking and pioneering at its best. This corpus of work is now an important record of our struggles, victories, and visions as a community that the present generation of dance and theatre artists can access to lead them into the future.
A visionary in his own subtle and dignified ways, Dr. Eury Chang opened and expanded the voices of Asian Canadian performing artists towards a new horizon of arts history in Canada. I delight in eternal love with these powerful words that Dr Chang has gifted us, “To me, being a public scholar is about sharing knowledge and ideas and speaking widely across real or perceived borders and boundaries ”
Alvin Erasga Tolentino
Artistic Director Co.ERASGA Dance
