"With risk come commitment"
Porträt Berlin
Create your own opportunities
Interview with Alvin Collantes, gaga dancer and teacher
I met Alvin in one of his outdoor dance classes in the Friedrichshain Volkspark, the oldest public park in Berlin. It was the last meeting of the summer and I decided to go with a friend and my camera.
My first impression was that I was surrounded by a mass of expectant people, waiting to exchange their energy. There was something special, a feeling of well-being, screams of pleasure, and the intimate experience of dancing for oneself. Alvin guided us through a ritual of liberation.
How do I explain the sensation in my body after the class? Impossible. I only dare to name a few nouns: energy, vitality, and the desire to keep dancing despite the rain in the end. I needed to know who he was, what was he doing with us, and why that dose of pleasure had enchanted all the participants, who lined up to leave their donations. I wrote to him a few days later and we agreed on doing an interview.
The dance floor is my canvas and dancing is like painting to me
Alvin is a Gaga dancer who works as a freelancer teaching online streaming from home, from Dock 11 studios, and from parks when the weather permits. As an entrepreneur, he has learned how to take advantage of the current circumstances to adapt his work and nourish himself with all that he has acquired.
We met in one of the studios of Dock 11, in the district of Prenzlauer Berg. It was around 2 pm and the daylight was coming in gently through the windows. With no news of the sun, we had to get some extra lights to illuminate the scene. He received us relaxed, dressed in comfortable clothes and even helped us bring the equipment up into the room.
From the moment he started to tell us his story, we became aware that he has a talent for dissolving limiting boundaries and beliefs held in the body to reveal raw self expression. From his family circle, his close environment, the education he received, to the way he lives and teaches what he does best.
Alvin undoubtedly speaks to us with passion and lets us see the intense work behind the success achieved today.
There is more that you can give to your art than just movement
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Born in the Philippines, he studied business in Canada and launched himself into the territory of dance which led him to Israel, where his persistence and confidence lead to the discovery ofGaga movement as his “voice”, medicine and eventually his livelihood.
What is there to add after seeing him in motion, more than the feeling of dancing with him behind the camera? "The dance floor is my canvas and dancing is like painting to me," he says. If you ever get the chance to see him dance, this quote will truly make sense.
It wasn’t an easy decision to leave everything behind and go for his goals, he explains. But movement, and the body’s voice is the most honest compass, and with trust one learns it is rarely wrong His initiative, his talent and his support networks have all shaped Alvin’s decision to honor his true calling. .
His social networks are his source of communication and diffusion, every day new members join his Telegram group where he communicates the days and time of his Dose of Pleasure ritual. As well as collaborations with other artists, his tools are also the support of sponsors and his ability to constantly innovate. We invite you to discover him, to learn about his life experience and to be encouraged to vibrate together with him and his community. Thank you Alvin for inspiring us! It was a pleasure to know you!
Visit his website to see the different projects he is working on. https://www.alvincollantes.com/