Agpalo "Ting" A.J. Alvarez-Maquinta

A multidisciplinary artist, Ting uses their art as a tool for liberation, and story telling, relying on cultural knowledge to inform their artistic ventures, and work with community. With a strong belief that struggle, uncertainty, and time can teach the greatest lessons. Some of Ting's earliest works as a teen included a spoken word collection and failed contract publication with Penguin Publishers, a dance career that started later than the average dancer, and a long hiatus from the arts world which have all taught them so many lessons. Ting has since had an active career as a professional dance teacher, choreographer, and creative, having worked extensively with youth. Ting has managed youth programs at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center, has worked with World Arts Wests to curate their dance festivals for the last three years, works as a contract teacher for schools across the bay area, and shares their cultural knowledge through informal workshops and gatherings all while developing programming for MPWRD that represents the vibrant communities of the east bay. Ting’s work as a cultural practitioner and unofficial family historian also heavily influences their work, incorporating the ethics and ideas of rootwork and ablon to inform their work. With a long history of involvement in the ancestral arts, as well as fine arts, Ting’s goal is to create a safe space for all artists and ancestral practitioners, hoping to continue pushing living cultures forward while embracing innovation in all art forms. Ting currently possesses a bachelors in dance an A.A. in music(voice training), as well as a bachelors in zoology.

Ancestral Lineage:

Ilokano, Cebuano/Visayan, Mindanaoan, Nigerian, Congolese/Cameroonian, Southern Chinese