Catalogue description Julie Tolentino Wood

Julie Tolentino Wood is a prolific choreographer, director and performer of Filipino/El Salvadorian descent, originally from San Francisco where she began her formal dance training in ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary dance, as well as Afro-Haitian and Flamenco. She moved to New York in 1987 and began studying modern dance techniques, theatre and improvisational forms. In 1990 Julie Tolentino Wood joined David Rousseve's Dance Theatre Company, 'Reality'. She appeared in Madonna's book 'Sex,' and has performed in various music videos and films, including appearances with Diamanda Galas and Chaka Khan. Julie Tolentino Wood is the co-author of the Lesbian Aids Project's Women's 'Safer Sex Handbook'. She began 'The Clit Club' in New York City as curator and owner in 1990. Julie Tolentino Wood brought her first full length show, 'Mestiza-Que bonitos ojos tienes' [Mestiza-what beautiful eyes you have], to the 1998 season, where it premiered at the Green Room on Friday 15-Saturday 16 May. For this show, she collaborated with DJ Sedan Aldo Fernandez, visual artist Tjet Clark, award winning lighting designer Lri E Seid and five performers from Manchester. Julie Tolentino Wood also brought 'The Clit Club' to Manchester club 'South' on Monday 4 May, featuring New York City DJ Jackie Wilson. Additionally she established a residency, involving a series of public workshops, at the Green Room from 6-12 May. So successful was the relationship between Julie Tolentino Wood and queerupnorth, that queerupnorth director Tanja Farman became Project Manager for 'Mestiza' when the show came back to the UK in 1999, playing at 'queerfest' in Birmingham that year and coming back to Manchester in May to work on a new workshop project called 'The Bottom Project'.

See also M800/3/8/3/7; M800/3/7/1/9; M800/3/7/1/15; M800/3/8/3/14; M800/6/2; M800/6/2/1; M800/7/198; M800/8/22. For material on David Rousseve see M800/3/3/3/29; M800/3/9/3/4; M800/3/9/1/4; M800/3/9/1/7; M800/3/9/1/11; M800/3/2/1/20; M800/3/9/1/24