During the years when we lived in New York City, The Joyce Theater was an ongoing entertainment source for outstanding innovative dance performances.
Alvin Ailey was introduced to us there, as well as Elliot Feld and his never to be forgotten “Scara Brae” (recounting the little known story of the Neolithic Scottish settlement in the Orkney Islands that was abandoned more than 5,000 years ago). We also saw Asian big-drum and acrobatic acts, spectacular well-known ballet dancers from around the world in solo-premier engagements, and fell in love with Flamenco.
All that changed once we relocated to New Jersey and started to travel the world as luxury, culture/history, and gastronomy travel writers, sharing our experiences for all to enjoy and perhaps even follow in our footsteps. But what goes around comes around, and last night, we revisited The Joyce to be captivated by the Los Angeles-based company BODYTRAFFIC.
The group consists of eight dancers who function as one seemingly boneless synchronized entity that displayed breath-stopping athleticism. Their rapid fire movements and obvious ballet training made them an easy receptacle for the challenges their creative choreographers dreamed up.
Founded in 2007 by Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett, the company has a diverse perspective on dance, including in its repertoire including ballet, contemporary, modern, Afro-Cuban, and hip hop. It invites talented choreographers to expand their vision of the transformative power of dance.
The first of three offerings for this performance was “Mayday,” choreographed by Trey McIntiyre, Creative Partner to the company, with costume design by Karen Young. It was a eulogy to Buddy Holly’s music and his persona – grey suit, white shirt with tie (cut off to expose midriffs), and his signature black horn-rimmed glasses.
A bright red toy airplane was handled by all the dancers as an object to evoke the impending death of a life cut too short. Each well-loved song was performed in a series of ensemble, duet, or solo performances as the red airplane entered in and out with the dancers.
The use of open palms smacking bare midriffs, intricate rapid footwork, and high energy movements with athletic lifts were the hallmarks of this dance.
“I Forgot the Start,” choreographed by Matthew Neenan, was the second number of the evening, using a series of songs by different singers and groups (some well-known and others not so much) – all working in harmony that “walks the line between joy and grief to illuminate the sheer relentlessness of hope.”
The unusual diaphanous costumes were designed by Marion Talande la Rosa. As in “Mayday,” all members of the company were dressed the same. This number was all about movement and non-movement, defining and punctuating the music through movement reminiscent of East Asia arm management.
Again, as in “Mayday,” each song was configured differently but in concert with the one before to evoke either joy or grief, but always with hope for the future.
The final number, “Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro (2024),” was an ode to artist Ernie Barnes, an African American NFL player who achieved fame as an artist. He’s renowned for his unique style of elongated, larger-than-life characters momentarily immobilized on his canvas but ever straining to break free.
Choreographed by Juel D. Lane to original music by Munir Zakee, this number used projections of the artist’s vibrant art on a screen designed by Yee Eun Nam, behind which the dancers performed. In sync with the art of Ernie Barnes, costume designer Jarrod Barnes used individual brightly colored and asymmetrical costumes, including the woman in the yellow dress who appears in Barnes’s paintings.
The choreography brought to life the figures frozen in the paintings in movements reminiscent of the wild abandonment of African dance but mainly focusing on the interaction of the artist and the woman in the yellow dress.
I would be remiss not to name the incredibly talented dancers whose performance so delighted me last night: Chandler Davidson, Donnie Duncan Jr., Katie Garcia, Pedro Garcia, Alana Jones, Joan Rodriquez, and Jordyn Santiago. Every one of them was spectacular alone or part of the group, but a special shout out to Jordyn Santiago, whose smile and obvious joy in dancing lit up the stage. I loved this company and look forward to seeing more of their unique perspective on educating and entertaining.
Barbara Angelakis is one of the founders of LuxuryWeb Magazineand its Senior Travel Writer. She travels the four corners of the world with a thirst for knowledge and a twinkle in her eye, seeking out the history of people and places and sharing her experiences. She specializes in culture and history along with luxury destinations, hotels/resorts/cruises/spas, and most recently Jewish Heritage, exploring the historical connection between Jews and their host countries. She has been recognized for outstanding coverage as “Journalist of the Year” by the Tanzania Tourist Board and is the recipient of the MTA Malta Tourism Press Award, the first American to receive this honor. For the past 25 years, Barbara has written extensively for LuxuryWeb Magazine, and her work can also be found at The Jerusalem Post, Jewish Link, Epoch Times,and Vision Times.
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