BODYTRAFFIC Gets Down to the Music of James Brown

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Photo via BODYTRAFFIC - bodytraffic.com

BODYTRAFFIC

BODYTRAFFIC

For people who love dance, BODYTRAFFIC is the show to bring a friend who thinks they don’t, says Tina Berkett, founder and artistic director of the Los Angeles-based dance organization.

The performance uses music by James Brown, Dean Martin and Etta James as an entry point. For Berkett the question is how to get people into the theater or back into the theater? 

The music aspect can make it feel safer. She says, often the response is, I don’t get danceand people don’t feel it is accessible. If the music is familiar, people are more at ease. They may buy a ticket and come knowing they will enjoy the music. Once they are in the theater it allows them to relax a bit and sit with a bit more comfort and openness. 

“Watch me! Watch me!” The opening lines of James Brown’s song “Super Bad” points back to the dance’s creator. “That piece is in a way an autobiography by the choreographer Micaela Taylor who was a BODYTRAFFIC dancer. [It] conveys the struggle that she has between conforming to what people may be expecting of her versus fighting for the freedom of self-expression.” 

Berkett says it conveys “I’m not going to conform to what you expect so pay attention to what I have to offer—a call to the audience to get on board to what I am doing.” Berkett describes what follows as “the most bombastic joyful dance finale—they go bonkers.”

What challenges are there in running a dance company in 2024 America? Berkett says, “Post-Covid, I feel much clearer about who I am and what I want to do.” It allowed for clarity within the organization. 

“I think the challenges that exist, existed prior to the pandemic. Running a non-profit organization in this country is a nearly impossible task. It is very challenging to articulate the magic of dance.”

She stressed the need to give people access to the work. Get them into the theater and then convince them it is worth supporting.

BODYTRAFFIC - Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, Friday, February 23, 8 p.m. Meet the artists during the pre-performance talk at 7 p.m. with Rachel Howell from the Milwaukee Ballet.