On September 6, 2025 at the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater at Cal State University Long Beach, I had the chance to view a mix of works old and new from Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre and Andy Vaca’s Jazzworks – Long Beach as part of “Together Again!” The overall dancing was strong, and I particularly enjoyed some of the newer works, finding some works dated in their styling and approach to heavy topics.
Courtney Abrams, Kerry Bernhardt, Kennedy Berthiaume, Eileen Crowe, Anessa Davies, Kiki Galpin, Malia Lyons, Sierra Tanji, Kristina Urteaga in “Gallivanting” by Andy Vaca – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
Andy Vaca’s Jazzworks contributed two works to the evening and they both were among my favorite pieces, showcasing intricate musicality and upbeat energy while bringing the accompanying jazz scores to life. In “Gallivanting” (2021), a large cast in black, red, and white grooved around the stage with playful, light energy. They executed sharp jazz movements with great technique, incorporating small moments of interaction and quirky tics. I loved how the layers brought Jeff Jarvis’ music to life as different dancers would follow different instruments. At times, I would notice a dancer moving and only then would hear the beat they were replicating. Sierra Tanji stood out with her charming facial expressions and the way she matched the tumbling continuous feel of what sounded like a saxophone solo with her risky, free-falling movements. The rest of the spirited cast was made up of Courtney Abrams, Kerry Bernhardt, Kennedy Bertiaume, Eileen Crowe, Anessa Davies, Kiki Galpin, Malia Lyons, and Kristina Urteaga.
Andy Vaca with Violin, Kerry Bernhardt and Sierra Tanji in Vaca’s “Measure to Eight” – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
In the second act, Vaca’s company shared a premiere of “Measure to Eight,” danced by Tanji, Kerry Bernhardt, and the distinguished Andy Vaca. Vaca was a delight to watch – he hit each shape and beat with ease and at moments in the piece, stepped aside to play the violin alongside the recorded music. This piece was less playful but showed off the same musicality, layering, and strong interactions between dancers. In this “Measure to Eight,” the sharpness was often contrasted by softer, undulating moments, and the dancers all brought the work to life with beautiful movement quality and engaging performances.
Nanette Brodie Dance Theatre presented a total of nine excerpts, including two from the same longer work and one film. The film, titled “Her Intercession” (2020) was created during the pandemic. Based on Brodie’s introduction, the film was meant to function as a representation of being apart in contrast to the togetherness that the show celebrated. The dancing by Rebecca Martin, Stephanie Maxim, Jennie Sustaita, Jana Taylor, and Erica Villalpando was lovely. However, the film itself didn’t offer much in terms of its content or filming and was mostly a reminder of the brief explorations into film that the pandemic inspired.
Katelyn Potyondy, Madelyn Downs, Marin Asano, Brandy Factory in “Beyond the River” by Nannette Brodie – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
Also in the first act were two excerpts from “The Immigrant Song” (2006): “Brothers Free” and “Beyond the River.” Danced by Marin Asano, Madelyn Downs, Brandy Factory, and Katelyn Potyondy, “Beyond the River” featured strong technique, beautiful flowing movements, and lovely layering and arrangement of choreography. The dancers wore light blue or coral fitted tops and wide leg pants that moved wonderfully, reminding me of the colors of the sunset bouncing off the surface of a blue river. Without the opening spoken word, I would have guessed it represented an ongoing journey. However, the voiceover spoke about the experience of someone being married off as a child, and that story didn’t come through for me in the dancing or the neutral emotional performance.
Ismael Murillo, Curtis Johnson, Matthew Reiner in Nannette Brodie’s “Brothers Free” from HEARTLAND – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
The other excerpt, “Brothers Free” unfortunately felt dated and out of touch, particularly given the current grim reality for immigrants in the greater LA region. The three dancers entered wearing tattered clothing, the score was tribal-sounding music, and near the end of the dance, the trio danced with large sticks for no discernible reason. Perhaps there is more context in the full length piece, but as a standalone, this excerpt felt a bit gimmicky and was a dispassionate take on such a real and current topic. The three dancers were Curtis Johnson, Ismael Murillo, and Matthew Reiner.
Katelyn Potyondy, Stephanie Maxim, Matt Reiner, Madelyn Downs, Jennie Sustaita in “The Lighthouse” by Jennie Sustaita – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
In “The Lighthouse” (2020), Brodie once again showed off her strong sensibilities in layering and arranging choreography. Her style is ballet-influenced and often feels fleeting in a lovely way. Instead of making shapes, the choreography is always in motion. This piece also started with a voiceover, talking about a woman’s battle with breast cancer, and it seemed like the cast connected more emotionally with this topic. They were able to bring more genuine emotions to the technical dancing to add depth. In the group of five, there were often moments where one dancer was left out, fighting their battle alone. At the end though, the group converged and as the lights faded, we were left with the final image of them moving together and breathing heavily in the silence. The five dancers were Madelyn Downs, Stephanie Maxim, Katelyn Potyondy, Matthew Reiner, and Jennie Sustaita.
Katelyn Potyondy in “Seizing the Light” by Nannette Brodie – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
Starting the second act, “Seizing the Light” (2000) was performed proficiently by Katelyn Potyondy in pointe shoes and a shiny silver costume as she moved to a pulsing techno score. The piece mostly functioned to show off Potyondy’s technical skills and didn’t seem to have much of a point of view. The choreographic choices were often repetitive, which did match the musical selections, but I felt that the envelope could have been pushed further choreographically, perhaps leaning into the space-alien vibe and playing with weirder or more extreme movement choices and more variety in transitions in and out of the bigger technical feats.
Marin Asano in “Dreamhouse Dash” by Nannette Brodie – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
“Dreamhouse Dash” (1991) was another piece that incorporated spoken word, this time a conversation about choices that was layered in with the music. The dancers were dressed in bright-colored satin doll-like dresses with suspenders. They jittered and skittered playfully to music that was reminiscent of a music box. I especially liked the quirky and angular shapes the dancers made as they hopped and tossed around. I had trouble connecting the dancers’ journey to the voiceover, as they seemed to mostly continue about even as the conversation deepened. At the end, the group wagged their fingers towards a corner as if they were telling someone to do something, with some grimacing or slumping down. It seemed to represent the fatigue of being told what to do. I liked the ending, but I would have enjoyed seeing more of a progression to get to this final moment in the dancers’ emotions or movements. The dancers were Marin Asano/Madelyn Downs, Brandy Factory, Katelyn Potyondy, and Nicole Howard/Aurore Stalder.
Matt Reiner and Erica Villalpando in “Report to Base at 06:00” from EVERY SOLDIER HAS A STORY – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
“Report to Base at 06:00” from “Every Soldier Has a Story” (2018) was a duet that showed a softer and slower side to Brodie’s choreography. Matthew Reiner and Erica Villalpando worked well together in moments of tenderness and support, seeming to savor the time they had together before Villalpando had to leave Reiner. The way the dancing seemed to exist alongside the music felt cinematic, but there also were nice moments where the dancers would match plucks or sounds in the score.
A piece I especially enjoyed was “Fatesbound/Breakbound” (2025), choreographed by dancer Matthew Reiner, and performed by Madelyn Downs, Brandy Factory, Curtis Johnson, and Katelyn Potyondy. Reiner used dynamic floorwork and showed shifts in power between one dancer in red, Downs, and a trio in grey jumpsuits. At the start, the trio would manipulate Downs, but she seemed to have a moment when she realized she could try to control them. The color of the lighting, designed by Jody Caley, shifted to represent the power struggle. Reiner played with using exciting lifts with the powerful cast, though at times the set ups could have been choreographed a bit more smoothly so as to not feel like preparations.
Marin Asano, Madelyn Downs, Brandy Factory, Nicole Howard, Stephanie Maxim, Ismael Murillo, Matthew Reiner, Aurore Stalder, Jennie Sustaita, and Erica Villalpando in “Let Them Eat Cake” by Nannette Brodie – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
Topping off the evening was “Let Them Eat Cake” (2013) performed by all ten dancers in Brodie’s company: Marin Asano, Madelyn Downs, Brandy Factory, Nicole Howard, Stephanie Maxim, Ismael Murillo, Matthew Reiner, Aurore Stalder, Jennie Sustaita, and Erica Villalpando. Aside from the Baroque influenced styling, it didn’t feel like the piece itself had much to do with Marie Antoinette. The bright, varied costumes featured corsets and above the knee skirts. They were a bit distracting to me and felt a bit dated in how visually busy they were. I again enjoyed Brodie’s layering of movement, and in this piece, she used the large cast well as groups of dancers flowed on and off stage, overlapping at times. Featuring this bigger group, the piece was less clean than smaller works. With the pairing of the bright smiles throughout the piece and the title, it seemed like the perspective was on the side of Antoinette saying “Yes! Let them eat cake!” which is jarring in today’s climate.
The evening offered a strong mix of programming and showed off musicality, choreographic layering, and technical strength. In this retrospective program, some works felt out of step with the current cultural awareness. When bringing old works back to life, it is important to be thoughtful in the restaging process. Sometimes, adjustments to a piece can allow the original intent to come through in a new landscape. However, some choices are better left in the past to avoid unintentional harm or lack of awareness.
For more information about Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, please visit their website.
Written by Rachel Turner for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Curtis Johnson, Madeline Downs and Katelyn Potyondy in Fatesbound – Breakbound, choreography by Matthew Reiner – Photo by Colin Harabedian Movingmedia.
