BODYTRAFFIC Returns to the Joyce Theatre in April

Led by artistic director Tina Finkelman Berkett, Los Angeles’ BODYTRAFFIC will have a six day run at New York City’s renown Joyce Theatre. The dates are Tuesday through Sunday April 15-20, 2025  featuring the New York premiere of three recently created works by choreographers Trey McIntyre, Juel D. Lane, and Matthew Neenan.

BODYTRAFFIC was lauded by The Boston Globe for its “invention, attitude, and urban edge” and after seeing their recent performance at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, LA Dance Chronicle’s Tam Warner wrote, “This was a night of truly inspirational choreography danced by the top flight dancers of BODYTRAFFIC.” They are Chandler Davidson, Katie García, Pedro Garcia, Anaya Gonzalez, Alana Jones, Ty Morrison, Joan Rodriguez, and Jordyn Santiago.

BODYTRAFFIC in “I Forgot The Start” by Matthew Neenan – Photo by Christopher Ash.

The program at the Joyce Theatre will include Mayday by choreographer and BODYTRAFFIC Creative Partner Trey McIntyre, Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro choreographed by Juel D. Lane, and I Forgot The Start by Matthew Neenan.

“Coming back to New York is always magical,” says Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett. “I’m incredibly proud to share what our company is creating. This evening of dance takes audiences on a journey to bring them glimmers of joy and hope for the future.”

BODYTRAFFIC in “Incense Burning on a Saturday Morning: The Maestro” by Juel D. Lane – Photo by Guzman Rosado.

More information on the three new dance works:

Following a visit to the Buddy Holly Performing Arts Center in Lubbock, TX, Trey McIntyre’s Mayday is inspired by the life and music of 1950s rock and roll star Buddy Holly, a musician known for combining country, rhythm and blues, and rockabilly musical influences with upbeat tempos and youthful lyrics. McIntyre combines contemporary movement, balletic grace, and 1950s rock influences in choreography that is playful, exuberant, and bittersweet. This full company work includes Holly’s classics “Every Day,” “Peggy Sue,” That’ll Be The Day,” “Maybe Baby,” among others.

BODYTRAFFIC in “Mayday” by Trey McIntyre – Photo by Kevin Parry.

Juel D. Lane’s Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro is a vibrant tribute to Ernie Barnes. Commissioned by BODYTRAFFIC and premiered in late 2024, the production immerses dancers and audience in Barnes’s world, with full stage lighting and video projections by Los Angeles artist Yee Eun Nam. Renowned for his dynamic depictions of bodies in motion, Barnes captured the spirit of 1970s Harlem dance halls. His legendary work, like Sugar Shack, featured on Marvin Gaye’s I Want You album and in classic sitcom Good Times, comes to life through Lane’s choreography.

Created during a 2023 BODYTRAFFIC residency in Sun Valley, ID, Matthew Neenan’s I Forgot The Start walks the line between joy and grief to illuminate the sheer relentlessness of hope. The work is an exploration of resilience in the pursuit of connection, despite life’s uncertainties. Music includes songs by Sinéad O’Connor, Sufjan Stevens, Broken Social Scene, and others. Lighting, set, and video design by Christopher Ash.

If you are in New York this spring, BODYTRAFFIC performs April 15-20, 2025, Tue-Sat at 7:30pm, Sat & Sun at 2pm with a curtain chat on Wed 4/16. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue, NYC. Tickets start at $12 and can be purchased online at https://www.joyce.org/performances/164//bodytraffic or at the box office 212-242-0800.

For more information on BODYTRAFFIC, please visit their website.

Written by Jeff Slayton from information by Michelle Tabnick Public Relations.

Featured image: BODYTRAFFIC in Mayday by Trey McIntyre – Photo by Kevin Parry.