A photo says a lot about a person, more than words itself. There are ones we hold onto to remember loved ones and ones we save to recall a funny memory from a trip abroad. Then there are the ones woven into our being — they help capture who we are today so tenderly and easily.

BODYTRAFFIC’s 2024/2025 L.A. season is dedicated to these pieces of memorabilia. Titled, “This Reminds Me of You,” the season will pull from feelings of nostalgia and memories that ignite an emotional sensation from within. A new work will debut at each performance, two of which will come from company members Joan Rodriguez (his second with BODYTRAFFIC) and Jordyn Santiago.

Beginning the season with “This Picture Reminds Me of You” at Audrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard Temple on September 26, the company shared two repertory works — “Snap” by Micaela Taylor and “Bloquea’o” by Rodriguez — and a new piece by Juel D. Lane, “Incense Burning on a Saturday Morning: The Maestro.” The evening was a celebratory snapshot of the company’s 17 years of capturing L.A.’s vibrant dance community. And the cherry on top: the contemporary dance company announced they received a $1 million multi-year general operating support grant from the Perenchio Foundation. Throughout the evening, the company shared pieces that make up their scrapbook of memories.

BODYTRAFFIC in Micaela Taylor's "Snap" - Photo by Hanako Doerr.

BODYTRAFFIC in Micaela Taylor’s “Snap” – Photo by Hanako Doerr.

Micaela Taylor’s “Snap,” which premiered in 2019, depicts the struggle between individuality and social conformity. Set in the background of Los Angeles, Taylor explores the difficulty of sustaining a polished image while living authentically. The choreography shows this in the unexpected shifts in movement and the single dancer escaping from a clumped ensemble.

Tayor’s choreographic style is known for incorporating tense facial expressions and sharp musicality, but this time around, they are particularly poignant. The movement is syncopated and set to the rhythm of James Brown’s music, but accents in the choreography highlight his rhythmic flares. For example, Santiago bobs her head to a percussive instrument tucked beneath the music track. Then there are the larger moves, such as when three men — Pedro Garcia, Rodriguez and Ty Morrison — follow a groove in “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” quickly setting their hands on each other’s heads and bending backward in unison when you least expect it.

The facial expressions come through the most during an audio projection of an interview Brown did with CNN in 1988. Brown goes against social expectations during the broadcast, which is reflected in the facial expressions of Santiago and Rodriquez. The section becomes a dance of the eyes, nose and mouth as they pull their eyebrows up in curiosity and purse their lips for dramatic effect. It is profound and strong.

BODYTRAFFIC - Alana Jones and Ty Morrison in "Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro" by Juel D. Lane - Photo by Hanako Doerr.

BODYTRAFFIC – Alana Jones and Ty Morrison in “Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro” by Juel D. Lane – Photo by Hanako Doerr.

“Bloquea’o” is a tapestry of memories for Joan Rodriguez inspired by the Cuban Missile Crisis that blends Folklorico, Afro-Cuban and contemporary dance styles. As my third time seeing the work, new motifs and emotions surface. The wave stands out the most. It is introduced in the beginning as a form of celebration and welcoming. Here, the choreography has a bounce to it. The dancers form into duos and shimmy their shoulders to the beat. After President John F. Kennedy’s voice plays, disrupting the moment of fun to explain the progression of the missile crisis, the choreography changes to reflect the disruption of life in Cuba.

The dancers are spun and turned into surprising places. In a duet between Rodriguez and Katie Garcia, he turns her completely upside down until her head rests on the floor as her feet typically would. These moments reflect a strong disconnect and the growing urgency in the piece. As “Bloquea’o” progresses, the wave returns. This time, it is somber. The company moves in unison and waves as they shift from foot to foot. After a few iterations, Rodriguez remains frozen. The wave is no longer joyous, but a goodbye.

BODYTRAFFIC in "Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro" by Juel D. Lane - Photo by Hanako Doerr.

BODYTRAFFIC in “Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro” by Juel D. Lane – Photo by Hanako Doerr.

The evening concluded with Juel D. Lane’s new work, “Incense Burning on a Saturday Morning: The Maestro,” which pulls from his memories of Earnie Barnes’s artwork. He calls it “ancestral tagging.” Before the performance, he recalled playing music in his childhood home on Saturday morning, looking at the album covers of his family’s favorite records. The cover for The Crusaders’ “Ghetto Blasters” stood out to him. It featured Barnes’s “The Maestro,” and Lane saw himself in it. He paid homage to the painter by creating a solo inspired by the artwork and extended the piece for BODYTRAFFIC. Lane mirrors the painter’s world by taking inspiration from pieces like “The Sugar Shack” and “In Rapture” and setting the scene on stage.

Morrison takes on the role of Barnes as he picks up an imaginary paintbrush and taps it against the rim of a bucket. The sound of a tap echoes and evolves into the beat of the music. The role is meant for Morrison. The life of Barnes blooms out of his movement and musicality. Morrison plays with the percussion, landing on the beat with a fast and hard arm swing before quickly switching to a softer approach. His embodiment of Lane’s choreography is so specific, crafting a mesmerizing performance.

As Morrison paints, the characters come to life through the dancers. It’s both haunting and exciting. Of the characters, Alana Jones’ performance stands out. She intimately understands the choreography and brings out the character’s emotions to give focus to the story. The movement is a beautiful synthesis of African and contemporary dance, allowing broad stances to evolve into a leap or challenging turn. For example, Chandler Davidson strides in with attitude and shifts into a fast turn. He seems weightless. He shifts out of it and grounds himself immediately. It is incredibly agile and entrancing.

The work ends with a moment of Morrison as Barnes. He nearly levitates into the spotlight, simmering the energy built throughout the work into subtle movements: a turning wrist or a rolling shoulder. He settles down for the images of Lane’s choreography to echo in the mind once more.

For more information on BODYTRAFFIC, please visit their website.

To learn more about Audrey Irmas Pavilion, please visit their website.


Written by Steven Vargas for LA Dance Chronicle.

Featured image: BODYTRAFFIC – Dancer Joan Rodriquez in his work “Bloquea’o” – Photo Hanako Doerr.