BODYTRAFFIC, Los Angeles’ premier contemporary dance company, returns to The Joyce Theater with a dynamic program that celebrates the city’s spirit of innovation and cultural vibrancy. Hailed for its “invention, attitude, and urban edge” (The Boston Globe), BODYTRAFFIC brings a bold, evocative evening exploring the power of memory and nostalgia—how paintings, songs, and sensations can evoke deep, lasting connections.

This year’s program features the New York City premieres of three works created for the company:

Mayday – Inspired by the life and music of Buddy Holly, this work by prolific choreographer and BODYTRAFFIC Creative Partner Trey McIntyre fuses contemporary movement with the raw energy of 1950s rock and roll.
Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro – A vibrant tribute to legendary Los Angeles artist Ernie Barnes, choreographed by Juel D. Lane and featuring immersive stage lighting and projections by Yee Eun Nam.
I Forgot The Start – Created during BODYTRAFFIC’s residency in Sun Valley, Idaho, this deeply moving work by Matthew Neenan walks the line between joy and grief, exploring resilience and connection.

“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.”

Performances: 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.

Dancers: Chandler Davidson, Katie García, Pedro Garcia, Anaya Gonzalez, Alana Jones, Ty Morrison, Joan Rodriguez, Jordyn Santiago

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.

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.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Juel D. Lane, an Atlanta native, honed his artistic talents at Tri-Cities High School, The Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, and The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Dance Magazine recognized him as one of their “25 to Watch,” and his captivating performances have enthralled audiences worldwide. He’s shared the stage with luminaries like Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, member of the acclaimed Bessie Award-winning Camille A. Brown & Dancers, and member of The Black Acting Methods Studio. Lane’s choreography has graced Ailey II, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Atlanta Ballet, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, and various universities. He’s also performed in productions such as The Metropolitan Opera’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones, Amazon Prime’s series Harlem and NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live. Lane received the Bronzelens film festival award for his remarkable dance film, The Maestro, and showcased his directing and choreography talents in the captivating music video “Only-1” with Roc Nation artist Dixson. Lane is currently the director of The University of North Carolina School of the Arts Choreographic Institute.

Trey McIntyre was born in Wichita, Kansas, and studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Houston Ballet Academy. In 1989, he was appointed Choreographic Apprentice to Houston Ballet, a position created especially for him, and in 1995, he became the company’s Choreographic Associate. He has worked for more than 30 years as a freelance choreographer, producing more than 100 pieces during the span of his career so far. He also did a bunch of other cool things, including working with a lot of amazing companies such as The Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Queensland Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, BalletX, The Washington Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and San Francisco Ballet. He has won numerous awards and honors, such as the Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Society of Arts and Letters, two personal grants for choreography from The National Endowment for the Arts, and is a United States Artists Fellow. In 2019, he won the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for his work Your Flesh Shall be a Great Poem, which he created for San Francisco Ballet for their Unbound Festival. He was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2001, one of People Magazine’s “25 Hottest Bachelors” in 2003, and one of Out Magazine’s 2008 “Tastemakers.” In 2005, he founded his dance company, Trey McIntyre Project, achieving great audience and critical success. McIntyre created over 23 original works for the company, as well as numerous film projects, interactive site-specific works, and photography collections.

Matthew Neenan, described as “one of America’s best dance poets” by The New York Times, began his dance training at the Boston Ballet School and with noted teachers Nan C. Keating and Jacqueline Cronsberg. He later attended the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and the School of American Ballet in New York. From 1994-2007, Matthew danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet (now the Philadelphia Ballet), where he danced numerous principal roles in the classical, contemporary and Balanchine repertoire. From 2007-2020, Matthew was the Choreographer in Residence at the Pennsylvania Ballet, where he created 20 original ballets. Matthew’s choreography has been premiered and performed by The New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet Met, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Milwaukee Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, OKC Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Parsons Dance, BODYTRAFFIC, Juilliard Dance, and USC Kaufman School of Dance, among many others. He has received numerous awards and grants for his choreography from the National Endowment of the Arts, Dance Advance funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Choo San Goh Foundation, the Independence Foundation and four fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. In 2006, Matthew received the New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute’s Fellowship Initiative Award. In October 2009, Matthew was the grand-prize winner of Sacramento Ballet’s Capital Choreography Competition and was also the first recipient of the Jerome Robbins NEW Program Fellowship for his work At the border for Pennsylvania Ballet. In 2005, Matthew co-founded BalletX with fellow dancer Christine Cox. BalletX has toured and performed Neenan’s choreography in New York City at The Joyce Theater, NY City Center, The Skirball Center, Symphony Space and Central Park Summerstage, The Kennedy Center, and Vail International Dance Festival (where he has created 5 world premieres). Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Segerstrom Center, Laguna Dance Festival, Spring to Dance Festival in St. Louis, as well as several venues internationally. His ballet The Last Glass was listed in The New York Times Top 10 in 2013.

Tina Finkelman Berkett (Artistic Director) is a visionary leader in contemporary dance, known for curating original, compelling repertoire and redefining the art form across the U.S. and internationally. Tina grew up in New York City, attending Stuyvesant High School of Math and Science and graduating summa cum laude from Barnard College, Columbia University, with a double major in Mathematics and Economics. Her love of dance was ignited by her teacher and mentor, Michele Cuccaro Cain. Tina’s professional dance career began at Aszure Barton & Artists, a distinguished contemporary dance company, where she quickly became a featured dancer and then Barton’s assistant, teaching both in the U.S. and abroad. A true highlight of Tina’s career was being a founding member of Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance and touring internationally alongside Mr. Baryshnikov himself. Tina began her interest in arts administration when she served as the company’s dancer liaison. In 2007, Tina relocated to Los Angeles and launched BODYTRAFFIC with Lillian Barbeito. In 2020 she became the company’s sole Artistic Director. Under Tina’s leadership, BODYTRAFFIC has become a beacon in the global dance community, known for its innovative choreography, world-class dancers, and powerful performances. Through her curation and vision, Tina continues to foster a vibrant artistic community that captivates and inspires audiences around the world. Tina would like to acknowledge her family for serving as her greatest sources of love and inspiration: her parents, Guzmán, Jack, and Sofia.

BODYTRAFFIC is an internationally renowned contemporary dance company proudly rooted in Los Angeles. Since its founding in 2007 by Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett, BODYTRAFFIC has become a leading force in contemporary dance, known for its versatility, technical brilliance, and bold artistic collaborations. The company has performed in over 30 U.S. states and 20 countries, including serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. State Department.

Committed to championing Los Angeles’ vibrant arts scene, BODYTRAFFIC celebrates the city’s diverse and electrifying artistic voices. The company’s repertoire features a global mix of influential choreographers including Ohad Naharin, Kyle Abraham, Micaela Taylor, and Sidra Bell, alongside new commissions from Trey McIntyre, Juel D. Lane, and Matthew Neenan.

BODYTRAFFIC also plays a vital role in mentoring the next generation of artists, engaging over 700 students annually through its education programs, residencies, and professional training initiatives.

Celebrate LA’s vibrant arts scene by experiencing BODYTRAFFIC live at The Joyce. Your support helps amplify the voices of Los Angeles artists on a national stage—thank you for championing LA’s artistic community.

The Joyce Theater Foundation (“The Joyce,” Executive Director, Linda Shelton), a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community for more than four decades. Under the direction of founders Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, Ballet Tech Foundation acquired and renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea. Opening as The Joyce Theater in 1982, it was named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther’s clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to build the theater. Ownership was secured by The Joyce in 2015. The theater is one of the only theaters built by dancers for dance and has provided an intimate and elegant home for over 475 U.S.-based and international companies. The Joyce has also expanded its reach beyond its Chelsea home through off-site presentations at venues ranging in scope from Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater, to Brooklyn’s Invisible Dog Art Center, and outdoor programming in spaces such as Hudson River Park. To further support the creation of new work, The Joyce maintains longstanding commissioning and residency programs. Local students and teachers (1st–12th grade) benefit from its school program, and family and adult audiences get closer to dance with access to artists. The Joyce’s annual season of about 48 weeks of dance includes over 300 performances for audiences of over 100,000.