L.A.’s critically acclaimed BODYTRAFFIC returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with three mesmerizing works that embody the contemporary dance company’s energy and sophistication, including the world premiere of Recurrence, a duet created by company member Ethan Colangelo. The three-night engagement, which concludes BODYTRAFFIC’s interrupted tenure as The Wallis’ 2019/2020 Company-in-Residence, runs from Thursday, October 14 through Saturday, October 16, 2021, 7:30 pm, in the Bram Goldsmith Theater. Also featured are Kyle Abraham’s Kollide, a 2013 BODYTRAFFIC commission set for five dancers that combines elements of ballet and hip hop to explore the emotional complexity of connection, and Micaela Taylor’s engaging SNAP, set to music by James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” that urges us to “snap out” of the social pressure to conform.
This marks the first indoor dance performance at The Wallis since the shutdown caused by the global pandemic that also put on hold BODYTRAFFIC’s 2019/2020 Wallis residency. A talk-back with some of the troupe’s “unfailingly deft and endearing dancers” (Los Angeles Times) immediately follows the performance on October 14.
BODYTRAFFIC, widely respected around the globe, has helped put L.A.’s vibrant and thriving dance scene on the map. The dance company, which made its Wallis debut in 2018, bursts with “invention, attitude and urban edge” (The Boston Globe) and “sheer animal magnetism” (San Francisco Weekly). Founded in 2007 by Lillian Rose Barbeito and Tina Finkelman Berkett, BODYTRAFFIC has surged to the forefront of the concert dance world, recruiting great talent from around the globe to create world-class contemporary dance by distinctive choreographic voices. The company was named “the company of the future” by The New York Times, Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch, and “Best of Culture” by the Los Angeles Times. In 2015, BODYTRAFFIC was selected by the Obama Administration to be cultural ambassadors for the United States via DanceMotion USA℠, a dynamic cultural diplomacy program that supports United States foreign policy goals by engaging international audiences through educational opportunities, cultural exchange, and performance. BODYTRAFFIC has also served as cultural ambassadors for the United States in Israel (2015), South Korea (2016) and Algeria (2017).
The health and safety of patrons, staff and artists inside and outside the venue are a top priority for The Wallis. All audience members attending indoor performances will be required to show proof of full vaccination upon entry at The Wallis, or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the attending their performance date. In addition, all patrons regardless of vaccination status will be required to properly wear a face mask over both the nose and mouth upon entering The Wallis' indoor spaces and for the duration of their visit. The Wallis' health and safety protocols are also subject to change at the venue's sole discretion or in accordance with LA County and City of Beverly Hills regulations. For The Wallis’ current safety updates and protocols, please visit https://thewallis.org/safetyindoors.
Tickets, $39-$99, are on sale now. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills. To purchase tickets and for more information, please call 310-746-4000 or visit TheWallis.org/BT.