In major blow to arts scene, one of L.A.'s most vital dance troupes to shutter after 20 years

After 20 years arsenic 1 of the city’s astir respected and energetic homes for modern creation successful Los Angeles, Bodytraffic plans an intentional sunset successful July astatine the decision of its existent season, the institution is expected to denote Thursday. The company’s extremity wasn’t planned, but it became indispensable erstwhile its creator manager and co-founder, Tina Finkelman Berkett, decided to measurement backmost from her role, citing fundraising fatigue and a tendency for change.

“Over these past years, I got to recognize the imagination I had for this company, and what I wanted to springiness Los Angeles,” Berkett said. “The fundraising facet of this occupation has been amongst the hardest parts of my beingness for 20 afloat years, and it’s taken rather a toll connected me. Over the past year, I started to consciousness acceptable for the adjacent chapter.”

The quality of Bodytraffic’s unexpected closure comes soon aft the institution received a $1-million multi-year wide operating enactment assistance from the Perenchio Foundation successful September 2024, and past announced Trey McIntyre arsenic originative spouse and Lucinda Lent arsenic enforcement advisor that November.

Over the years, Bodytraffic commissioned works by choreographers Micaela Taylor, Kyle Abraham, Victor Quijada, Matthew Neenan and Juel D. Lane, among others. It became 1 of the archetypal L.A.-based creation companies to follow the repertory exemplary akin to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.

With the concern of committee president Gillian Wynn, Bodytraffic was 1 of the fewer companies to supply surviving wages, wellness security and carnal therapy for its dancers. As a assemblage leader, the institution had partnerships with acquisition and assemblage organizations, including Everybody Dance LA!, L.A. County High School for the Arts and Boys & Girls Club of Metro Los Angeles, emphasizing outreach to younker and radical with disabilities.

Bodytraffic became 1 of the archetypal L.A. creation companies to connection wellness security and carnal therapy for its dancers.

(Kevin Parry)

When Berkett decided to measurement away, she initially went to the committee for penetration connected however to proceed. They deliberated, considering a successor oregon a caller concern model. Ultimately, the committee recovered determination was nary mode to replicate the committedness and vigor Berkett enactment into the company, some artistically and financially. They decided that the close prime was to observe what the institution has done implicit the past 2 decades and adjacent beardown with a last nationalist season, “Tour of Thanks.”

Bodytraffic’s past L.A. shows are scheduled to instrumentality spot astatine the Wallis from June 4 to 6. The company’s last show volition beryllium with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet connected July 25. In the meantime, the committee and enactment volition assistance its dancers successful successfully transitioning retired of the institution and into different opportunities.

“I anticipation that radical who came to emotion creation and performing arts due to the fact that of america proceed to put successful our city,” Berkett said. “People person to spell retired and enactment the arts, actively, to support them alive, and I cognize that I volition person a lifelong committedness to furthering this cause.”

Berkett co-founded the institution successful 2007 with Lillian Barbeito astatine the property of 23. As idiosyncratic who grew up successful New York City, Berkett dreamed of performing astatine the Joyce, adjacent arsenic she started a institution successful Los Angeles. She recalled her household and teachers feeling uncertain astir her determination to the West Coast, particularly since L.A. wasn’t considered a hub for modern dance. Finally bringing Bodytraffic to the Joyce successful 2012 proved the thought wasn’t arsenic unreachable arsenic it seemed.

“At the extremity of the show, the institution bowed, the curtains closed, and Lillian and I collapsed connected that signifier and cried,” she said. “We sobbed and sobbed. I’ll ne'er hide that moment.”

Shortly after, a New York Times reappraisal described the show arsenic offering “signs of beingness from the Los Angeles creation scene.”

Bodytraffic rapidly became a beacon for modern creation successful a metropolis wherever specified a institution was a rarity. Katie Garcia, who has been with the institution for six years, discovered Bodytraffic portion studying astatine Juilliard, wherever Berkett taught workshops to seniors. Although Garcia ne'er met Berkett during her clip astatine the school, she reached retired to her via email with her materials, asking astir the anticipation of joining. She’s been with the institution since and holds onto memories of touring and the obligatory “company meetings” that Berkett turned into astonishment day celebrations for the dancers.

“Arts organizations are truly struggling close present with the existent climate, and it’s made it progressively hard for tiny organizations to prolong their enactment and their artists, but I’m truly arrogant of the lasting interaction that I cognize our institution has had successful creating opportunities for artists, connecting with our assemblage and contributing to the taste cloth of our field,” Garcia said.

Choreographer Micaela Taylor moving with Bodytraffic connected October 17, 2022. The institution hosted galore breathtaking artists implicit its 20-year history.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Dancer Chandler Davidson is 1 of the company’s much caller additions. They attended the summertime intensive successful 2024, and Berkett recruited them arsenic a impermanent artist, adjacent though they were successful the past twelvemonth of assemblage astatine the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Upon completion of their bachelor of good arts grade successful May 2025, they joined full-time.

“Tina made my imagination travel true,” they said. “When you perceive ‘company,’ you deliberation of New York City, but I’ve ever had the imagination of surviving successful Los Angeles. She virtually handed maine that imagination connected a platter, truthful I’m thing abbreviated of grateful.”

Berkett chiefly focused connected giving dancers a way forward, whether oregon not they continued with the company. Garcia transitioned into the presumption of rehearsal manager and discovered a emotion for nurturing the institution culture. Meanwhile, dancers Joan Rodriguez and Jordyn Santiago got to choreograph caller enactment nether Berkett’s supervision. Telling the dancers astir Bodytraffic’s extremity was hard and bittersweet for Berkett, but she says she was met with gratitude and empathy for her tendency to evolve.

“It’s super-bittersweet, and I anticipation that the assemblage tin spot this, not conscionable arsenic a loss, but besides a win,” Davidson said. “It’s casual to go the dancer archetypal earlier the human, and I anticipation that this inspires leaders, dancers, admins and radical successful the manufacture to perceive to themselves.”

As Bodytraffic comes to an end, it leaves down a bequest of artistry and assemblage gathering done dance. Berkett plans to relish each 2nd of it.

“I’ve spent astir 20 years fundraising,” she said. “This volition beryllium the archetypal clip that I’m going to halt asking radical for money, and I americium going to savor these 5 months. I americium going to instrumentality successful each past spot of enjoying my dancers and loving my job.”