When Tina Berkett moved from New York City to Los Angeles in 2007, she immediately noticed the West Coast's creative spirit. It was free-flowing and diverse, and it was something she deeply drew from when starting her dance company BODYTRAFFIC the same year.
"I love being on the West Coast because there's a specific energy that speaks to the wild west in a way," Berkett says. "There's a freshness and youthfulness about LA that brings an air of possibility to our dance company."
When the artistic director began the company, she had the ambitious goal of inspiring audiences around the globe to love dance. And that's exactly what she did. For the last 17 years, the group has brought its contemporary dance flair to stages around the world. Now, that talent is coming to the Inland Northwest when BODYTRAFFIC takes the stage at Gonzaga University's Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center.
"We feel committed to this West Coast energy, so we're really looking forward to showing that to audiences in Washington," she says.
Part of maintaining that vibe requires Berkett to focus on more than just the choreography. While every part of a performance is planned, down to a dancer's pointed toes or the props they use on stage, she thinks that putting an emphasis on the music is important to the audiences. That's why she includes music from recognizable classic artists such as Etta James, James Brown and Peggy Lee.
"People universally love music, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't love an artist like Etta James," she says. "If [audiences] are at ease while listening to the music, then they might just grow in appreciation for the dance, too."
One number the group performs, called "SNAP," is set to a James Brown song. Choreographed by Micaela Taylor, the piece is meant to encourage viewers to snap out of the social norms that often shroud their individuality. The six-person dance centers on self-expression and desire, Berkett says, so it's important that audiences are able to take that in.
Yet even as she shares these background details about one dance, Berkett notes it's not actually important for the audience to understand the story behind each performance.
"I'm constantly encouraging folks to take in the performance, but I find that often since dance is not as popular, people don't know how to react in the audience," she explains. "It's such a tricky thing, people often come in and they're nervous because they just don't understand dance. But I tell them, 'Don't look for a story and just allow the dancers to take you through their art.'"
Once folks have learned to take in the dance, she says, they can begin to unravel the countless stories that can be told with just bodies on a stage.
Though Berkett hopes BODYTRAFFIC's performances educate and inspire audiences to engage further with the medium of dance, that's not her only goal. She also works to educate up-and-coming dancers around the world.
"We absolutely love to connect with communities when we tour," she says. "Our dancers are, for the most part, in their mid-20s, so when they get to have an impact on young dancers, it feels like they're able to connect with the next generation of dancers."
BODYTRAFFIC has educated countless dancers internationally, spanning back to 2015 when the Obama administration selected the group to become cultural ambassadors to Jordan through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the U.S. State Department. In the following three years, the company went on to become cultural ambassadors to South Korea, Algeria and Indonesia.
There are a number of master classes that Berkett and her dancers teach, but they're often tailored to the dance community they're visiting. She also ensures that this training occurs in the cities that BODYTRAFFIC performs in. This week, the group is working with Gonzaga dance students who are already experienced in their craft.
"Typically we're gonna share some physical classes, but then there's also time for us to really get to know the young dancers," she says. "It's so special that we get to do this."
"We absolutely love to connect with communities when we tour."
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While training the next generation of talented dancers requires intense work, Berkett wants to push away from the stereotype of cutthroat dance classes that are often televised. Take the popular reality TV show Dance Moms for example. Celebrity dance instructor Abby Lee Miller was known for being harsh with dancers, often raising her voice or belittling them, to pull out their full potential. However, Berkett says it just doesn't have to be that way.
She and her dancers work to ensure that their students are challenged by choreography and technical work, but still feel comfortable enough to advocate for themselves if something's wrong.
"Dancing is hard. If you're gonna struggle, you have to be in a positive environment," Berkett says. "Dancers leave our classes with the understanding that you can find a dance environment that is positive and healthy."♦
BODYTRAFFIC • Sat, Oct. 19 at 7:30 pm • $38-$54 • Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center • 211 E. Desmet Ave. • gonzaga.edu/dance or bodytraffic.com
