From Strength to Strength: Tina Finkelman Berkett

I can’t even stand it,” exclaimed Tina Finkelman Berkett about the Perenchio Foundation grant that her dance troupe, BodyTraffic, recently received. “The subject line read, “Congratulations,” so I opened the email and counted the zeroes, then dropped to my knees. It’s the thing you wait so hard for, that you wish and pray for.”

Tina Finkelman Berkett and Micaela Taylor and BodyTraffic artists in rehearsal for Taylor’s “Love.Lost.Fly.” Photograph by Guzmán Rosado

Indeed, the zeroes amounted to $1 million, and BodyTraffic, the Los Angeles-based company she co-founded with Lillian Barbeito in 2007—and has been the sole artistic director since 2020—was continuing its ascent in the dance world. Having carved out a name for itself on both national and international stages, while also helping to elevate the contemporary dance scene in its home town, the eight-member BodyTraffic, which has been in residence at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts since 2019, again takes to the stage of the Beverly Hills venue December 6-7 in a program of three works.

So, how did this gal who grew up in New York City and then attended Barnard College and Columbia University—graduating summa cum laude with degrees in mathematics and economics—land in the City of Angels and become the director of an acclaimed dance troupe? Following her dream may sound like a cliché, but this is actually what Finkelman Berkett did: Instead of taking a job on Wall Street or becoming an accountant like many in her family, she pursued her passion.

As a child, she’d taken dance classes under Michele Cuccaro Cain, going to her first performance, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, at City Center. But after college, and instead of going into corporate life, it was her father who encouraged her to chart a different course. Auditioning for and getting accepted into Aszure Barton & Artists, Finkelman Berkett performed with that troupe throughout the States, including at Jacob’s Pillow and Spoleto festivals.

She also taught alongside Barton, both here and abroad, before becoming a founding member of Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance, where, in addition to touring alongside Baryshnikov himself, she served as the troupe’s dancer liaison, piquing her interest in arts administration. Shortly thereafter, in 2007, Finkelman Berkett headed West, founding BodyTraffic with Barbeito.

Since then, the celebrated troupe has performed in more than 30 states and 20 countries, including as cultural ambassadors to Israel and Jordan during the Obama administration, as well as South Korea (2016), Algeria (2017-2018), and Indonesia (2018). In the last year alone, the company had 50 shows, attesting to the fact that BodyTraffic is decidedly traveling in the fast lane.

Not driven by a single choreographic voice, the troupe instead commissions renowned choreographers, among them Kyle Abraham, Ohad Naharin and Trey McIntyre, who recently joined the troupe as Creative Partner, and whose world premiere, “Mayday,” is included on the Wallis program. By endorsing both established and new voices while being a home for an eclectic range of styles and perspectives that tell dynamic stories, BodyTraffic creates opportunities for artists to fully embrace their creative practice.

And in addition to its rigorous performing schedule, BodyTraffic, whose members range in age from 19-32, is dedicated to education, with the troupe mentoring and uplifting more than 700 students annually through various programs. Ranging from youth-focused movement workshops to professional development for established artists, this holistic approach stems from Finkelman Berkett’s belief in the transformative power of dance as a vehicle for personal and collective growth.

Fjord Review caught up with the fiendishly busy director by phone in a conversation that included the troupe’s upcoming Wallis program, what she looks for in a choreographer and why she stopped dancing.

Trey McIntyre and Tina Finkelman Berkett. Photograph by Guzmán Rosado

First, congratulations on the Perenchio grant, which is so well-deserved. But let’s go back a few years: It’s rare for someone who majored in economics and math to go into dance as a full-time career. How did that happen?

I credit my dad, who worked at big accounting firms, with this shift. We were on the subway, and I was talking to him about how I was going to interview for [a similar] job. He said, “What a shame to deprive the world of this gift you have, and you’re going to sit behind a desk.” It was a life-changing conversation for me. What was so unspoken between me and my parents—they’re from immigrant families—is [that] “You go to work, you make money, [but] you don’t enjoy your job.”

This is something I convey to our students who come through BodyTraffic programs. “Don’t waste your time worrying about what’s going to happen, take the opportunities as they come.” I’m still trying to heed those words. That’s the thing about Aszure and Misha [Baryshnikov]. I just showed up. I did my best, and it followed that opportunities came. Aszure came to Barnard, and she invited me to perform, and Misha was in the front row.

The rest, as they say, is history. What does Misha think about your success with BodyTraffic?

When I was talking about starting BodyTraffic, I was thinking about Aszure and Misha—that they believed in me and invested in me—that there was a piece of me that felt obligated to him. I felt that pressure, and recently someone very close to me who’s been in touch with Misha said, “He’s so proud of you,” so you can imagine what that means to me.

That is so cool. Okay, you’ve probably been asked this a lot, but why did you part ways with Lillian Barbeito in 2020, are you still in touch with her, and how’s it going for you as the sole director of BodyTraffic?

We had such an amazing partnership for almost 14 years; I was 22 when we started BodyTraffic over 14 years ago. It was an amazing ride, [and we] built something out of nothing. During the pandemic, she had the desire to move, and is in Carmel [California] now. We grew up and had clarity about who we wanted to be as leaders. I give Lillian so much credit for her teaching me so much about dance, about high-quality work, and how to work really hard.

I owe so much to her as a dancer and business leader, [but] it was time to move on. We do keep up with what each other is doing. As the sole director—for me it’s like a dream come true. I have always wanted a value-driven company where the joy of dance is front and foremost, and where people around me are truly celebrated and feel they’re valued. I’ve been able to hone in on those values. I thank my lucky stars, but these are dancers I always wanted, with their commitment to each other and to community—and they’re about to get significant raises.

BodyTraffic in “I Forgot The Start” by Matthew Neenan. Photograph by Christopher Ash

Hurray for that, Tina! What a wonderful holiday gift. Another gift was bringing in Trey McIntyre as Creative Partner, who, in addition to choreographing, will advise on strategic planning, as well as artistic programming. How did that position come about and can you discuss his latest work, “Mayday,” which is part of your Wallis program?

Trey and I first worked together at Disney, probably 10 years ago. He cast me as “Cinderella,” and we’d been in touch all these years. We [wondered] what could we do together. At the beginning of 2023, [BodyTraffic Board President] Gillian Wynne and I took a trip to Las Vegas to see Trey’s “Blue Until June,” that he made on Nevada Ballet Theatre.

This is a perfect BodyTraffic piece, [so] we decided to acquire the rights to license it. I felt there was something about this work—he way the musicality meets the physical difficulty that was such a good fit. Trey and I started to plan for another creation. He had the idea to highlight the music of Buddy Holly, and we worked on “Mayday” over this past year.

The physicality is astonishing, and I was watching it in rehearsal and just kept yelping. Trey comes in and choreographs unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The confidence he brings into the studio, the way he makes steps and pushes the dancers to accomplish things, it’s the right fit in so many ways. Then, an extraordinary donor [Virginia McGee] stepped up and underwrote that piece, then went on to underwrite his position as Creative Partner. It’s been really special.

Also included in BodyTraffic’s Wallis program are Matthew Neenan’s West Coast premiere, “I Forgot The Start,” and “Incense Burning on a Saturday Morning: The Maestro,” by Juel D. Lane, a segment of which was performed last month.

I’m excited about this program. Matthew’s work is very intimate and emotional. He made it to honor what he’d been going through supporting his husband’s fighting cancer. For people who have battled cancer, it’s been special to share this piece.

[As for] Jule’s work, we had a light preview at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion. This will be a fully-realized version, adding projections. I love working with Jule; he’s another highly generous artist, and this piece honors the painter Ernie Barnes and his creative mind. Jule’s been in touch with the Ernie Barnes Foundation to make sure we honor his work properly.

BodyTraffic is known for its technical prowess and versatility, with your dancers mastering a repertoire of between 40-50 works that spans ballet, contemporary, modern, Afro-Cuban, and hip-hop genres. What do you look for in a choreographer?

First and foremost, I’m looking for kindness; they need to be in the studio and add to the environment our company is so committed to. Dancers are notoriously underpaid [and] spend more time with each other than their families. Ours has to be positive, welcoming, supportive and safe, and choreographers have to add to that environment.

They get the best out of dancers when they show up with these values. I’m also looking for someone who has openness with me to get the piece across the finish line. If a choreographer comes in and I know their work will live on a program, there has to be a willingness to work in the context of the repertory. I’m also looking for someone who’s going to help the dancers grow and evolve to make the dancers feel their best, and that their craft is getting better every day.

Katie García in “Blue Until June” by Trey McIntyre. Photograph by Trey McIntyre

You, of course, danced with BodyTraffic. Why did you stop?

I did stop dancing two years ago. During the pandemic, my husband, Guzmán [Rosado], and I had a second child, Sophia, in 2022. That was the last show in my home town—at the Joyce [Theater], and the last thing I performed was a duet with Guzmán. He danced with the company from 2012, until he retired and had his last performances in the spring.

But the business was growing, and it was time for me to focus solely on leadership. Being a dancer requires a lot of time and attention. You have to be focused on yourself, so it was time for me to move on to the next phase. People along the way have been saying, “You’ll never be able to stop. Your passion for the company will die with your dancing.” But leadership might be an even greater passion for me.

What have some of the highlights been for you over the years?

Looking back, I feel so lucky for the people I’ve gotten to work with. When I started BodyTraffic, I was just trying to dance. I had all these things I wanted to prove and accomplish, and it’s been such an honor to build my resume. From Strength to Strength [Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life], by Arthur C. Brooks, has been my bible.

He talks about your resume values, versus eulogy values. I spent so much time trying to go through that bucket list—proving we can work with top choreographers and perform in the best places. What an honor to have done that. Now I’m overwhelmed by the people I’ve shared it with and

have learned from. This is the dream I never knew I had. I couldn’t have guessed that it would have brought me so much fulfillment.

How have you built an audience, and what is the state of contemporary dance today, notably in L.A.?

My biggest responsibility is to build an audience, and I try to implement pre-curtain talks. I come out and tell people, “You might be scared of contemporary dance, but there is the option of going out and enjoying yourself. I’m a big believer that people should feel comfortable—especially when music puts them at ease. That’s a contributing factor.

[As to] the state of contemporary dance—this is about to be our big renaissance. For a little company like us to feel the growth we feel, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it feels we’re on the precipice of dreaming what we’ve dreamt of having—a company to rally behind. Our dancers are about to finally make a living wage as dancers.

Amen to that, Tina! Where do you see yourself in the next five to 10 years—would you like to have your own space?

Having our own space is something that feels like a natural step, but I don’t know how soon. My goal is to support these people that I have the pleasure of working with; to keep doing what we’re doing but support them better financially, and health-wise—mentally and physically.

We don’t have to be stuck in this age-old system where there’s this underlying system of unkindness or bullying to accomplish something great. I’m trying to perpetuate a new way of being, so our dancers will accomplish the greatest things that are available to them.

Victoria Looseleaf

Victoria Looseleaf is an award-winning, Los Angeles-based international arts journalist who covers music and dance festivals around the world. Among the many publications she has contributed to are the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Dance Magazine and KCET’s Artbound. In addition, she taught dance history at USC and Santa Monica College. Looseleaf’s novella-in-verse, Isn't It Rich? is available from Amazon, and and her latest book, Russ & Iggy’s Art Alphabet with illustrations by JT Steiny, was recently published by Red Sky Presents. Looseleaf can be reached through X, Facebook, Instagram and Linked In, as well as at her online arts magazine ArtNowLA.

comments

Featured

FEATURES | Sophie Bress

Dance Floor Liberation

Los Angeles–based dance artist Jay Carlon knew that the proscenium stage couldn’t house his 2024 work, “Wake,” in its fullness. So he moved it elsewhere: to a rave.

Plus

INTERVIEWS | Candice Thompson

An Artistic Evolution, in Fragments

Choreography wasn’t on Lia Cirio’s radar when artistic director Mikko Nissinen asked her to participate in Boston Ballet’s ChoreograpHER initiative in 2018. The principal dancer had always thought, “Oh, that's not something for me. I just like being in the room and helping people and being choreographed on.” But her good friend and colleague at the time, Kathleen Breen Combes, gave her a nudge.

Plus

REVIEWS | Rebecca Deczynski

Golden Touch

Ingrid Silva’s expression is calm, the side of her mouth upturned a few degrees, as if she’s delighting in the reception of her own joke.

Plus

INTERVIEWS | Lorna Irvine

From the Belly to the Brain

French choreographer Lea Tirabasso makes dense, intricate work which explores existential concerns connected with science, nature and morality. Witty, vivid and visceral, her work pushes beyond simple genres or choreographic language, creating something far richer and more complex. Her most recent piece, “In the Bushes” is part of the Edinburgh Festival this year. Fjord Review caught up with Léa Tirabasso ahead of the Summerhall run.

Plus