Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Presents BODYTRAFFIC Featuring World Premiere of Recurrence by Ethan Colangelo

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’s Wallis appearance is particularly significant as this wonderful dance company is finally able to complete its Wallis residency,” says The Wallis’ Artistic Director Paul Crewes. “Since Wallis residencies are a critical part of our overall artistic mission and support local artists, we wanted to ensure BODYTRAFFIC’s wasn’t cut short. We joyfully welcome the company back to our stage.”

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.

Dance @ The Wallis is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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.

About the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: 

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national and international artists share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. The campus, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA, is committed to robust and distinctive presentations and education programs curated with both creativity and social impact in mind. Distinguished by its eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented more than 300 dance, theater, opera, classical music, cinema and family programs since its doors opened in October 2013. Hailed as “au courant” (LaLa Magazine), The Wallis was lauded by Culture Vulture, which proclaims, “If you love expecting the unexpected in the performing arts, you have to love The Wallis.” Its programming has been nominated for 79 Ovation Awards and nine L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards. The campus itself, a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot facility, celebrating the classic and the modern, has garnered six architectural awards. Designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF:architects), the restored building features the original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places), which serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and includes the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; an inviting open-air plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound. Together, these elements embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is led by Chairman of the Board Michael Nemeroff, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Rachel Fine and Artistic Director Paul Crewes.

For more information about The Wallis, please visit: TheWallis.org.

For downloadable photos, please visit: TheWallis.org/Press.

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