BODYTRAFFIC’S “THIS SONG REMINDS ME OF YOU” AT THE WALLIS

You know a dance company is important when choreographers-extraordinaire show up to see them! And that’s what happened at BodyTraffic’s recent presentation at the Wallis in Beverly Hills. I already loved this very creative troupe, so when I spotted prolific choreographers Kenny Ortega, (who was Michael Jackson’s final one,) and Anita Mann in the lobby pre-show, I admired all of our good taste!

On top of dance world heavyweights being in attendance, there was one surprise (for me) audience member—Mr. X actually joined me for this one! I had repeatedly lauded BodyTraffic to him over the years, (as I have in my reviews,) and then I hoped I wasn’t over-selling them when I told him just how superior they are. So I was relieved that at intermission he declared, “They’re f**kin’ great! I’m impressed. The dancers are all at the peak of their gifts.” After the show he said that the whole production is “high-quality,” and added, “I can’t imagine any company of dancers being better than they are!” I agreed with him when he said that “there’s not a weak performer in the bunch.” Seriously, this is one of the tightest groups of dancers we’ve ever seen. These aren’t people who can dance; they are dance!

This particular offering, This Song Reminds Me of You, featured a trio of works with the theme being “the power of memories sparked by unexpected reminders—whether it’s a painting, song, or sensation, the associations we make with the world around us forge lasting connections that provoke deep feelings of nostalgia.” (If dancing and choreographing don’t work out for the people who came up with that sentence, they can become writers!)

First up was Mayday. It’s set to Buddy Holly music, of which I have never been a fan. But Mr. X is, so I was glad that one of us was happy with the audio component.

I believe the program told us that this one is about that you can die at any minute, as Holly himself did at just twenty-two, in a plane crash. But trust me—there have been way too many recent deaths, so I don’t need that reminder, especially when I’m trying to enjoy my favorite art form!

The group of eight dancers played percussion on their bare stomachs often in this number, which made me laugh because it’s something I’ve done throughout my life, I know not why. And during it, Mr. X leaned over and whispered that he had to go home and work on his abs!

This is the number where we both independently discovered Chandler Davidson. OMG! I reiterate that every dancer in this company is exceptional, but Chandler took my breath away in every segment of the show. During this first dance, Mr. X whispered that Chandler was his favorite, which I had already made a note of for myself. It was interesting because at one point, when he was dancing to Not Fade Away, (which was Buddy Holly’s original song, seven years before the Rolling Stones recorded it,) I was thinking, “Don’t worry, honey, you could never fade away!” The audience screaming for him at the end of the show proved that Mr. X and I were not the only ones who loved this guy the most. I honestly admired everybody, but Chandler is now in my pantheon of dancers! (He joins Adam Cooper, Alan Vincent, and Serafin Castro in my affections, and I believe has leap-frogged them all!)

The second number was entitled I Forgot The Start. And the funny thing is that I disliked the start of it, so I could never forget it! It wasn’t the dancing; it was the first bit of music. As the theme of the production suggests for everyone, music has always ruled my soul. So the beginning track, which I believe was by Sinead O’Connor, made me want to hurt someone!!! (Charming of me, I know.) It contained a lot of whispering, but the Wallis’ sound system is so good that I thought it was coming from the audience members around me, so I almost told them to “*STFU while people are performing!” *(I guess that song turned me into Joe Pesci!)

Then, as the dancing got going, I was not a fan of the choreography because it reminded me of Monty Python’s “The Ministry of Silly Walks.” At least the projections on the background were pretty.

The description of I Forgot The Start in the program is that it “walks the line between joy and grief to illuminate the sheer relentlessness of hope.” But most of the choreography was just joyous, (thank goodness—I didn’t notice any grief,) so I just basically ignored what I had read, and concentrated on the dancing, which was fabulous, as usual for BodyTraffic. (No wonder they just received a million dollar grant!)

But even in this weird number, Chandler commanded my attention again.

The best number, by far, was the last one, Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro, choreographed by Juel D. Lane. As far as I’m concerned, if the entire hour and forty-five minutes of the show had been just this one piece, I would have been really happy! Everything about it worked. (Except for the brief bit of talking on the soundtrack in the beginning, which you know I hate.)

It was all so compelling. This is just about the most perfect dance number I have ever seen, on every artistic level possible. The choreography, colors, clothing were all exquisite. And the music worked wonderfully with it all.

Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro featured some of the famous paintings of the late great artist Ernie Barnes, whose entire life was fascinating! He was not only an incredible artist, (whose work you might recognize from the old TV show, Good Times,) but a professional football player, as well! And later on, while still doing major art work, he became an actor!!! I encourage you to research him. You will be amazed.

Mr. Barnes’ work was projected onto the scrim in front of the dancers, which was absolutely beautiful. I loved that, at times, we could even hear sounds of the artist’s brushstrokes as the paintings appeared on that screen. Brilliant.

The dancing of the two stars of it, Ty Morrison, (as the artist,) and Alana Jones, (as the girl in the yellow dress from the painting,) was absolutely stunning. And oh so powerful. I adored every second of their work.

And then Chandler Davidson got going again, and I kept hearing myself gasp out loud at each of his moves!

So, I suggest two things to all art, dance, theatre, music, and culture lovers. First is that you see anything and everything that BodyTraffic offers, wherever they perform. The other is, of course, that Angelenos should check-out all the shows at the Wallis, my favorite theatre. The edifice itself is so interesting, (it used to be the BHPO, in case you forgot or didn’t know to begin with,) and I cannot imagine better seats and sightlines at any theatre anywhere! When Mr. X opts to go to a venue time and time again, you know it has to be really comfortable in every way! (And before the curtain at this presentation, the complimentary Prosecco, and DeeJay Clifton spinning on the patio, added to the overall experience.)

By the way, the end of BodyTraffic’s statement on the Wallis’ site was, “…this performance invites audiences to reflect on the profound impact of memory and celebrate how our past shapes our journey forward.”

So in that vein, I have to share this personal observation that occured to me again this time, which I have always noticed at shows with music everywhere. And that is—how do audiences, especially like this one which is comprised of people involved in the dance world, not move to the music??? I really can’t understand that at all. To be polite to the people around me, I try hard to keep my body-bopping to a minimum, but it’s hard to do, no matter what the music is. When I was a teen in New York, and my mother took me to symphonies at Lincoln Center, I chose to leave my seat and go into the lobby, so I could not only bop to the music but actually dance to it, without disturbing the patrons around me. (Okay, let’s be honest—it was also so I could look at myself in the theatre’s great lobby mirrors!)

I certainly hope that these dancers look in their mirrors often, because what they’ll see looking back at themselves is pure magnificence!!!

Now here are the websites you should really check-out for future performances:  www.thewallis.org   www.bodytraffic.com

And, for dance lovers everywhere, I need to add a timely notice: Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 9AM West Coast time, there will be a live-streamed celebration of the life of Alvin Ailey icon Judith Jamison, who passed away last month. Here’s that link: ailey.org/events/dancing-spirit-celebration-life.