Editor,
I am still jumping for joy or at least I wish I could jump as high as the dancers of Bodytraffic. The performance my husband and I joyfully witnessed last Friday night by Bodytraffic at the Laguna Playhouse was amazing.
The evening started at 6:30 with the co-Artistic Directors Lillian Barbeito and Tina Finkelman Berkett as well as Jody Gates the founder and artistic director of Laguna Dance Festival explaining how they came together and their vision for the company.
Lillian and Tina are delightful, bubbly and motivated dancers. They were joined by three of the male dancers of the company for a Q and A from the audience. I think everyone there gained such wonderful insight on where they came from and how they got started in dance and what it means to them to be principal dancers for Bodytraffic.
Then at 7:30 began the dance and after the first number all we can say is double and triple wow!
The dancers were so focused and precise in each number ( three in all); they were saying with their bodies what they expressed in words earlier. Each dance was an original piece and each had its own profound message.
This company of men and women are exceptional and they bring such expression of love, exuberance and cohesiveness to the dance world it is infectious. If you missed seeing Bodytraffic, I hope they will return next season to the Laguna Dance Festival with new and inspiring dances.
And by the way, they are a Los Angeles based dance company. Kudos to Jody Gates for bringing them here to Laguna Beach.
Darrylin Girvin, Laguna Beach
