Penn Live Arts presents performances by BODYTRAFFIC and Ballets Jazz Montréal



BODYTRAFFIC by Chris Kendig

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) — Penn Live Arts (PLA) – the leading presenter of innovative and transformative performing arts experiences in Philadelphia – is proud to present two exciting dance ensembles, BODYTRAFFIC and Ballets Jazz Montréal.

BODYTRAFFIC brings four existing premiere works to the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, January 19, 2024 at 8:00pm, and Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 2:00pm & 8:00pm. A Student Discovery performance takes place on Friday, January 19, 2024 at 10:30am. The celebrated dance company showcases a commissioned world premiere by Matthew Neenan as well as three Philadelphia premieres: Love.Lost.Fly by Micaela Taylor, exploring how people from different worlds come together; The One to Stay With by Baye & Asa, a response to the opioid crisis; and PACOPEPEPLUTO by Alejandro Cerrudo, which honors self-expression in witty solos set to Dean Martin hits.

Additionally, PLA presents a free 90-minute masterclass led by the dancers of BODYTRAFFIC on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 6:30pm. After a contemporary warm-up, BODYTRAFFIC will teach intermediate to advanced dancers selections from its eclectic repertory, leaving them with tools to be well-rounded contemporary dancers. Advanced registration is required.

Ballets Jazz Montréal celebrates its 50th anniversary with a landmark program, ESSENCE, at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, February 9, 2024 at 8:00pm, and Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 2:00pm & 8:00pm. The program pays homage to the company’s roots but also serves as a springboard for a new artistic vision – a balance between Ballets Jazz Montréal’s DNA and the evolution of its mission into the next half-century.

Audiences can anticipate two exciting Philadelphia premieres: Crystal Pite’s critically acclaimed Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue, exploring classic storylines that invite the audience to determine who exactly rescues whom, and We Can’t Forget About What’s His Name by company member Ausia Jones, which ruminates on feelings of uncertainty and how it influences moments of connection. Completing the repertoire is Aszure Barton’s Les Chambres des Jacques which is “full of surprise and humor, emotion and pain.” (The New York Times)

Penn Live Arts (PLA), headquartered at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, is the leading presenter of innovative and transformative performing arts experiences in Philadelphia. A vital resource for the performing arts at the University of Pennsylvania, PLA is an artistic crossroads joining Penn and the greater Philadelphia region through world-class music, dance, theatre, and film on campus and at venues throughout the city, serving an annual audience of over 80,000. Penn Live Arts emphasizes artistic and intellectual excellence and diversity in its offerings; prioritizes broad inclusiveness in the artists, audiences, and groups it serves; and expands arts access by actively engaging a wide range of audiences and inclusive communities from campus, the West Philadelphia neighborhood, and the surrounding region.

BODYTRAFFIC uses the creative spirit of its Los Angeles home as a backdrop for delivering performances that inspire audiences around the globe to simply love dance. The company attracts skilled dancers from throughout the world who have trained at such places as The Juilliard School and the School of American Ballet, and its enviable repertory includes the works of stellar contemporary choreographers like Kyle Abraham, Ohad Naharin, Fernando Magadan, Sidra Bell, Victor Quijada, Hofesh Shechter, and Micaela Taylor. This combination of superb artists and highly creative choreographers has elicited numerous critical accolades, including one from The Los Angeles Times, which described BODYTRAFFIC as “one of the most talked about companies—not just in LA, but nationwide.”

Since its founding in 2007 by Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett and her co-founder Lillian Barbeito, BODYTRAFFIC has preserved its place at the forefront of the concert dance world with a style that, according to The Boston Globe, “suggests invention, attitude, and urban edge,” an aesthetic that has led to appearances at many prestigious international theaters and festivals. In 2015, the company was selected by the Obama administration to be United States cultural ambassadors to Israel and Jordan through DanceMotion USA, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department that sought to engage international audiences through educational opportunities, cultural exchange, and performance. BODYTRAFFIC also served as cultural ambassadors of the United States in South Korea (2016), Algeria (2017-2018), and Indonesia (2018).

In 2016, the company made its Hollywood Bowl debut when it performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and, during the 2017-2018 season, it went on to celebrate its 10th anniversary season with an international tour to more than 20 cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg for the CONTEXT Diana Vishneva Festival, and The Hague for The Holland Dance Festival. The celebratory season culminated with performances at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, where BODYTRAFFIC is honored to be the current company-in-residence.

BODYTRAFFIC’s extensive outreach and education programs are essential to its commitment to ensuring that dance endures for both the artists and the audiences of the next generation. Touching lives in Los Angeles and beyond, the company provides training opportunities for pre-professional and professional dancers, as well as customized dance experiences for all people, with an emphasis on sharing the art form with underserved and diverse populations.

For more than fifteen years, BODYTRAFFIC has exhibited the talent, devotion, and discipline necessary for preserving the art form. As it looks forward to a future filled with even more dance, the company thanks those who have supported it along the way.

Founded in 1972 by Geneviève Salbaing, Eva Von Genscy and Eddy Toussaint, Ballets Jazz Montréal is a contemporary dance repertory company that, under the artistic direction of Alexandra Damiani, creates, produces, and presents on local, national, and international stages.

The company engages internationally renowned choreographers to develop their own research in line with BJM’s identity and generates a repertoire that is both exclusive to the company and accessible to all audiences. The company’s impressive roster of talented and influential choreographers includes Crystal Pite, Aszure Barton, Mauro Bigonzetti, Andonis Foniadakis, Itzik Galili, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Barak Marshall, Benjamin Millepied, Ihsan Rustem, Anne Plamondon and Juliano Nunes, to name a few. As an ambassador of Quebec dance to the world, Ballets Jazz Montréal offers an artistic product that is explosive, original, accessible, and noted for the excellence of its performance.

Among the artistic directors of the company who have greatly marked its evolution, company founder Geneviève Salbaing, driven by her visceral love of dance, led Ballets Jazz Montréal with passion and determination for over 20 years. Upon his appointment as artistic director in 1998, Louis Robitaille, reoriented the company towards an audience curious to discover new choreographic forms. In June 2021, Alexandra Damiani took over the artistic direction of BJM and will carry out the company’s mission and vision into the future.

All of Ballets Jazz Montréal’s work brings an element of humanity, fearlessness, and emotion in addition to the high technical skill that each dance requires. Additionally, each piece is nuanced, multilayered, and often multidisciplinary – combining other artistic disciplines such as theater, video, and music. With accessibility and quality as key values, the company successfully integrates pleasure and humanity into their strong, expressive, and demanding pieces. Moreover, the distinct personalities and high caliber of its performers further add to the quality that is expected from the company and play a key role in maintaining the company’s reputation and influence in the dance world.

Through their productions, performances, and educational activities, Ballets Jazz Montréal encourages discovery, stimulates imagination, and shares their passion for this discipline to all its audiences – both local and abroad. With more than 2,600 performances in 68 countries and an audience of over 2.8 million, Ballets Jazz Montréal is considered one of the world’s leading ambassadors of Quebec dance and artistic vitality.

In 2016, the Prix Rideau Hommage was awarded to the company and its artistic director at the time, Louis Robitaille, in recognition of the company’s impact and continued presence on Quebec stages.

In 2020, the company received the Prix de la danse de Montréal for the category of international dissemination presented by CINARS. In 2021-2022 season, the company celebrated 50 years of creating, exploring, boundary-pushing, and connecting with its audiences.