BODYTRAFFIC Reveals New Artistic & Executive Collaborators

As BODYTRAFFIC plans for its milestone 20th anniversary and builds on the momentum of a recent $1 million grant from the Perenchio Foundation, the company announces the addition of key artistic and executive collaborators. Choreographer and multidisciplinary artist Trey McIntyre has joined the company as Creative Partner; Lucinda Lent has joined as Executive Consultant, and company members Joan Rodriguez and Katie García have both been promoted to Rehearsal Director.

These company shifts occur at a key growth moment for the company. Founded in Los Angeles in 2007, BODYTRAFFIC is led by Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett. In recent years the company has initiated a significant expansion of performances, programming, and outreach in its home community of Los Angeles, while continuing to tour across the U.S. In 2022, entrepreneur Gillian Wynn joined BODYTRAFFIC as President . In 2024, a $1,020,000 multi-year General Operating Support Grant from Perenchio Foundation -the largest grant in the company's history - was announced, strengthening BODYTRAFFIC's Los Angeles operations, performances, training programs, and community outreach.

"Since its inception, BODYTRAFFIC has been a home for a wide range of artistic voices and perspectives. Trey, Joan, and Katie each bring a wealth of creativity and experience that will enrich our artistry and programming, and expand our impact within the dance community," shared BODYTRAFFIC Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett. "We are equally thrilled to welcome Lucinda Lent, whose administrative expertise and visionary leadership will be instrumental in shaping BODYTRAFFIC's future."

As Creative Partner, Trey McIntyre will create new work for BODYTRAFFIC in addition to serving as a strategic thought partner, advising on strategic planning, artistic programming, marketing, company operations, and more. BODYTRAFFIC will perform the world premiere of Mayday, McIntyre's latest work, inspired by the life and music of 1950s rock and roll star Buddy Holly, December 6 and 7 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. McIntyre set Blue Until June on BODYTRAFFIC in 2023; which the company will perform as part of its Los Angeles and tour repertoire this year. Marina Harss, describes McIntyre's work for The New York Times as "propulsive athleticism, crisp, detailed footwork and lush coordinations of the body. He also maintained a refreshing openness in his works, a willingness to depict emotions like fear, loneliness and anxiety."

As Executive Consultant, Lucinda Lent will partner with Berkett and administrative staff to focus on strategy and advancement. Lent, former Executive Director of L.A. Dance Project, led LADP to significant growth during her tenure in both international recognition and financial stability. Lent brings over 20 years of experience in the arts and nonprofit sectors and is expected to play a key role in BODYTRAFFIC's upcoming initiatives.

BODYTRAFFIC company members Joan Rodriguez and Katie García have both been promoted to Rehearsal Directors. Both artists will support Berkett in rehearsal direction, company management, and more, ensuring a seamless and thoughtful expansion. Both Rodriguez and García joined the company in 2021; they both lead and instruct BODYTRAFFIC community workshops and professional training programs. Rodriguez has choreographed for BODYTRAFFIC including Bloquea'o (created in 2023) and a new work which will premiere in 2025.

About Tina Finkelman Berkett

Tina Finkelman Berkett is an influential dance leader and community builder, producing original, compelling repertoire and sharing a new vision of dance across the U.S. and around the world. She grew up in New York City, attending Stuyvesant High School of Math and Science and graduating summa cum laude from Barnard College, Columbia University, with a double major in Mathematics and Economics. Her love of dance was ignited by her teacher and mentor, Michele Cuccaro Cain. Berkett's professional dance career began at Aszure Barton & Artists, where she quickly became a featured dancer and then Barton's assistant, teaching both in the U.S. and abroad. She was a founding member of Mikhail Baryshnikov's Hell's Kitchen Dance and touring internationally alongside Mr. Baryshnikov himself. Her interest in arts administration began when she served as the company's dancer liaison. In 2007, she relocated to Los Angeles and launched BODYTRAFFIC with Lillian Barbeito. Serving as the company's sole Artistic Director since 2020, Berkett is focused on re-envisioning and revitalizing BODYTRAFFIC.

About Trey McIntyre

Trey McIntyre trained at North Carolina School of the Arts and the Houston Ballet Academy. In 1989, he was appointed Choreographic Apprentice to Houston Ballet, a position created especially for him, and in 1995 he became the company's Choreographic Associate. He has worked for more than 30 years as a freelance choreographer, producing more than 100 pieces during the span of his career so far. He has worked with companies such as The Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Queensland Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, BalletX, The Washington Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and San Francisco Ballet.

He has won numerous awards and honors such as the Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Society of Arts and Letters, two personal grants for choreography from The National Endowment for the Arts, and is a United States Artists Fellow. He was named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2001, one of People Magazine's "25 Hottest Bachelors" in 2003, and one of Out Magazine's 2008 "Tastemakers." The New York Times critic Alastair Macaulay said of Mclntyre, "...There's a fertility of invention and a modernity of spirit here that are all Mr. Mclntyre's own." The Los Angeles Times wrote, "...There is indeed such a thing as genuine 21st century ballet, and it belongs more to this guy from Wichita than any of the over-hyped pretenders from England, France or Russia."

In 2005, he founded his dance company, Trey McIntyre Project, achieving great audience and critical success. McIntyre created over 23 original works for the company as well as numerous film projects, interactive site specific works, and photography collections. A confessed polymath, McIntyre has developed a cult following for his photography of the human body, written several published essays, and completed the feature-length documentary Gravity Hero, which premiered at the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center.

About Lucinda Lent

Prior to joining BODYTRAFFIC as Executive Consultant, Lucinda Lent was the Executive Director of L.A. Dance Project (LADP) from 2019 to 2024. While with LADP, Lent transformed the organization, leading it to experience record-breaking fundraising years, commissioning over 40 new works, and collaborating with renowned artists like Doug Aitken, Barbara Kruger, and Charles Gaines. She also forged impactful partnerships with brands such as Zadig & Voltaire, St John, and Lanvin, as well as prominent organizations like The Wallis and The Getty. Before LADP, Lucinda founded The COOP, a modern play-and party space that became a household name in Los Angeles and secured funding on ABC's Shark Tank. Lent began her career in the entertainment industry at Sony Pictures, where she worked for legendary Hollywood producer Stanley Jaffe. She later transitioned to producing award-winning commercials, collaborating with directors such as Robert Altman, Joel and Ethan Coen, and Albert Brooks. Lent holds a BA in Communications and Journalism from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, and a Fine Arts degree in Acting from the Actors Centre in Sydney.

About Katie García

Katie García is a dynamic force in the dance world, known for her expertise as both a performer and educator. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has trained at premier institutions such as New World School of the Arts, Dance Town Studios Miami, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and Springboard Danse Montréal. Following her graduation, she became a member of Parsons Dance, where she performed for two and a half years while also expanding her portfolio with freelance and collaborative projects. After joining BODYTRAFFIC, she served as assistant choreographer to Joan Rodriguez's commissioned work Bloquea'o. Katie's influence extends into academia, where she has led master classes at elite universities, including Yale University, New York University, The University of Akron, Florida State University, and Hunter College. Her passion for community engagement is evident in her work with outreach programs like GLUCK, TAP for Life, and Dance for Parkinson's Disease, through which she has brought movement and healing to hospitals, wellness centers, and communities in both New York City and Miami. Internationally, Katie has made her mark by co-leading a project in Botswana, providing dance education and movement therapy to children with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities. Her creative endeavors reach beyond live performance; she has co-produced dance films with Joan Rodriguez, featured at festivals such as the Blacktinx Dance Festival, Solo Duo Dance Festival, and Dumbo Dance Festival. Her work has also been showcased in collaboration with mixed media artist Anna Khachatryan at a prominent NYC SOHO art gallery. Katie's career exemplifies her dedication to the transformative power of dance, both as an art form and as a tool for education and healing.

About Joan Rodriguez

Joan Rodriguez is a Cuban-born dancer, choreographer, and educator known for his dynamic versatility, seamlessly blending Afro-Latin, contemporary, and multimedia styles. He graduated from the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Arte, earning the "Best Graduate of the Year" award, and began his career with DanzAbierta and Malpaso Dance Company. In 2016, after relocating to the United States as a political refugee, Joan moved to Arizona, where he focused on creating, teaching, and producing multimedia projects in collaboration with museums and as Guest Faculty for Arizona State University. His journey continued in New York with Parsons Dance, where he choreographed an original work for the 2018 GenerationNow fellowship. He later created an original work for Connecticut Ballet, while serving as Guest Artist in Residence at various universities and arts centers across the U.S. Currently based in Los Angeles, Joan plays a pivotal role with BODYTRAFFIC as the lead teacher in education and outreach, Social Media Manager, and Content Creator. His acclaimed commissioned work, Bloquea'o, has toured the U.S., and he is now preparing for a second commission. Joan's passion lies in building community through dance, sharing movement across diverse settings, and pioneering innovative intersections between performance and media.

 

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