Bodytraffic dance troupe makes leap to Staller Center

Shortly after graduating from Manhattan's Barnard College in 2005, Tina Finkelman Berkett found herself traveling downtown to the Joyce Theater’s SoHo venue. Though the Queens native had majored in math and economics (“I have an uncle who has a theorem named for him,” she says), there she performed in a work by up-and-coming choreographer Aszure Barton for none other than Mikhail Baryshnikov, who was seated in the front row.

Berkett went on to become one of the founding members of Hell’s Kitchen Dance, a troupe under the direction of the Soviet-born ballet legend. “Mikhail has always upheld the importance of live performance, of communicating with the audience,” Berkett says. It is a message she has taken to heart, creating, with co-director Lillian Barbeito, the internationally touring, contemporary dance company Bodytraffic.

On Saturday, the innovative, Los Angeles-based ensemble makes a particularly welcome stop at the Staller Center in Stony Brook, presenting a program fusing dance styles — ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop — Berkett first practiced with her teacher and mentor Michele Cuccaro at the Jam Dance and Fitness Center in Great Neck. (JAM now has additional studios in Bellmore and Dix Hills.) “Tina’s fierce drive, passion and strong work ethic are qualities teachers dream of and audiences thrive on,” says Cuccaro.

With Bodytraffic, Berkett and Barbeito have attracted a fan base that includes both those who seek uplifting, accessible entertainment and in-the-know enthusiasts who want to keep up with what is happening in the world of dance. At Staller Center, the nine-person troupe will provide a glimpse through four selections from its expansive repertoire.

The opener, Matthew Neenan’s “A Million Voices,” responds with fancy footwork and pert moves to the heady voice of iconic songstress Peggy Lee. “Her music captures what it meant to be American at a time when people felt proud to be so,” says Berkett, noting how the piece underscores Bodytraffic’s distinctly American aesthetic in the heavily European-influenced domain of contemporary dance.

“Snap,” choreographed by former Bodytraffic dancer Micaela Taylor, focuses more on showcasing “what is hot today in dance, urban forms and hard-hitting percussiveness,” Berkett adds. “Resolve,” an all-male duet choreographed by the L.A.-based team Wewolf, similarly features an of-the-moment B-boy vibe, with its interweaving pop and lock sequences. “It’s breaking meets ballet,” Berkett says.

Bodytraffic’s full-ensemble signature piece “Ode2joy,” Richard Siegal’s exuberant interpretation of a remix of jazz greats from Billie Holiday to Count Basie, concludes the evening. “The company is comprised of human beings who uniquely understand the importance of moving one's soul through the avenue of dance,” notes Cuccaro.

“It’s a dream I never knew I had,” says Berkett of Bodytraffic. “I just put one foot in front of the other.”