A step ahead: Bodiography celebrates 20 years of dance
When Maria Caruso returned to her dance studio Bodiography on Sunday after a month away in Brazil, she played a recording of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah.”
It’s the song she’s been rehearsing for a solo to celebrate her company’s upcoming 20th-anniversary celebration.
But she didn’t take a step.
She looked at her fellow dancers and invited them to form a circle.
“There were tears, and I just wanted them to gather for a moment and hold hands,” said Caruso. “We are a dance company, but we are humans first. We need to cry and feel the real human interaction. It was just such an emotional moment thinking of all we have accomplished.
“We need to celebrate that.”
The culmination of the past 20 years of Bodiography — a performance outlet for ballet dancers in Squirrel Hill, founded by Caruso — will be highlighted on stage Friday through Sunday at The Movement Factory on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
The Movement Factory is operated by M-Train Productions, Caruso’s fast-paced dance company. The Movement Factory will host the anniversary event “Red Carpet Roll-Out.” The performances will celebrate diversity in dance styles and feature Caruso’s favorite works from her 20-year collection, she said.
The past two years with the pandemic have been challenging for everyone, Caruso said. Her performances in “Metamorphosis” and “Rearview Mirror” were the first dance shows to open post-pandemic.
“During this pandemic, I have learned patience and perseverance and to face the challenges by being able to adapt and adjust,” said Caruso, 41, of McCandless, who grew up in the Rural Valley, Armstrong County, and spent weekends at her father’s home in Monroeville.
She said she never would have made it this far without the support of her parents and husband of nearly eight years, Alan Russell, a biochemist who was part of the ballet with her called “108 Minutes” in 2011. She was in a wedding dress and he in a tuxedo.
“My ballet really came to life,” she said. “My family has definitely been an integral part of this milestone. When you create anything in life, you are proud of what you create and you want your legacy to carry on. To be able to live out my dream and be dancing for this long it’s awesome.”
The anniversary celebration will include works such as “Fractured and Rebuilt,” “Bound,” “Really?!” Light by Love,” and her solo, “Hallelujah.”
Caruso, who is in the process of turning the North Side space into a 175-seat theater, four studios and a large classroom, offices and a convertible event space, has a passion for training young dancers. She was inspired by performers such as Martha Graham and Gene Kelly and other mentors along the way.
“I feel that everything that I do, no matter the facet of my brand, I pay homage to the legacy of those that came before me,” said Caruso, who has been in Off-Broadway performances and a recent tour of Italy, Portugal, Spain and Brazil. “This all feels pretty overwhelming with so many emotions.”
Bodiography principal artist Renee Simeone said via email that, as she reflects on the 20th anniversary, she feels blessed to have been able to take part in Bodiography’s growth and evolution.
“I could only dream that one day I would be dancing in the professional company of artists that I had looked up to for so many years,” she said. “It is incredible to see everything come full circle, and also to recognize that throughout these two decades Maria Caruso has remained true to Bodiography’s mission of inclusivity and using dance as a language that speaks to people in all walks of life. I could not be more excited and honored to celebrate the company I am so passionate about and the culmination of 20 years as we take the stage this weekend!”
Caruso said some of the most memorable interactions have been during rehearsals because that is when there is time to take it all in.
“I am excited for the weekend,” Caruso said. “What we have been able to sustain for 20 years, including me being away for months at a time, says a lot about the dance company. I have always said the M Train doesn’t have any brakes. It just keeps on going. I am not sure any of us have quite processed what this moment this weekend will be like.”
Shows will be at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are $15-$35 and are available here.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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