Complexions Contemporary Ballet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Complexions Contemporary Ballet | ||
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 Complexions Contemporary Ballet Dancers
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  New York, NY |
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| Genre(s) | Dance |
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| Years active | 1994 – present | |
| Website | Complexions Contemporary Ballet Website | |
Complexions Contemporary Ballet celebrates excellence in dance, provokes thought and inspires impassioned performance with the finest dancers in a full range of disciplines. Complexions performs for audiences worldwide, educates, cultivates talent, and champions diversity as America's original multi-cultural dance company (Mission statement). Founded in 1994, there are roughly twenty classical and contemporary dancers in the company.
[edit] About the Company
Complexions was founded in 1994 by Artistic Directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. Since its inception, the company has received numerous accolades for its powerful and thought provoking performances, including the New York Times “Critics Choice” Award in 1995.
Complexions has appeared at major venues throughout the US, including The Joyce Theater, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Majestic Theater, The Mahalia Jackson Performance Arts Center in New Orleans, The Paramount Theater in Seattle, and the Music Center in Los Angeles.
The Company has also been invited to appear at all of the major European dance festivals including Italy’s Festival of Dance for four consecutive years, the Isle De Dance Festival in Paris, the Maison De La Dance Festival in Lyon, the Holland Dance Festival, Steps International Dance Festival in Switzerland, the Dance Festival of Canary Islands, Spain, Vail International Dance Festival, Aspen International Dance Festival and Le Festival des Arts de St-Sauveur in Canada. The company has performed in standing room only performances in Spain, Italy, South America, and most recently at the Bolshoi Theater.
They were the special attraction at the 2002 Jaguar TRIBUTE TO STYLE on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. They made their debut in Korea, Mexico, and Japan during their 2005/2006 season.
[edit] Founders
Dwight Rhoden, Artistic Director (Dayton, Ohio) Mr. Rhoden began dancing at the age of 17 while studying acting. He has performed with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal and was a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He has appeared in numerous television specials, documentaries and commercials throughout the United States, Canada and Europe and has been a featured performer on many PBS Great Performances specials.
Mr. Rhoden has created over 60 ballets for Complexions, as well as numerous other companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; The Arizona Ballet; The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Company; The Dance Theater of Harlem; Dayton Contemporary Dance Company; The Joffrey Ballet; New York City Ballet/Diamond Project; North Carolina Dance Theater; The Pennsylvania Ballet; Philadanco; Minneapolis Dance Theater; Phoenix Dance Company; Sacramento Ballet; Oakland Ballet; Pittsburgh Ballet Theater; The Washington Ballet; and Zenon Dance Company. He has worked with, coached, and created for some of the most diverse artists spanning the world of ballet and contemporary dance.
Desmond Richardson, Artistic Director (Queens, NY) Mr. Richardson is a multi-talented artist who has mastered a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern, and contemporary. Richardson’s talent was first recognized as a student at New York High School for the Performing Arts during which time he received a merit scholarship from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (1983-1986) and the International Academie des Tanz in Koln, Germany (1984-1985). He is also a recipient of a Presidential Scholar Award for the Arts (1986).
In 1987, Richardson joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where he was a principal dancer for seven years. After leaving the Ailey Company, he traveled to Germany where he performed with Ballet Frankfurt. Richardson has performed as a guest artist with several world-renowned companies including the Swedish Opera Ballet. The Washington Ballet, Teatro at La Scala, and the San Francisco Ballet.
Mr. Richardson is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Complexions. In 1997, he joined the American Ballet Theater where he performed the lead role in the company’s world premiere production of Othello. In 1998, Richardson joined the premiere cast of the Broadway Musical Fosse for which he received a 1999 Tony Award Nomination. He has also appeared on Broadway in the musical, The Look of Love, the songs of Burt Bacharach and Movin Out.
