Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Encyclopedia
Complexions Contemporary Ballet is a contemporary
ballet company
founded in 1994 by Artistic Director
s Dwight Rhoden
and Desmond Richardson
based in New York City
comprising about 14 classical and contemporary dancers. Complexions performs worldwide, provides dance education, and was America's first fully multicultural ballet company.
Complexions has received numerous awards including the New York Times “Critics Choice” Award in 1995. It has appeared throughout the US, including the Joyce Theater
, Lincoln Center
, the Brooklyn Academy of Music
's Majestic Theater, the Mahalia Jackson Performance Arts Center in New Orleans, the Paramount Theatre
in Seattle, the Music Center in Los Angeles, and the Bolshoi Theater.
The Company has appeared at 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, Łódź Biennale, Warsaw Ballet Festival, Kraków Spring Ballet Festival, 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, and in the 2005/2006 season in Korea, Mexico, and Japan.
Dwight Rhoden has created over 90 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
and New York City Ballet
.
Desmond Richardson uses a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern, and contemporary, having previously been with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
(alongside Rhoden), Ballet Frankfurt, and the first African American principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. Desmond has been a guest artist with several world-renowned companies including the Swedish Opera Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Teatro at La Scala, the San Francisco Ballet
.
Contemporary ballet
Contemporary ballet is a form of dance which incorporates elements of both classical ballet and modern dance. It takes its technique and use of pointework from classical ballet, although it permits a greater range of movement that may not adhere to the strict body lines set forth by schools of...
ballet company
Ballet company
A ballet company is a group of dancers who perform ballet, plus managerial and support staff. Most major ballet companies employ dancers on a year-round basis, except in the United States, where contracts for part of the year are the norm...
founded in 1994 by Artistic Director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
s Dwight Rhoden
Dwight Rhoden
Dwight Rhoden is a choreographer and artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet who began dancing at the age of 17 while studying acting. He has performed with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal and was a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American...
and Desmond Richardson
Desmond Richardson
Desmond Richardson is co-founder and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He has mastered a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern, and contemporary.- Life and career :...
based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
comprising about 14 classical and contemporary dancers. Complexions performs worldwide, provides dance education, and was America's first fully multicultural ballet company.
Complexions has received numerous awards including the New York Times “Critics Choice” Award in 1995. It has appeared throughout the US, including the Joyce Theater
Joyce Theater
The Joyce Theater is a 472-seat dance performance venue located in the Chelsea area of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The Joyce Theater Foundation, the organization founded in 1982 that operates the theater, also owns the Joyce SoHo dance center located in a former firehouse on Mercer...
, Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
, the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
's Majestic Theater, the Mahalia Jackson Performance Arts Center in New Orleans, the Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)
The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
in Seattle, the Music Center in Los Angeles, and the Bolshoi Theater.
The Company has appeared at 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, Łódź Biennale, Warsaw Ballet Festival, Kraków Spring Ballet Festival, 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, and in the 2005/2006 season in Korea, Mexico, and Japan.
Dwight Rhoden has created over 90 ballets for Complexions, as well as numerous other companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey...
, the Arizona Ballet, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
- External links :*...
Company, the Dance Theater of Harlem, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, the Joffrey Ballet
Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet is a dance company in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1956. From 1995 to 2004, the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company regularly performs classical ballets including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, while balancing those classics with pioneering modern...
and New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
.
Desmond Richardson uses a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern, and contemporary, having previously been with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a modern dance company based in New York, New York. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey...
(alongside Rhoden), Ballet Frankfurt, and the first African American principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. Desmond has been a guest artist with several world-renowned companies including the Swedish Opera Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Teatro at La Scala, the San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet
The San Francisco Ballet is a ballet company, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, under the direction of Helgi Tomasson. SFB is the first professional ballet company in the United States...
.