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Complexions Contemporary Ballet Celebrates
20th Anniversary Season
Featuring Three Premieres Including Repertory Favorites
November 18-30 at the Joyce Theater
New York, NY– Complexions Contemporary Ballet (Complexions) celebrates the company's 20th anniversary
season with a run at the Joyce Theater from November 18-30. On a program consisting of three premieres and a
selection of repertory favorites, Artistic Directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson salute the company’s
inaugural 1994 performance with appearances featuring special guest artists, including Desmond Richardson and
American Ballet Theater's Misty Copeland.
Highlights include a Rhoden choreographed world premiere, set to the music of legendary New Orleans Jazz
musician and GRAMMY award winner Terence Blanchard, entitled “Head Space.” In 2013, Complexions began
collaborating with Mr. Blanchard on a dance-and-music-on-camera project. In 2014, Mr. Rhoden and Mr. Blanchard have
expanded their relationship to create a new 30-minute ballet for the stage featuring 12 dancers and select compositions
from Mr. Blanchard’s albums. Both men are interested in playing with scale, volume, and magnitude as storytelling
devices through music and dancing. How can you convey the breaking point of emotion through movement? What is the
aftermath of large explosions of sound? What effect does juxtaposing dense orchestration with spare instrumentation
create? This new work will use Mr. Blanchard’s composition of trumpet, strings, woodwinds, and percussion as the
backbone of its narrative and will be a collection of short scenes following a cast of characters. The scenes will build up
and disperse character relationships and stories, taking viewers on a surprising journey. The creation of the new work
“Head Space” was commissioned by the New Orleans Ballet Association with the support of Chevron through the
Chevron Master Artist Series.
The 2014 season will also include the New York City premiere of a new work choreographed by American Ballet
Theater principal dancer; Marcelo Gomes entitled “Igual.” The work is set to an original score by acclaimed
composer Ian Ng and is inspired by love and marriage equality. Complexions will also offer the world premiere of a
new company work, “The Groove” inspired by the House music scene of the 1980’s along with classics like “Hissy
Fits” and “Testament” among other company favorites.
On November 20th, Complexions will have a special evening of performances prior to its Gala featuring acclaimed
American Ballet Theater soloist, Misty Copeland in Rhoden’s signature duet, “Ave Maria” an excerpt from
“Grapes of Wrath” (1995) with Complexions’ Artist-in Residence, Clifford Williams. Desmond Richardson will be
performing a solo excerpt from Rhoden’s 2011 ballet “What Come Thereafter” featuring the music of ELEW in addition
to other excerpts and premiere works. For tickets to the after-show Gala, call 212-777-7771.
For tickets, please visit: http://Joyce.org
For the most up-to-date schedule for all Complexions Contemporary Ballet programming, follow Complexions via
the below links and visit http://www.complexionsdance.org.
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@ComplexionsNYC
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@ComplexionsBallet
About Complexions Contemporary Ballet
It is artistic directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson’s lifelong appreciation for the artistic and aesthetic appeal
of the multicultural that forms the cornerstone of Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s singular approach to reinventing
dance. Founded in 1994, Complexions’ groundbreaking mix of methods, styles, cultures has created an entirely new and
exciting vision of human movement over the past 20 years. The company’s foremost innovation is that dance should be
about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or
culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the
movement of our world—and all its constituent cultures—as an interrelated whole. Together, Dwight Rhoden and
Desmond Richardson have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where
those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 20 years since its
inception, the company has born witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally
interconnected than ever before—in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet Programs
PROGRAM A (Nov 18-23)
HEAD SPACE (World Premiere)
IGUAL (New York Premiere by Marcelo Gomes)
TESTAMENT (2010)
I AM YOUR MAN (2010)
THE GROOVE (World Premiere)
PROGRAM B (Nov 25-30)
HEAD SPACE (World Premiere)
HISSY FITS (2006)
INNERVISIONS (2013)
PROGRAM C (All Matinees)
HEAD SPACE (World Premiere)
INNERVISIONS (2013)
PROGRAM D (November 20 Pre-Gala Show)
“Ave Maria” - duet from "GRAPES OF WRATH" (1995) featuring American Ballet Theater Soloist Misty Copeland and
Complexions' Artist-in-Residence Clifford Williams
"Duet" from "TESTAMENT" (2011) featuring former Complexions dancer Bahiyah Hibah and current company member,
Tercell Waters
"Solo" from "WHAT COME THEREAFTER" (2011) dance by Desmond Richardson
Excerpt from "INNERVISIONS" - Rhoden (2013)
"IGUAL" - (New York Premiere by Marcelo Gomes)
"HEAD SPACE" – (World Premiere)
**Programs subject to change**
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