Contemporary Ballet
Choreographed by film and television star TAYE DIGGS
A dance/theater work to the music of Marvin Gaye.
April 11-13, 2008
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet, headed by co-artistic directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, continues Dance at the
The acclaimed COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet (Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, co-Artistic Directors), will bring 2 new works to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion April 11-13 with the Southern California Premiere of Loose Change, a solo for Desmond Richardson choreographed by film and television star Taye Diggs and the West Coast Premiere of Dwight Rhoden's Chapters, a dance/theater work to the music of Marvin Gaye. A preview of a full-evening work scheduled for premiere in 2008-09, Chapters centers around a group of ambitious friends living in
Co-founder and co-artistic director of COMPLEXIONS, Dwight Rhoden has created more than sixty works for COMPLEXIONS since its debut in 1994. Rhoden has also created works for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where he was a principal dancer, the
Loose Change is a solo created for Desmond Richardson by actor Taye Diggs with original music by David Ryan Harris. Described by the New York Times as “a charmer,” the solo dance is an emotional journey that travels from quiet and reflective to longing and energetic.
Diggs began his dance training in his native
The West Coast premiere of Dwight Rhoden’s Chapters is set to the music of Marvin Gaye, and through songs such as “What’s Going On” and “Mercy, Mercy, Me” tells the story of a group of lifelong friends in New York City, and the challenges they encounter.
Conceived by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, two former stars of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet aims to bring together artists of diverse artistic and cultural backgrounds, using their interaction as a springboard for cutting-edge creativity. “We pushed the envelope from the very beginning, giving artists who never would have had a chance to dance together an opportunity to do so,” says co-Artistic Director, Desmond Richardson. “Pointe shoes, flats, high heels – from ‘pointe’ to ‘pop,’ our goal is to explore each dancer’s individuality and to come up with something completely new and extraordinary.”
Rhoden adds, “as a diverse company, we reflect the fabric of
Following their sold-out debut performances at Symphony Space in 1994, COMPLEXIONS went on to tour extensively throughout the United States and abroad, including U.S. performances at The Joyce Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Lincoln Center in New York; the Mahalia Jackson Performance Arts Center in New Orleans; The Paramount Theater in Seattle; the Music Hall in Detroit; and the Los Angeles Music Center, among many others. International tours have included Italy’s Festival of Dance; Isle de Dance Festival in Paris, France; Holland Dance Festival; Steps international Dance Festival in Switzerland; the Dance Festival of Canary Islands, Spain; Festival des Arts de St. Saveur in Canada; and recent tours to Russia, Korea, Greece, and Australia
THE ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Desmond Richardson (Co-Artistic Director) received his early dance training at
Dwight Rhoden (Co-Artistic Director, choreographer) has been choreographing for over 22 years. He has created over 60 ballets for COMPLEXIONS, as well as for numerous other companies, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Ballet/Diamond Project, Dance Theater of Harlem, Philadanco, Washington Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Arizona Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Company, Oakland Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Phoenix Dance Company in England, and many others. He has also choreographed for film, including Patrick Swayze’s feature, Without a Word. Rhoden is a recipient of the 1998 New York Foundation for the Arts Award and the 2001 Choo San Goh Award for Choreography. He has performed with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater before co-founding COMPLEXIONS with Desmond Richardson in 1994.