DWIGHT RHODEN & DESMOND RICHARDSON / COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
Hailed as a “matchless American dance company” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Complexions Contemporary Ballet was founded in 1994 by master choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary dancer Desmond Richardson. Complexions blends methods, styles and cultures that reflects the movement of our world. For the past 26 years Complexions has been presented on 5 continents, over 20 countries, to over 20 million television viewers and in some of the most prestigious theaters and festivals across the globe. “Complexions is breathtaking in its appropriate irreverence and indisputably glorious entertainment value. For what it is rather than what it’s not —It is one of the finest of Contemporary Ballet Companies in America”. -Broadway World
DWIGHT RHODEN (Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director) established a remarkably wide-ranging career, earning distinction from The New York Times as “one of the most sought out choreographers of the day.” In 1994, Rhoden co-founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet with legendary dancer Desmond Richardson. Rhoden has created over 80 ballets for Complexions, as well as pieces for numerous other companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Arizona, The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, BalletMet, The Dance Theater of Harlem, Colorado Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet, Ballet Nice, The Pennsylvania Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet Principals, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Rome Opera Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, The Washington Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, among others. In addition, Rhoden has also directed and choreographed performances for shows across a range of media, including “So You Think You Can Dance,” E! Entertainment’s “Tribute to Style,” Amici Dance Theatre Company, and Cirque Du Soleil’s Zumanity, “The Great Gatsby,” and various feature films. He has collaborated with and created works for a number of celebrated artists, including Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson, ELEW, David Rozenblatt, Nicholas Payton, The Drifters, Paul Simon, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, U2, David Bowie and Stevie Wonder. Rhoden is a recipient of various honors and awards including the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Award, and induction into the NYFA Hall of Fame, The Choo San Goh Award for Choreography and The Ailey School’s Apex Award. Rhoden recently received an honorary doctorate degree from the Boston Conservatory in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.
Dwight Headshot Photo: Jae Man Joo
DESMOND RICHARDSON (Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director) is an iconic American Dance Professional who has mastered a wide range of dance forms and continues to give back as a Master Teacher worldwide. Hailed by The New York Times as one of the greatest dancers of his time, Richardson was the first African American Principal dancer of American Ballet Theater as well as a principal with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Frankfurt Ballet. Richardson has appeared on celebrated stages across the world, namely The Metropolitan Opera, The Kennedy Center, Paris Opera, The Bolshoi Theatre, The Mariinsky Theatre, The State Kremlin Palace, Teatro Massimo, and Teatro alla Scala. He has been a member and invited guest of prestigious companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Frankfurt Ballet, Royal Swedish Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Washington Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, to name a few. Richardson, a Young Arts Finalist and Presidential Scholar, has received numerous awards including the Dance Magazine Award, Capezio Award, Ailey Apex Award, L.A. Ovation Award, Bessie Award, YoungArts Alumni Award, and most recently the Roosevelt “Rosey” Thompson Award presented by the Presidential Scholars Foundation. In the spring of 2019, Richardson received an honorary doctorate degree from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance. Richardson is currently guest artist in residence at USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.
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