Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Founded by artistic directors Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden in 1994, Complexions’ groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures has created an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement. From E! to PBS to VH1, from Cirque de Soleil to the Joffrey Ballet, the two have allowed the transformative power of their art to flow freely throughout the entertainment world—their creative vision restricted by nothing but the limits of the human body itself. 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 as an interrelated whole. Rhoden and 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 15 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.

Dwight Rhoden, artistic director/resident choreographer

Dwight Rhoden, Complexions’ Founding Artistic Director/Resident Choreographer, is also North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Resident Choreographer. Praised for his visionary style and boundary-breaking sensibility, Rhoden’s choreography has been the lynchpin in the development of the Complexions repertory. Rhoden has created over 80 ballets for companies including Complexions, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and The Joffrey Ballet. He has directed and choreographed for TV, film, and theater such as So You Think You Can Dance and Cirque Du Soleil. Rhoden is a beneficiary of the 2001 Choo San Goh Award for Choreography. He has lectured, taught, and created works for NYU and Julliard.

Desmond Richardson, artistic director/artist-in-residence

Desmond Richardson is Complexions’ Founding Artistic Director and Artist-in-Residence. Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the great modern dancers of his time,” Richardson’s performance style has shaped the essence of the Complexions style for over a decade. Working in television, film and video, Richardson has performed with Michael Jackson, Prince, Aretha Franklin and Madonna. Among his many honors are The Ailey School’s 2006 Apex Award and the prestig¬ious 2007 Dance Magazine Award. In 2008, he was one of two dancers invited by the President of the United States to perform at the 60th Presidential Conference in Israel.