Complexions Contemporary Ballet company performed at the University of Georgia Fine Arts Theater on Thursday and Friday. The dancers also performed twice as part of the Piemont Athens Regional Performances for Young People program, designed for K-12 students.
The show was accompanied by traditional classical music, but also rock music featuring artists Lenny Kravitz, JS Bach and his son CPE Bach.
The company was founded nearly 30 years ago by two Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater alumni. The company has performed on five continents and in more than 20 countries.
According to Mark Mobley, director of marketing and communications at the UGA Performing Arts Center, Complexions Contemporary Ballet is a unique and highly creative group.
“The main innovation of the company is that dance should be about eliminating boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it’s the limiting traditions of a style, period, place or culture, Complexions transcends them all,” Mobley said in a press release.
The company’s co-founder and co-artistic director, Dwight Rhoden, has worked with and developed works for artists such as Prince and David Bowie, among many others.
The company’s assistant manager, Taylor Craft, explained that although she started working for Complexions a month ago, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her career.
Craft has been a dancer for most of her life, so stepping into the role of entrepreneur was not too foreign to her.
“I think being a dancer makes my life better, and it’s about adaptability. Being the business owner with a dance background is helpful as I speak the language of the dancer. It helps me know what they are going through. It allows for openness and communication, which ultimately improves everyone’s experience,” Craft said.
Craft also said that since the company traveled all over the United States and around the world, it was an enriching experience. Miguel Solano, one of the company’s dancers, shares how much he enjoys discovering different cities and cultures since the company travels so frequently.
“I have the opportunity to not only see different cities in the United States and around the world, but also to experience different communities. We have organized educational programs and master classes for some of the schools and organizations that we visit, so we can see the community and the impact our courses are having,” Solano said.
The dance performance featured dancers from different ethnicities and backgrounds. Striving for diversity and having a lasting impact on audiences are things the company prioritizes in its performance, according to Solano.
“This dance company has always broken boundaries. You will see on stage that we are not alike and that we all come from different places and that we have different backgrounds. You’ll also see that we appreciate all kinds of body types,” Solano said.
Prior to the show, attendees such as UGA dance instructor Lisa Fusillo eagerly anticipated what they would see during the show.
“I’m very excited to enjoy, experience and enjoy 21st century dance. I especially look forward to seeing these phenomenal and extraordinary dancers,” Fusillo said.
Sophomore dance student Elizabeth Steele attended the show and explained why she decided to attend.
“I really like watching ballet, and I know it’s a contemporary ballet company, it’s something I’m not really used to watching. I’m excited to see their take on what ballet looks like to them,” Steele said.
Neleh McGivern, an undergraduate primary education major, shared how much she loved seeing a diverse group of people dancing to modern music.
“I think it was so cool. You don’t really associate rock and hip hop music with contemporary and ballet performances. Also, the diversity of the people and the music was really interesting to see. I think it is something that unfortunately isn’t very normal in the dance world,” McGivern said.
