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After more than 20 years of nomadic life, the co-founders of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dwight Rhodes and Desmond Richardson put down roots in Atlanta.
Rhoden and Richardson founded their multicultural ballet company in 1994, after serving as principal dancers at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. It was in New York, where Complexions was based for the next two decades. So why move to Atlanta?
The ballet co-founders said it was time to settle down after years on the road. They would like to have their own rehearsal room (in New York, they rented their room) as well as open a dance academy and form a young company. They looked at cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, and Detroit, but in the end, several factors tipped the odds in favor of Atlanta.
One of those deciding factors was Atlanta’s artistic community.
“That kind of embracing spirit – that’s all”, Richardson noted.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet will still maintain its offices and perform regularly in New York, but main operations are now in Atlanta. In fact, Rhoden and Richardson are actively looking for their new home and hope to establish artistic partnerships. They even have welcome suggestions from the community.
Complexions performs at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth on December 30. Slots are still available for their next winter intensives classes starting on Saturday.
