The Music Center in L.A. hosts Complexions

Spotlighting a dance company that can successfully go beyond a single style, period or culture, The Music Center in Los Angeles will host Complexions Contemporary Ballet in its Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on April 15-17. Complexions will present three performances of mixed repertory, including the West Coast premiere of choreography honoring Maya Angelou in honor of National Poetry Month.

Billed as “America’s Original Multicultural Dance Company,” Complexions is directed by Co-Founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, who were once hailed by The New York Times as “…two of the greatest virtuosos ever to emerge from Ailey land.” Complexions includes a multicultural cast of 14 dancers who are trained in both the classical and the contemporary. In L.A. performances, the company will perform six pieces that showcase their technical precision and passion.

According to Rachel Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center, Complexions exemplifies the type of risk-taking and innovation that compels audiences.

“As artists, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson are dedicated to delivering transformative work that is rooted in diversity and have committed themselves to what they call a ‘world without boundary,’” Moore said.

Complexions’ Music Center repertory will include: Ballet Unto, a neoclassical work en pointe that’s set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach; the male-driven trio Gone, with music by Odetta; an excerpt of Cryin’ to Cry Out, with music by Jimmy Scott; the male duet Choke, with music by Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”/summer section; and Testament, exploring the tension of spiritualism within the context of faith and devotion.

In addition, Imprint/Maya and Innervisions will be featured. Imprint/Maya, with music by David Rozenblatt, is a salute to author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. This piece conveys a struggle through an intense movement dialogue that stems from within. Innervisions, set to the music of Stevie Wonder, celebrates the singer’s distinctive musical sound and impact. 

Tickets for Complexions at The Music Center start at $34 and are available online at musiccenter/complexions. Read more about Complexions’ 21st Season here.

Photo: Complexions Contemporary Ballet dancer. Photo by Jae Man Joo.