We look for dancers who have strong classical training,
but are individuals…they have something different,
that ‘It’ factor. Dancers who are passionate about what they do and have a strong point of view.
Although Choreographer and Complexions Artistic Director Dwight Rhoden
started conceptualizing a tribute ballet long before the rock star’s death, ultimately StarDust is Rhoden’s love letter to Bowie, “StarDust pays homage to the iconic and chameleonic spirit of what can only be described
as...Bowie. I have always been a huge fan, since my adolescent days. I was attracted to the fact that his music crossed genres a lot, from rock and roll, to punk, to soul and it did not have frames, borders, around particular areas. I was attracted to his ability to diversify and blur lines.” Nine Bowie songs form the tribute score to StarDust, including “Lazarus,” “Changes,” “Life on Mars,” “Space Oddity,” “Young Americans” and others. As a choreographer, Rhoden appreciates how Bowie’s persona, as a “glam rockstar,” lends itself to theatre and dance. “Complexions has been making work for the past 25 years—my lane has always been classically based work—with a different sort of twist to it. The movement is more physical than traditional ballet, the dance has this off-center edge to it, a physicality of the movement itself. We are going for a modern feel, one that speaks about the world today and pushes the form a little bit.” The program opens with “Gutter Glitter,” a complex piece set to an electron-
ica song that conjures the dynamic of rising from the bottom and finding that spark of beauty and inspiration in unexpected places. “Bach 25,” an exploration of love and alliances, completes the first half of the program and uses music by Johann Sebastian Bach and various transcriptions as its inspiration to explore the chemistry within relationships that can create harmony and discord. “Bach 25” features Complexions’ Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director Desmond Richardson. Who according to Rhoden, “Desmond has a fan base all his own. We met in Alvin Ailey Company in the late 1980s and we have worked together for years. He was my muse. He is a phenomenal artist; making music and dance and energy come to life on the stage,” Rhoden and Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet in 1994.
Since that time their work has dazzled audiences around the world with fiercely kinetic movement. Their efforts earned them a feature on the television show, So You Think You Can Dance. “Complexions was founded as a reinvention of dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles, and cultures, with the idea that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them: open, continually evolving, reflecting the movement of our world and all its constituent cultures as an interrelated whole,” said Rhoden. “In StarDust we have 15 dancers, eight men, seven women and basically the dancers are on contract. We held one formal audition and also auditioned people who we have developed relationships with over the years: Those who took my
class and some who write in and want to audition. We look for dancers who have strong classical training, but are individuals…they have something different, that ‘It’ factor. Dancers who are passionate about what they do and have a strong point of view. We are not casting for everyone to look the same. It is like crafting a rare stew, blending energies, looks and strengths. It is fun to watch contrasting elements come together.” Rhoden developed a strong point of view early in life, “As a kid I used to al-
ways make up routines, then I entered dance contests with my made-up routines. I didn’t know dance existed as a true art form, or a career, so, I didn’t train all my life like a lot of dancers do. I started formal dance training rather late, at eighteen. I started learning as much as I could, as quick as I could, and I fell in love with it. I understood that I actually made things already, but I needed more sophisticated training, more than just moving to music…I needed form and discipline,” he said. “In terms of becoming a choreographer,” Rhoden continued, “I asked in many situations and took the opportunities. I made work as often as I could. In 1990 I achieved critical success at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.” After that, Rhoden’s choreography career really took off. StarDust is part of the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center
series. “Now entering its 15th year, Dance at The Music Center is a powerful commissioning force, supporting new works and artists-in-residence projects by today’s most influential companies and choreographers. Performances take place throughout The Music Center, including the historic Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the distinctive Ahmanson Theatre and the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall, and in locations around the Los Angeles area,” said President and CEO of L.A.’s The Music Center Rachel Moore. Of his work and StarDust, she offered this, “Rhoden is a visionary. He has crafted a kaleidoscopic journey of music and movement that explores the intricacies of Bowie’s music. Whether you’re an avid fan of David Bowie, of contemporary dance or both, StarDust is an experience not to be missed,” she said. Rhoden feels honored, “It is so nice to be invited back to The Music Center
for a fourth time. We hail from New York and we love coming to Los Angeles. I feel a certain connection to the West Coast, there is this special chemistry and response. It feels wonderful when we know we have made a connection in some way. That the audience is responding, not just in claps and ovations, but emotionally. That’s what makes it all worthwhile and I look forward to it.”
StarDust: Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s dance tribute to David Bowie is at The Music Center fromFriday, April 20 to Sunday, April 22. For tickets and more information, call 213.972.0711 or go
tomusiccenter.org/complexions.
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