Last year, Complexions Contemporary Ballet previewed what would be part of their new work FOR CRYING OUT LOUD at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The teaser for what was to come came in the form of a duet set to an acoustic, sultry version of U2’s iconic With or Without You.
The performance is special to choreographer and Complexions co-artistic director Dwight Rhoden.
“There’s a love story and a fleeting moment before the two people leave one another, and you just don’t really know how it’s going to end, or where they’re going,” Rhoden said.
Dwight Rhoden – Photo courtesy of the artist.
In celebration of the company’s 30th anniversary, With or Without You is returning to the Segerstrom on September 14, 2024 alongside the remainder of FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. The full-length piece, which premiered in November 2023 at the Joyce in New York, features the music of U2’s Songs of Surrender, an album of acoustic renditions of the band’s popular songs. The piece can be considered a call back to Rise which premiered in 2008. It was the first time Rhoden choreographed to U2 music. As Rhoden returns to their tunes with FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, a reflection of Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s past 30 years surfaces.
“I’m grateful, and I also feel as though this company really deserves to be seen because our message is a message that still needs to be told — needs to be stated — which is all about unity and bringing people together and telling our unique stories collectively,” Rhoden said.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet – Photo by Rachel Neville Photography.
He recognizes the value of the company’s longevity. Rhoden and Desmond Richardson founded the company in 1994 intending to tell authentic stories with a hybridity of movement, from ballet to contemporary to modern. Even as they tour to this day, he is astonished by the audience that comes to see his choreography. He sits in theaters before the curtain goes up and thinks to himself, “Wow, look at this — these people are here to see this work.”
Complexions is known for meshing tones, often combining rock music with choreography on pointe. Rhoden and Richardson developed an official technique of the company called Nique, which focuses on the meshing of classical with contemporary by exploring methods of being off and on-center.
“The whole idea with complexions is to watch all those contrasts under one roof,” Rhoden said. “Whether it’s the music, the movement quality, the movement styles — certainly the cast of performance before you are fully diverse — it seems it sends a very positive message to the world.”
Complexions Contemporary Ballet in Dwight Rhoden’s “Snatched Back From the Edges” – Photo by Karen Tapia/Musco Center
Over the years, the company has dug deeper into the contrast and discovered its voice through it.
“There’s more fusion going on,” he said. “I think that’s where the creativity lies.”
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD is a testament to Rhoden’s interest in challenging the norm. He was influenced to create the work by U2’s music.
“It brings the emotion forward and hopefully, in a way, the audience can receive it,” he said of the piece. “Even with the internal stories within the lyrics of the songs, we try to interpret them in a visually interesting way.”
Although the album is titled Songs of Surrender, Rhoden opted to title the work FOR CRYING OUT LOUD because of Bono’s performance on the project. The rumble of a rock band is no longer there. For Rhoden, it often feels like it is just Bono and a guitar. It’s raw.
“It almost feels as though he’s proclaiming or crying out, and not in a sad way necessarily, but just really passionately stating his case throughout the piece,” Rhoden said.
Complexions Ballet Company – Photo courtesy of Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
The company’s performance of the piece has grown since its premiere last year. While on tour, the company would conclude their shows with FOR CRYING OUT LOUD — as they will at Segerstrom. The upcoming program also includes a Momentary Forevers, Gone, Pocket Symphony, an excerpt of Blood Calls Blood and an excerpt of Bach 25. Rhoden explained that the new work has “marinated” with the dancers.
“I feel like they’re hearing different things in the music that they didn’t initially,” he said. “Having some time with it was valuable.”
This year is also the two-year mark of Rhoden teaching at Chapman University. He loves teaching and is particularly inspired by pre-professional students when “they’re right on the precipice,” he said.
“It’s very exciting to watch the next generation, and for me to have some sort of an influence or contribution to their journey is really gratifying to me as an educator,” he said.
Complexions Ballet Company – Photo courtesy of Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
When he and Richardson began Complexions, there was not a lot of meshing of styles happening in the industry. Typically, dancers would spend most of their careers in a single style and challenge themselves with contemporary projects late in life. Nowadays, Rhoden witnesses young artists in college already harnessing various styles and skills. Today’s students can easily “deepen” and access their own voice in the movement, bringing out the essence of the choreography instead of performing the step — all things that the Complexions co-founders sought to establish in dance.
“Dancers are very expressive people,” he said. “The artists are everything.”
The dancers’ artistry is an important part of the company’s voice. Rhoden typically goes into the studio with an idea or direction. He doesn’t know how it will look until the artist executes it. They bring out the textures and intricacies of the work.
In FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, the dancers bring out the raw emotion of Bono’s vocals and a sensual cry. Similar to the company’s three decades, the work is an explorative journey of community and self-reflection.
“You’re looking at a lot of crying out, proclaiming love, proclaiming unity, and telling those different stories within each song,” Rhoden said.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet appears at The Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Segerstrom Hall on September 14, 2024 at 7:30 pm.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit The Segerstrom Center’s website.
To learn more about Complexions Contemporary Ballet, please visit their website.
Written by Steven Vargas for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Complexions Contemporary Ballet – Photo courtesy of Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
