Inspirational Video of the Week : Complexions - Plus a Review
This past Saturday evening I attended a performance of Complexions Contemporary Ballet at the Tsai Performance Center in Boston. Complexions did not disappoint, offering up a varied program of intense contemporary dance.
This is their promotional video:
This first act was a Boston premiere of Dwight Rhoden's (the co-artistic director) Hissy Fits. The choreography demonstrated one technical challenge after another. Special mention should go to Bryan Arias his reappearing solo, each more challenging than the one before it. His pirouettes in particular were speedy and flawless.
The program notes describe Hissy Fits as a "suite of high voltage dances for 11 performers that captures the uncontrollable emotional impulses that frame our relationships as people." Despite the fantastic technical profiency I saw very few people relating to eachother on stage. There seemed to be, at first five set couples, and Arias' solo, and then people began to leave and switch off and return to their original partners. I found the intention of the piece to be muddy.
Act II opened with Barely Silent a quiet and understated work. The piece opened with Rubinald Rofino Pronk demonstrating a series of delicious developpes. Pronk and Clifford Williams, also in this piece, were the stars of the evening for me. Their similar physicality made them well suited to dance together in many pieces over the course of the evening - their hyperextended lines, and they are LONG lines, were breathtaking.
Barely Silent employed the use of text over the music which gave an eery feeling to the dance. The grey costumes and minimal lighting contributed to the atmosphere for this piece for two couples.
This Heart with choreography by Matthew Prescott was a favorite of the evening. The connection between Yusha-Marie Sorzano and Juan Rodriguez lit up the stage even in this quiet yet passionate duet.
The Cyclical Hour, excerpt only, was a fast paced contemporary tango. This was one of those dances where if you blink, you'd miss something. It was such a short and exciting glimpse, I wished that they had performed more of the piece.
Showman's Groove was a bit out of place in this contemporary heavy program. This piece was choreographed with a classical jazz/broadway flair. Christina Dooling truly understood the showy quality and stage presence needed to pull of this number and unfortunately her partner, Arias, did not. He did not have the same connection to the audience the Dooling had from the moment she stepped onstage.
The last number of the act, Wonder-full, was a highlight of the evening. Desmond Richardson was exquisite in this intimate solo. The fluidity of his torso and arms are just as mesmerizing as any developpe or leap. What I enjoyed most about this opportunity to see him perform was how "real" he was onstage. There was a light in his eyes not just in this number, but in the rest of the show as well, that showed a loving connection to the movements that he was executing. A tremendous performer - I feel honored to have watched him.
The third act brought Chapters, a work in progress to the music of Marvin Gaye. It was excerpts of a dance theater work to be premiered in 2008-2009. The choreography was fun, hip, and made you want to get up and dance yourself! Unfortunately this was slightly tainted for me, as this style of "dance theater" is territory that has already been covered by Twyla Tharp with her Movin' Out and The Time's They are a Changin', but perhaps the work in it's entirety will take away my skepticism.
I'll leave you with a video of Richardson performing in a clip of Episodes by Ulysses S. Dove. Pay special attention to that torso and his arms. So fluid and lovely!
This is their promotional video:
This first act was a Boston premiere of Dwight Rhoden's (the co-artistic director) Hissy Fits. The choreography demonstrated one technical challenge after another. Special mention should go to Bryan Arias his reappearing solo, each more challenging than the one before it. His pirouettes in particular were speedy and flawless.
The program notes describe Hissy Fits as a "suite of high voltage dances for 11 performers that captures the uncontrollable emotional impulses that frame our relationships as people." Despite the fantastic technical profiency I saw very few people relating to eachother on stage. There seemed to be, at first five set couples, and Arias' solo, and then people began to leave and switch off and return to their original partners. I found the intention of the piece to be muddy.
Act II opened with Barely Silent a quiet and understated work. The piece opened with Rubinald Rofino Pronk demonstrating a series of delicious developpes. Pronk and Clifford Williams, also in this piece, were the stars of the evening for me. Their similar physicality made them well suited to dance together in many pieces over the course of the evening - their hyperextended lines, and they are LONG lines, were breathtaking.
Barely Silent employed the use of text over the music which gave an eery feeling to the dance. The grey costumes and minimal lighting contributed to the atmosphere for this piece for two couples.
This Heart with choreography by Matthew Prescott was a favorite of the evening. The connection between Yusha-Marie Sorzano and Juan Rodriguez lit up the stage even in this quiet yet passionate duet.
The Cyclical Hour, excerpt only, was a fast paced contemporary tango. This was one of those dances where if you blink, you'd miss something. It was such a short and exciting glimpse, I wished that they had performed more of the piece.
Showman's Groove was a bit out of place in this contemporary heavy program. This piece was choreographed with a classical jazz/broadway flair. Christina Dooling truly understood the showy quality and stage presence needed to pull of this number and unfortunately her partner, Arias, did not. He did not have the same connection to the audience the Dooling had from the moment she stepped onstage.
The last number of the act, Wonder-full, was a highlight of the evening. Desmond Richardson was exquisite in this intimate solo. The fluidity of his torso and arms are just as mesmerizing as any developpe or leap. What I enjoyed most about this opportunity to see him perform was how "real" he was onstage. There was a light in his eyes not just in this number, but in the rest of the show as well, that showed a loving connection to the movements that he was executing. A tremendous performer - I feel honored to have watched him.
The third act brought Chapters, a work in progress to the music of Marvin Gaye. It was excerpts of a dance theater work to be premiered in 2008-2009. The choreography was fun, hip, and made you want to get up and dance yourself! Unfortunately this was slightly tainted for me, as this style of "dance theater" is territory that has already been covered by Twyla Tharp with her Movin' Out and The Time's They are a Changin', but perhaps the work in it's entirety will take away my skepticism.
I'll leave you with a video of Richardson performing in a clip of Episodes by Ulysses S. Dove. Pay special attention to that torso and his arms. So fluid and lovely!
Posted by S.E. Cost at
11:10 PM
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