FOUNDING ARTISTIC AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
Dwight Rhoden
Desmond Richardson
INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Muadi B. Dibinga
PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER
Dwight Rhoden
ARTISTIC ADVISORS
Carmen de Lavallade & Sarita Allen
REHEARSAL DIRECTORS
Jae Man Joo, Meg Paul, Clifford Williams
COMPANY REPETITEUR
Clifford Williams
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR & RESIDENT LIGHTING DESIGNER
Michael Korsch
RESIDENT COSTUME DESIGNER
Christine Darch
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Luke Woods
LIGHTING SUPERVISOR
Joseph Walls
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
Christina Dooling, Gary W. Jeter II, Christina Johnson, Jae Man Joo,
Natiya Kezevadze, Terk Lewis, Clifford Williams
THE COMPANY
Jacopo Calvo, Jillian Davis, Vincenzo Di Primo, Thomas Dilley, Larissa Gerszke,
Brandon Gray, Tatiana Melendez, Simon Plant, Zion Pradier, Jarrett Reimers,
Miguel Solano, Tim Stickney, Eriko Sugimura, Candy Tong, April Watson
Apprentices: Emma Branson, Christian Burse, Aidan Wolf
BACH 25
World Premiere April 2018 - Arcata, CA
Choreography by: Dwight Rhoden
Music by: Johann Sebastian Bach & Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Lighting Design by: Michael Korsch
Costumes Design by: Christine Darch
Performed by: The Company
Program Note: Reverence, Celebration, Moxie.
-INTERMISSION-
STAR DUST
World Premiere May 2016/ Detroit, MI
A Ballet Tribute to David Bowie
Choreography by: Dwight Rhoden
Music by: David Bowie
Lighting Design by: Michael Korsch
Costumes Design by: Christine Darch
Performed by: The Company
I. LAZARUS (Blackstar album 2016)
Brandon Gray & The Company
II. CHANGES (Hunky Dory album 1971)
Jarrett Reimers & The Company
III. LIFE ON MARS (Hunky Dory album 1971)
Thomas Dilley & The Company
IV. SPACE ODDITY (Space Oddity album 1969)
Jillian Davis & The Company
V. 1984 (Diamond Dogs album 1974)
Tim Stickney & The Company
VI. HEROES (Heroes album 1977)
Sung by Peter Gabriel
Jillian Davis, Brandon Gray, Jarrett Reimers, Tatiana Melendez, Miguel Solano
VII. MODERN LOVE (Let's Dance album 1983)
Miguel Solano & The Company
VIII. ROCK AND ROLL SUICIDE (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars album 1972)
Simon Plant & The Company
IX. YOUNG AMERICANS (Young Americans album 1975)
The Company
Program Note: STAR DUST is the first installment of a full evening-length Ballet tribute to the genre-bending innovation of one of the prolific Rock Stars of our time - DAVID BOWIE. This ballet takes an array of his hits and lays a visual imprint, inspired by his unique personas and his restless invention artistically - to create a Rock Opera style production in his honor. With Bowie's 40+ year career and 25 Albums that stretch across musical borders - STARDUST pays homage to the iconic and Chameleonic spirit of what can only be described as... BOWIE.
* STAR DUST was generously commissioned by Detroit's Music Hall.
Special Thanks to Vince Paul
Music Credits
"Warszawa" – Written by David Bowie & Brian Eno, Published by Tintoretto Music (BMI), Administered by RZO Music, Inc., EMI Music Publishing Ltd. | "Lazarus" – Written by David Bowie, Publishers: Nipple Music (BMI), Administered by RZO Music, Inc. | "Changes" – Written by David Bowie, Published by Tintoretto Music (BMI), Administered by RZO Music, Inc, EMI Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Blue (BMI) obo Chrysalis Music Ltd. | "Life on Mars?" – Written by David Bowie, Published by Tintoretto Music (BMI), Administered by RZO Music, Inc, EMI Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Blue (BMI) obo Chrysalis Music Ltd. | "1984" – Written by David Bowie, Published by Jones Music America (ASCAP), Administered by ARZO Publishing, Bewlay Brothers Music, EMI Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Blue (BMI) obo Chrysalis Music Ltd. | "Heroes" – Written by David Bowie & Brian Eno, Published by Tintoretto Music (BMI), Administered by RZO Music, Inc, EMI Music Publishing Ltd. | "Modern Love" – Written by David Bowie, Published by Jones Music America (ASCAP), Administered by ARZO Publishing | "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" – Written by David Bowie, Published by Tintoretto Music (BMI), Administered by RZO Music, Inc., EMI Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Blue (BMI) obo Chrysalis Music Ltd. | "The Young Americans" – Written by David Bowie, Published by Jones Music America (ASCAP), Administered by ARZO Publishing, Bewlay Brothers Music, EMI Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Blue (BMI) obo Chrysalis Music Ltd.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Hailed as a "matchless American dance company" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Complexions Contemporary Ballet transcends dance tradition through a groundbreaking approach to the art. Founded in 1994 by master choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson, Complexions' foremost innovation is to remove boundaries, not reinforce them. The company blends methods, styles, and cultures from across the globe, and the result is a continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world — and all its cultures — as an interrelated whole.
Complexions' artistic directors and company members teach master classes around the world to dancers of all levels, bringing the company's inventive vision of human movement to five continents, over 20 countries, and over 20 million television viewers. The company has also performed at major dance festivals throughout Europe. These include Italy's Festival of Dance; France's Isle De Dance Festival and Maison De La Dance Festival; the Holland Dance Festival; Switzerland's Steps International Dance Festival; Poland's kódź Biennale, Warsaw Ballet Festival, and Kraków Spring Ballet Festival; and Spain's Dance Festival of Canary Islands. Complexions has toured extensively throughout the Baltic Regions, Korea, Brazil, Japan, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Israel, Russia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Serbia, Jamaica, and Australia.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet has received The New York Times Critics' Choice Award, among numerous other awards. It has appeared in theaters across the U.S., including the Joyce Theater, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New Victory Theater (New York City), the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts (New Orleans), Paramount Theatre (Seattle), The Music Center (Los Angeles), Winspear Opera House (Dallas), Cutler Majestic Theatre (Boston), the Music Hall (Detroit), and the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.) as part of the 2017 Ballet Across America. Prominent theaters abroad that have hosted Complexions include the Bolshoi Theatre, the Kremlin Theatre (Moscow), The Mikhailovsky Theater (St. Petersburg), and the Melbourne Arts Center.
In the 27 years since its inception, the company has born witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever before. Today, Complexions Contemporary Ballet represents one of the most recognized and respected performing arts brands in the world. It is poised to continue its mission of bringing unity to the world, one dance at a time.
COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET STAFF
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Everick Brown, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Carl Nelson, Sarah Picot, Felicia Swoope
NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
Debbie Allen, Angela Bassett, Elizabeth Roxas Dobrish, Susan Jaffe, Carmen de Lavallade, Lisa Niemi Swayze, Courtney B. Vance, Pauletta Washington
STAFF
Interim Executive Director: Muadi B. Dibinga
Company Manager: Alanna Swovelin
Complexions Academy Director: Meg Paul
Complexions Academy Manager: Monica Montaño
Development Associate: Danni Gee
Press: GOGO Public Relations and Marketing
Photographers: Steven Trumon Gray, Jae Man Joo, Rachel Neville, Steve Vaccariello Company
Accompanists: Adrià Barbosa, Ai Isshiki, Ray Leslee, Sorin Frisan
Videographer: Jacob Hiss
REPRESENTATION
MARGARET SELBY
SELBY/ARTISTS MGMT
262 West 38th Street, Suite 1701
New York, NY 10018
Office: 212-382-3260 | mselby@selbyartistsmgmt.com
COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2875
www.complexionsdance.org
WHO'S WHO IN THE COMPANY
DWIGHT RHODEN (Co-Founder, Co-Artistic Director, Principal Choreographer) has established a remarkably wide-ranging career, earning distinction from The New York Times as "one of the most sought out choreographers of the day." A native of Dayton, Ohio, Rhoden began dancing at age seventeen. Rhoden has performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal, and as a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 1994, Rhoden and Desmond Richardson founded COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet. They have brought their unique brand of contemporary dance to the world for over two decades.
Under Rhoden's direction, COMPLEXIONS has become a dance institution high in demand, as a center for innovation and cutting-edge programming. Rhoden's choreography has been the lynchpin of the development of COMPLEXIONS repertory. "Musicality, innovation, purpose, consistency, a brilliant use of stage space and the ability to tell a story—all these qualities make [Rhoden] one of today's elect choreographers." (Los Angeles Times) Since 1994, Rhoden has created over 80 ballets for COMPLEXIONS, as well as for numerous other companies, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Arizona Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, BalletMet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Colorado Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Joffrey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theater, Pennsylvania Ballet, PHILADANCO!, Mariinsky Ballet, Minneapolis Dance Theater, Phoenix Dance Company, Sacramento Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, The Washington Ballet, and Zenon Dance Company, The San Francisco Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, among others.
Rhoden has also directed and choreographed performances for shows across a range of media, including So You Think You Can Dance, E! Entertainment's Tribute to Style, Amici, and Cirque Du Soleil's Zumanity, and he appeared in the feature film, One Last Dance. He has collaborated with or created work for a number of celebrated artists, including Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson, ELEW, David Rozenblatt, Nicholas Payton, The Drifters, Paul Simon, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, U2, The Turtle Creek Chorus, and Patrick Swayze. Rhoden is a recipient of various honors and awards, including The New York Foundation for the Arts Award, The Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, and The Ailey School's Apex Award. Rhoden received an honorary doctorate degree from the Boston Conservatory in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.
DESMOND RICHARDSON (Co-Founder, Co-Artistic Director) was the first African-American principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre and is hailed by The New York Times as one of the greatest dancers of his time. Nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the original Broadway cast of Fosse and deemed a standout in the Tony Award-winning production After Midnight, Richardson is highly esteemed by the concert dance and Broadway community.
Richardson has appeared on celebrated stages across the world, namely The Metropolitan Opera, The Kennedy Center, Paris Opera, The Bolshoi Theatre, The Mariinsky Theatre, The State Kremlin Palace, Teatro Massimo, and Teatro alla Scala. He has been a member and invited guest of prestigious companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Frankfurt Ballet, Royal Swedish Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Washington Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, to name a few. Richardson, a Young Arts Finalist and Presidential Scholar, has received numerous awards, including the Dance Magazine Award, Capezio Award, Ailey Apex Award, L.A. Ovation Award, "Bessie" Award, YoungArts Alumni Award, and most recently the Roosevelt "Rosey" Thompson Award presented by the Presidential Scholars Foundation. In the spring of 2019, Richardson received an honorary doctorate degree from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.
Richardson has been a celebrity guest performer and choreographer for productions across media such as the American Music Awards, the Academy Awards, City Center's Encores! Series, Italy's Amici, and international franchises of So You Think You Can Dance. Richardson has been featured by famed artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Elton John, and Aretha Franklin, and he appears in celebrated films such as the Oscar-Award winning Chicago, Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, and the recent independent film, Fall to Rise. He has worked with fashion icon Tom Ford, Chic's Nile Rodgers, and recently contributed to Grammy-Award winning Jill Scott's video Back Together, which features dancers from COMPLEXIONS. Richardson has also been a featured performer in various operas such as Julie Taymor's Grendel as Beowulf and as the Pharaoh in Teatro La Scala's Moïse et Pharaone opposite Roberto Bolle conducted by famed Maestro Riccardo Muti. Internationally and domestically, he is a master teacher for dance programs such as the New York's All Stars Project, YoungArts Miami, United Way, NYCDA, and multiple dance conventions. He served as co-creative director and choreographer with David Monn for the Park Avenue Armory Gala Masquerade. Richardson is currently a guest artist-in-residence at USC's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Richardson can be seen in the current feature film High Strung Free Dance as the character Sammy.
CHRISTINE DARCH (Resident Costume Designer) has designed for COMPLEXIONS since 2006. She designs and builds costumes and sets for choreographers Julia Adam, Val Caniparoli, Alison Cook Beatty, Robert Dekkers, Jorma Elo, Nicolo Fonte, Adam Hougland, Jae Man Joo, James Kudelka, Gabrielle Lamb, Edwaard Liang, Matthew Neenan, Amy Seiwert, Merián Soto, Septime Webre, and Yin Yue. Ms. Darch has been commissioned by Alvin Ailey, Astana Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Ballet Hawaii, Ballet Memphis, Charlotte Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Houston Ballet, Imagery, Israel Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Madco, Marin Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Le Ballet Nice Méditerranée, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Post:ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Washington Ballet, and BalletX. She lives in East Northport, NY with acclaimed classical American ballet composer Matthew Pierce.
MICHAEL KORSCH (Lighting Designer) is a lighting, projection, and scenic designer based in Philadelphia, PA, where he earned his B.A. in theater from Temple University. He has worked with numerous directors and choreographers, creating hundreds of visual designs for dance, theater, and other live performances throughout North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Michael has been the resident lighting designer for COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet since 1998, Ballet Arizona since 2001, and the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center since its inception at the University of Southern California. He has also been the lighting/technical director for the Laguna Dance Festival since it began in 2005. In addition, Michael has created designs for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Backhausedance, BalletMet, Ballet Nice Méditerranée, Ballet West, BalletX, Carolina Ballet, Cleveland Play House, DanceBrazil, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Disney Creative Entertainment, English National Ballet, FELA! The Concert, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, MOMIX, Oakland Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, StaatsballettBerlin, and Washington Ballet, among others.
CLIFFORD WILLIAMS (Rehearsal Director, Ballet Master, Company Repetiteur) began his dance training at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. He attended The Ailey School and The School of American Ballet, both on scholarship. He was a first-level recipient of a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts award in 1998. In 1998, he attended The Juilliard School, where he danced works by many choreographers, including Lar Lubovitch, Igal Perry Hans Van Manen, José Limón, and Mauricio Wainrot. In 2001, he was invited to join Dance Theatre of Harlem, where he danced until 2003. In 2004, Mr. Williams joined COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet (New York, NY). He has danced works by Dwight Rhoden, William Forsythe, Nicolo Fonte, and Jae Man Joo. Since 2004, Mr. Williams has assisted Director/Choreographer Dwight Rhoden on numerous projects, including ballets for North Carolina Dance Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, The Diana Vishneva Project, Ballet San Jose, Israel Ballet, Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma, as well as for the television show So You Think You Can Dance. He has also set Dwight Rhoden's works on The Ailey School/ Fordham University, Boston Conservatory, Harvard University, Marymount University, and NYU Tisch School for the Arts. In addition to setting works for Dwight Rhoden, Williams is certified in teaching NIQUE, the official Contemporary Ballet technique of COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet; and continues to be a part of educational outreach for Complexions. In 2008, Mr. Williams left COMPLEXIONS to dance as a Principal Dancer with Compañia Nacional De Danza under the Direction of Nacho Duato. During that time, he danced many principal parts and was featured in creations by Mr. Duato. Mr. Williams rejoined COMPLEXIONS in 2009, where he danced as principal until 2012 before being appointed to artist in residence. In 2014, Williams was featured in Debbie Allen's The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker as the title character, which aired on BET Network. He is also part of the cast of the 2016 Golden Globe-nominated Starz Network mini-series Flesh and Bone. Most recently, Mr. Williams performed as the featured principal character "Meyer Wolfsheim" alongside soloists from the Mariinsky Ballet in an international production of The Great Gatsby, choreographed and directed by Dwight Rhoden.
MEG PAUL (Rehearsal Director, Director Complexions Academy) brings a wealth of significant professional experience in ballet and Broadway performance and teaching artistry. She has worked closely with important dance pioneers and choreographers in the field: from the repertoire and artistic direction of Gerald Arpino and Robert Joffrey to works by Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Dwight Rhoden, and Alonzo King. Her thirty-year career encompasses a wide range of national and international experience in performance, choreography, directing, teaching, program development, community engagement, and arts management. Ms. Paul was a ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet, and Ron De Jesus Dance. She was dance captain, lead understudy, and full swing for Twyla Tharp's Tony award-winning Broadway musical Movin' Out during the Broadway run. Her awards include The Princess Grace Award, winner of The International Dance Competition of the Americas, and the Copperfoot Award. Ms. Paul has curated and directed several dance concerts and benefits, including National City Stars of Ballet and Broadway and Detroit Music Hall's annual 313 Choreography Expo. She was honored as a Detroit Renaissance Hero by the Detroit Free Press for her work on National City Stars of Ballet and Broadway.
JAE MAN JOO (Rehearsal Director) was born and raised In Kwang-Ju, Korea, where he trained in classical ballet, modern, and traditional Korean Dances. He is a graduate of Dankook University in Seoul, Korea, and a 1996 recipient of the Bagnolet International Dance Festival's Best Individual Artist Award. Jae was a Principal Dancer for Ballet Hispanico for many years before joining Complexions Contemporary Ballet. In 2009 he received The Princess Grace Award for Excellence In Choreography. He has worked with Shen Wei, Zvi Gotheiner, Igal Perry, Jessica Lang. For the past 20 years, He Worked with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in various capacities, including Associate Artistic Director, Ballet Master, Artist in Residence, and Resident Choreographer. He created many ballets for the company, including Tears' (Rachmaninoff), "Surface" (Debussy), "Atmosphere" (Bach)," Flight" (Bach)," Recur" (Richter, Silverstrov), and "Goodnight" (Arvo Pärt). His outside commissions include works created for Marymount Manhattan College Dance, Alvin Ailey/ Fordham BFA, Ailey II, Jacob's Pillow, Point Park Univ Dance in Pittsburgh, and Wise Ballet Theater in Korea.
DANCER BIOS
JACOPO CALVO (Dancer) was born in Asti, Italy. He began his dance training at the age of eleven at his hometown school, Ritmo Danza. At eighteen, he moved to NYC, where he attended The Ailey School on scholarship. He has worked with choreographers such as Marcus Jarrell Willis, Brice Mousset, Ray Mercer, Earl Mosley, Francesca Harper, and artist Nick Cave in The Let Go at the Park Avenue Armory. He has attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theater and COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet and RESET 2021 with Studio Wayne McGregor. Jacopo has performed with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for their 60th Anniversary Season in Memoria at New York City Center and for the Ailey Spirit Gala. This is Jacopo's first season with COMPLEXIONS.
VINCENZO DI PRIMO (Dancer) grew up in Adrano, Sicily, Italy, and graduated from the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy. Vincenzo performed with some of the world's most reputable dance companies, including The Royal Ballet of London, and he received several awards, including Outstanding Artistry Prize and Contemporary Prize from the Prix de Lausanne, Grand Prix de Paris, Youth America Grand Prix New York, and the Beijing International Ballet Competition. In 2019, he was a contestant and finalist on the Italian T.V. show Amici. In 2021, Vincenzo was included in Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch." This is Vincenzo's second season with COMPLEXIONS.
JILLIAN DAVIS (Dancer) from Kutztown, PA, began her ballet training at the age of three. She studied with Risa Kaplowitz and Susan Jaffe at Princeton Dance and Theater Studio in Princeton, NJ. Jillian attended San Francisco Ballet, School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and LINES Ballet programs. Jillian has been a company member with COMPLEXIONS since 2014. She has been part of Dwight Rhoden world premieres, including Headspace, Strum, Gutter Glitter, Star Dust, Bach 25, Woke, Love Rocks, and a world-premiere solo, Elegy. She has also performed installation works by Desmond Richardson and an excerpt of Approximate Sonata by William Forsythe. Along with being a dancer with COMPLEXIONS, Jillian is part of the core faculty for Complexions Dance Academy. This is Jillian's seventh season with COMPLEXIONS. I.G.: @Jillange93
THOMAS DILLEY (Dancer) began training at age twelve at Premiere Studios in Sydney, Australia. He was a Top 7 Junior Men's Finalist at Youth America Grand Prix and a prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne, receiving admission to Summer Intensives with Academie Princess Grace, American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, The Royal Ballet School, and The Australian Ballet School. Thomas danced for Queensland Ballet's Professional Year Program, where he performed works including Strictly Gershwin, Flames of Paris, Scotch on the Rocks, and Muscle Memory. In 2017, he joined the Atlanta Ballet 2, where he performed works such as Beauty and the Beast and Eclipse. Thomas joined CCB to perform the world premiere of Woke. This is Thomas' third season with COMPLEXIONS.
BRANDON GRAY (Dancer) was born in Maryland and began dancing at age thirteen. He graduated from Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. and attended Towson University. He studied at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on scholarship. Brandon is a brand ambassador and has modeled for GAP, MCM Worldwide, Patrick Church, and Buoy Collective. Brandon has been a part of podcasts on topics of racial and gender equality, acting as a voice and example for others to continue his goal of representation for all young men to be exactly who they want to be, no matter what. This is Brandon's fifth season with COMPLEXIONS.
LARISSA GERSZKE (Dancer) hails from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She joined COMPLEXIONS in 2015. Intensive training: Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Quinte Ballet School of Canada, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Education: Fordham University & Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (BFA in Dance). T.V./Commercial: Shiseido Cosmetics, The 43rd Kennedy Center Honors (CBS). Publications: The New York Times, Pointe Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, Jerusalem Post. She sends many thanks to her family, her Clear Talent Group NYC agents, and her Gaynor Minden sponsors #GMArtist. This is Larissa's sixth season with COMPLEXIONS.
I.G.: @larissagerszke
TERRANCE MATTHEWS (Apprentice) was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he fell in love with movement at New Mexico School for the Arts. There, he studied classical ballet and modern dance forms. In 2018, he moved to New York City to study at The Juilliard School to expand his artistic vision and love for dance. Since then, he has had the opportunity to work in creative processes with established choreographers such as Jamar Roberts, Bobbi Jene Smith, and Shannon Gillen. He has also had the pleasure of taking part in a week-long residency with Ohad Naharin while in his second year at Juilliard, as well as workshops with outstanding artists such as Samuel Minguillon, Riley Watts, and Lloyd Knight. As of late, he is continuing his research of movement and how it relates to the human experience. This is Terrance's first performance with COMPLEXIONS.
TATIANA MELENDEZ (Dancer) grew up in Tampa, FL. She studied at All American Dance Factory & Classical Ballet under Julio Montano and Terri Howell. At fifteen, she joined Houston Ballet Academy's Professional Division on scholarship. Tatiana performed with Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch's Cinderella and The Nutcracker, and with Texas Ballet Theater as Clara in Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker and Matinü Pieces. She was a part of the world premiere of Dwight Rhoden's WOKE and Love Rocks. Tatiana has guested around the world, including dancing the Snow and Sugar Plum pas for Roma City Ballet Company. Tatiana graced the cover of Pointe Magazine's 2020 Fall edition and danced for the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors. This is Tatiana's third season with COMPLEXIONS.
SIMON PLANT (Dancer) was born in Sydney, Australia and has been dancing since he was seven. He trained at The Australian Ballet School on scholarship courtesy of The Pratt Foundation. In 2013, he received his graduate diploma in Classical Ballet and the Murphy Award for Excellence in Contemporary Dance. He joined the Australian Ballet in 2014, where he spent two years performing works by Wayne McGregor, Kenneth MacMillian, Simon Dow, Peter Wright, Stanton Welch, and Jiří Kylián, and then went on to work for Sydney Dance Company in 2016. Simon is also a writer and has had several short stories published in various anthologies and magazines. This is Simon's fifth season with COMPLEXIONS. I.G.: @mrplantofficial
ZION PRADIER (Dancer) began his dance training at the age of sixteen in Lafayette High School Performing Arts Academy. Zion graduated from The Ailey School in the Certificate Program in New York City in 2016 and immediately started working with Dallas Black Dance Theatre in Dallas, Texas where he spent five seasons. While training at The Ailey School, he spent his summers at Dance Theatre of Harlem and The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. While in Dallas, Zion has performed works by choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Elisa Monte, Darrell Moultrie, and Milton Myers. This is Zion's first season with COMPLEXIONS. I.G.: @the_zion_king
JARRETT REIMERS (Dancer) began dancing at the age of five at The Donna Lee Studio of Dance in Homestead, FL; later supplementing his training with the Armour Dance Theatre. In 2012, he joined The Sacramento Ballet, where he danced roles in Trey McIntyre's Wild Sweet Love, Balanchine's Western Symphony, and Ron Cunningham's The Great Gatsby. After joining BalletMet in 2014, Jarrett had the pleasure of performing works such as Gustavo Sansano's Carmen. maquia, Christopher Wheeldon's Fool's Paradise, Justin Peck's In Creases, Ulysses Dove's Red Angels, and William Forsythe's Slingerland. This is Jarrett's second season with COMPLEXIONS.
MIGUEL SOLANO (Dancer) is from Medellin, Colombia. He started dancing at age seventeen at the District University of Bogotá and continued his training at BalletStudio Bogotá under the direction of Patricia Niño. In 2013, he moved to NYC to complete his studies at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet on full scholarship, performing with Kirkland's studio company. He has participated in summer programs, including Hubbard Street Dance, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Batsheva Dance Company in Israel. Miguel has worked with Awaken Dance Theater, Thomas/Ortiz Dance, RudduR Dance, and Connecticut Ballet. He has worked with choreographers Earl Mosley, Christopher Rudd, Darrell Moultrie, Larry Keigwin, Nadege Hottier, Larissa Calero, Eve Chan, and Ted Thomas. This is Miguel's third season with COMPLEXIONS. I.G.: @miguellsolano
TIM STICKNEY (Dancer) began his dance training at age three and furthered his training at The Gold School in Massachusetts. He continued his education at the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, earning his degree in 2014. Tim spent summers at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and The Equus Project in Sweden. In 2012, he became a member of the Francesca Harper Project. Tim participated in visual artist Nick Cave's HEARD NY installation at Grand Central Station and The Let Go at the Park Avenue Armory. Tim has performed the works of choreographers Alvin Ailey, Dwight Rhoden, Ronald K. Brown, Bob Fosse, and Alejandro Cerrudo. This is Tim's seventh season with COMPLEXIONS. I.G. @tjstickit
ERIKO SUGIMURA (Dancer) was born in Japan and moved to Hong Kong at the age of four. She began her dance training at a local studio under the direction of Akiko Takahashi (RCBA) and learned Contemporary/Modern styles by Tomoko Imanaka. She trained in Japan, Hong Kong, Russia (Vaganova Ballet Academy), and officially entered the State Ballet School of Berlin in Germany at the age of fifteen. At the age of nineteen, she moved to New York City with a scholarship to train at the Peridance Capezio Center. Eriko joined Peridance Contemporary Dance Company in 2016 under the direction of Igal Perry. She has worked and performed works by Igal Perry, Jae Man Joo, Vivake Khamsingsavath, Jana Hicks, Marijke Eliasberg, Ballet Inc, and has appeared in a music video for Grammy Award Winner Nile Rodgers. This is Eriko's fourth season with COMPLEXIONS. I.G.: @ErikoSugimura
CANDY TONG (Dancer) was born in San Francisco, California. She trained at San Francisco Ballet School under full scholarship and is a BFA graduate in Dance Performance from the University of California, Irvine, completing the program in just 2.5 years. Candy received a diploma in Dance from the English National Ballet School, where she performed and toured with the company. Alongside her dance career, Candy is a signed model with Stetts Model Management and has been in several global campaigns such as Reebok. Her work has been showcased at the Galleries Lafayette in Paris, the Huffington Post, and on Nikon Europe's ad campaigns. As an entrepreneur, Candy is a fashion designer specifically for dancewear. This is Candy's third season with COMPLEXIONS.
APRIL WATSON (Dancer) began her dance training at age eight at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Preparatory Program. In 2016, April graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts High School Program. She spent her summers with the School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Charlotte Ballet, Indiana Ballet Conservatory, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Joffrey of Chicago, all on scholarship. After graduating from UNCSA, she spent two years in Los Angeles, CA studying under the direction of Debbie Allen as an Artist in Residence on scholarship. April joined the COMPLEXIONS in 2019 as an apprentice. This is her first season with COMPLEXIONS as a full company member. I.G.: @wca__
EMMA BRANSON (Apprentice) began dancing at Tri Cities Academy of Ballet in Richland, Washington, under Debra Pearse Rogo. In 2014, she joined Mid-Columbia Ballet, a pre-professional performing dance company. Emma attended the Regional Dance America/Pacific festival for five years, and during her summers attended intensives such as Jacob's Pillow, COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, American Ballet Theater, and The Juilliard School. Since 2018, Emma has studied with Boston Conservatory at Berklee, earning her B.F.A. Degree in Contemporary Dance Performance as the Wendy McCain Dance Scholar Recipient. In Boston, she performed works by Maleek Washington, Margo Sappington, Daniel Pelzig, and more. This is Emma's first season with COMPLEXIONS.
CHRISTIAN BURSE (Apprentice) was born in Austin, Texas, where she began her dance journey at the age of two years old. She completed her early dance training at RISE Dance Company where she received a diverse dance education. She continued her dance training at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas, and Dance Industry Performing Arts Center. She attended multiple summer intensives with COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet and The Juilliard School. She has received awards from The National YoungArts Foundation and was named a 2020/2021 Texas Young Master. This is Christian's first season with COMPLEXIONS.
AIDAN WOLF (Apprentice) began her dance training at the age of three in Colorado. In 2015, Aidan completed her training at The Colorado Ballet Academy to then accept merit scholarships to study as a Jazz & Contemporary Trainee at The Joffrey Ballet in New York City. She spent her summers with Belliston Ballet, Kinetic Arts Dance, Artistic Fusion, Sweatshop, MODAS, Joffrey NYC & LA, Francisco Gella, SONDER, and Complexions. Aidan most recently worked with Arch Ballet and Virginia Beach Ballet Academy before joining COMPLEXIONS. She is currently in her 4th year of online college. This is Aidan's second season with COMPLEXIONS.
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