Extraordinary athleticism and a palpable yearning for love and human connection permeates this dance program. COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet showcases three programs in its 26th season. I saw a performance which featured the music of Bach in the first half and Lenny Kravitz in the second. The evening is wildly entertaining and, especially for casual dance admirers, a whole bucket of mesmerizing fun.
“Bach 25” opened the program. This piece was created for the company’s 25th anniversary. In a Talk Back after the performance, choreographer Dwight Rhoden explained that Bach was his favorite composer. The music is “danceable, full of colors and speaks to movement.” I particularly loved watching the musicality of the compositions celebrated by the dancers. Piano notes punctuated through the choreography. The music was vibrant as was the dance.
The choreography is muscular, angular and purposely aerobic. Leg positions reach the sky in multiple standing formations. Three men slide across the floor in full splits coming to a stop simultaneously. There are repeating movements and unending combinations of solos, duets, groups and full company dances. Transitions are frequent and occasionally struck me as witty and playful. The overall impression was a coolly modulated surfeit of romantic athleticism.
COMPLEXIONS prides itself on blending methods, styles and cultures from across the globe. That diversity is reflected in its company. The current lineup include dancers from the United States, Australia, Italy, Canada, Columbia and Japan. The variation in the dancer heights are particularly interesting especially when used in embracing that difference in full stage visual tableaus.
Nine Lenny Kravitz songs are used for the second piece, “Love Rocks.” This dance is a world premiere and this presentation was its second in front of an audience. Mr. Rhoden met the artist when he was doing choreography work with Prince many years ago. This work is in response to his observation that the “world is a funky place and needs so much love right now.”
In this new piece, rock music inspires even more muscular and more aggressive movement. There is a thematic vein throughout in which dancers intertwine, connect, couple and go it alone. The women prancing and preening during “I Belong to You” made me laugh out loud. “Fly Away” memorably incorporated funk on pointe. Love Rocks delivers a message from Mr. Kravitz’s lyrics: “you can have it any way you want it.”
The fun quotient then makes room for some pointed criticisms. The song “It’s Enough” is utilized to express outrage. “What’s that going down in the Middle East?/ Do you really think it’s to keep the peace.” Mr. Kravitz implores “It’s enough/ In the system, you cannot trust/ It’s enough, it’s enough/ When the whole world is corrupt.” While we all may need a little love in this world right now, we also have to have our eyes wide open. “We must all unite” is a concluding message from “Here to Love.”
The technical elements of this program are additive to the enjoyment of the dancers. The lighting design by Michael Korsch is evocatively dramatic in its use of spotlights, especially during Love Rocks. Christine Darch’s costumes were sleek, appropriately sexy and reflected the modernity of the company’s ballet.
Naturally the dancers of COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet are the primary reason to savor this extremely entertaining evening of dance. The choreography is an absolute workout and they are an impressive group of artists. A number of them stood out for me as they each will speak differently to the viewer. I could not take my eyes off Jillian Davis, the tall, elegant, angular gazelle with a riveting stage presence (pictured above with her excellent partner Khayr Fajri Muhammad).
If you are interested in attending this show but cannot see this Program (A), try another date. In Program C, Ms. Davis has a world premiere solo piece entitled “Elegy” featuring the music of Beethoven. Musical theater fans curious about branching out into the world of dance should give this company a try. For the last quarter century, dance lovers have embraced this arresting fusion of musical styles.
COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet is performing three programs at the Joyce Theater through February 2, 2020. The final performance of Program A featuring Bach 25 and Love Rocks is this Saturday, January 25th. The company will be performing throughout the United States, Latvia and Lithuania this spring followed by a seven week tour of Germany this summer.
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