The Joyce Professional Class Series: Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Complexions Contemporary Ballet with Desmond Richardson

IN-PERSON
GIBNEY 280 AGNES VARIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
53A CHAMBERS STREET, 280 BROADWAY

Gibney is proud to partner with The Joyce Theater to offer a series of public Professional Classes. Take class and learn repertory with artists performing at The Joyce this season!

Your ability to capture complex choreography will catapult your dancing to another level with the fast-paced Professional Class taught by Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s founding artistic director Desmond Richardson. Class starts with a ballet warm-up and moves into original choreographic phrases by Mr. Richardson, who will challenge your body and mind to react quickly, take risks, and improve your dance technique. CCB’s athletic style of movement will make you wanna holler . . . for more!

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

About Complexions Contemporary Ballet

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. Dwight Rhoden’s world premiere of WOKE – A Call to Action is a bold and dynamic socially conscious one act ballet that examines our humanity in conjunction with today’s political climate. This creation uses an ever-evolving plot line to examine the stories of our lives. WOKE is an intense physical narrative inspired by the enlightened awareness and challenging moral compass of today’s generation.

Learn more about Complexions Contemporary Ballet here.

About Desmond Richardson

(Co-Founder, Co-Artistic Director Complexions Contemporary Ballet) Desmond Richardson 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 American theater community. He appeared in Twyla Tharp’s Broadway production Movin’ Out, and had his singing debut in Burt Bacharach’s and Hal David’s The Look Of Love, choreographed by Ann Reinking and Scott Ellis.

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.

Learn more about Desmond Richardson here.

See Complexions Contemporary Ballet at The Joyce Theater November 22 – December 3, 2022

About Gibney’s Education Program

Through the cultivation of an inclusive and positive space, our offerings make space for exploration, risk-taking, personal and artistic growth, connection, and fun. It is our priority to listen to and support our community and to empower the future leaders of the field. Learn more.