Complexions Contemporary Ballet Opens 28 th Season with Live Performances at The Joyce Theater

November 22–December 4, 2022

World Premieres by Dwight Rhoden and Jae Man Joo, the Company Premiere of William
Forsythe’s Slingerland Duet, the return of a work by Francesca Harper, and more.

New York, NY– Complexions Contemporary Ballet (Complexions) returns to The Joyce Theater from
November 22–December 4, 2022. Now in its 28 th season, the company takes the stage with two no-holds-barred programs danced by a treasure trove roster of performers. Tickets are on sale here.

In its first week (Program A), the company will present Dwight Rhoden’s SNATCHED BACK from the
EDGES, performed only once during last year’s engagement, which was cut short after opening night due to
COVID-19. Created at the height of the pandemic during a moment of racial reckoning, this work chronicles the
indelible human spirit in the eye of a storm, made only more poignant now after the continued struggles of our
time. Set to a wide-ranging soundtrack featuring spoken word by Terrell Lewis and music including Beethoven,
Jon Batiste, Shirley Caesar, and more, each vignette helps build a nuanced portrait of today’s generation.
Rounding out the program, the fan-favorite Hissy Fits, focused on the bliss and pain of intimate relationships,
returns.

In the second week’s program (Program B), guests will witness the company premiere of William Forsythe’s
spare and otherworldly Slingerland Duet (Pas de Deux), and two world premieres: Jae Man Joo’s new duet,
Serenity, and Dwight Rhoden’s new Endgame/Love One. The program will also include a reprise of Francesca
Harper’s 2017 work System, set to Bach’s “Air on the G string." An excerpt from SNATCHED BACK from the EDGES will also be performed.

“We are thrilled to be headed back to The Joyce with this dynamic program that showcases the talent and
incredible range and diversity that has always been the bedrock of our company. I’m looking forward to sharing
SNATCHED BACK from the EDGES as well as my newest work Endgame/Love One, which is ultimately
about love and survival, infinite possibilities, closed chapters, and next steps,” said Dwight Rhoden, Co-
Founder, Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer for Complexions.

“Each program is special, and I know audiences will enjoy themselves regardless of when they attend. Having
spent two- and one-half years dancing with Ballet Frankfurt, led by William Forsythe, earlier in my career, I am
especially excited that this generation of Complexions dancers—and Joyce audiences—get to experience his
Slingerland Duet (Pas de Deux),” says Desmond Richardson, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director for
Complexions.

Opening night, Tuesday, November 22 will be dedicated to Complexions’ annual benefit performance. Hosted by Tony, Grammy, Emmy, and Oscar award-winning artist, Whoopi Goldberg, this year's benefit performance will honor Rhoden and Richardson for their contributions to the world of contemporary ballet, their dedication to training the next generation of artists, and their unwavering three-decades-long commitment to exemplifying the principles of diversity and inclusion in action. The evening will feature excerpts from the season as well as a performance by American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School Senior Level Students in collaboration with Complexions' Pre-Professional Program. A VIP reception for the Artistic Directors will take place immediately following the performance. Tickets can be purchased here.

Proceeds from the benefit performance will continue to help build Complexions’ educational initiatives through
scholarships, mentorship programs and the continued development of Rhoden’s and Richardson’s methodology
of dance training.

Performances will take place:

Tickets range from $10 to $75 and can be purchased online at www.Joyce.org. Tickets can be purchased
by phone at 212-242-0800. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue (at the corner of 19th
Street), New York, NY 10011. Gala tickets can be purchased here.

Health & Safety Protocols
The Joyce Theater is requiring audiences to be fully vaccinated and to wear masks at performances. Click here
for full health & safety protocols.

Follow Complexions Contemporary Ballet
For the most up-to-date schedule for all Complexions Contemporary Ballet programming, follow Complexions
via the links below and visit Complexions.org.

Twitter: @ComplexionsNYC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/complexionsdance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complexions__ballet/

About Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Complexions was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary dancer
Desmond Richardson with a singular approach to reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods,
styles and cultures. Today, Complexions represents one of the most recognized and respected performing arts
brands in the world. Having presented an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5-continents,
over 20-countries, to over 20-million television viewers and to over 500,000 people in live audiences,
Complexions is poised to continue its mission of bring unity to the world one dance at a time.
 
The company’s foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them.
Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture, Complexions transcends them
all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world—and all its
constituent cultures—as an interrelated whole. Together, Rhoden and Richardson have created in Complexions
an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate
its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 27 years since its inception, the company has borne
witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever
before—in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.