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I don't think I could have picked a better way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend then by attending last night's Complexions performance at The Joyce Theater. I have been a Desmond Richardson fan since I saw him in Ailey and had the opportunity to see him teach a Master Class at Jeanette Neil Dance Studio in Boston, MA several years ago. This was my first opportunity to see this company and my only negative comment was I was upset it was closing night! The athleticism and energy on stage was mesemerizing. The two hour performance did not have one weak moment. Sure there were times that the unison dancing was not in complete unison, but it so rarely occurred, that any instance was easily forgiveable.
The first Act- Hissy Fits featured a majority of the company. While I was not a fan of the costume (come on now, white underwear and black socks...anyone else having images of their grandpa walking around?) the precision and strength of the dancers quickly made me forget about the poor choice in sock color. What is amazing about Complexions is not the tricks the company does, but the length of their lines, shapes, and purpose of each step they take. Some of the most amazing moments for me were simply when the dancers moved from a flexed foot, to demi-pointe, and then a full pointed toe. I have danced for almost 30 years and have never been able to demonstrate such intensity simply by pointing my feet.
The second Act consisted of three pieces, a gospel medley which featured live vocals and dancing to spoken word (very unique and exciting to see S. Epatha Merkerson out of the Law and Order precinct), my favorite piece Surface- a male duet to Debussy- the lighting and choreography were perfection, and finally an intense female trio- while some moments were not as together as I would have liked, the women dancing really were spectacular and committed to the piece.
Complexions ended the night with Rise- a World Premiere piece set to music by U2. I enjoyed this piece and love when companies try to bridge the old and the new. Ballet and U2- I never would have put the two together but it totally worked. The dancers all looked like they were truly enjoying themselves on that stage which made me more invested in the piece, however, I couldn't help feel it was a little too safe. There were moments in the piece that were really unique and the shapes the dancers created were very striking, but in some ways the piece felt a little commercial and was maybe catering to the crowd that only knows about Desmond and Dwight Rhoden because Katie and Will danced to their piece on SYTYCD.
Lastly, I can't say enough about the Joyce Theater as an amazing venue for dance. Besides Jacob's Pillow, I think it is my favorite place to watch a dance performance. There is not a bad seat in the entire theater. It is a large enough space to accomodate a nice size audience yet intimate enough to hear the dancers breathe. Take the time to check out a show at The Joyce, you will not be disappointed
And for those of you who think ballet is just pointe shoes and tutus, please buy a ticket to Complexions next performance and expand your horizons.
http://www.complexionsdance.org/
Posts: 1
Reply #1 on : Mon February 20, 2012, 08:03:43