Saturday, November 1, 2025

The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College

Founding Co-Artistic Directors
Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richardson

Associate Artistic Directors
Jillian Davis & Joe González

Executive Director
Muadi B. Dibinga

Principal Choreographer
Dwight Rhoden

Artistic Advisors
Carmen de Lavallade & Sarita Allen

Artistic Associate and Repetiteur
Miguel Solano

Artist in Residence
Jae Man Joo, Vincenzo Di Primo, Addison Ector, April Watson

Rehearsal Directors
Natalia Alonso, Christina Dooling, Natiya Kezevadze

Resident Lighting Designer
Michael Korsch

Resident Costume Designer
Christine Darch

Director of Education
Monica Montaño

The Company
Bilgude Ariunbold, Jordan Beasley, Aeron Buchanan, Michael Cherry, Jillian Davis, Angelo De Serra, Chloe Duryea, Joe González, Aristotle Luna, Marissa Mattingly, Laura Perich Villasmil, Jasmine Robinson, Imani Sailers, Lucy Stewart, Manuel Vaccaro. Apprentice: Drazen Wilmers

Program

For Crying Out Loud (excerpt)
2023

Choreography: Dwight Rhoden
Music: U2*
Lighting Design: Michael Korsch 
Costume Design: Christine Darch 
Performed by: The Company

1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. I Will Follow
3. Every Breaking Wave
4. Vertigo
5. With Or Without You
6. Pride

* Where The Streets Have No Name, Every Breaking Wave, Vertigo, I Will Follow, Pride (In the Name of Love). Performed by U2, Written by Adam Clayton, Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., Published by Universal Music Publishing Ltd.

-Intermission-

Midnight Riff
Company Premiere

Midnight Riff is dedicated to the remarkable women of jazz — Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, and Mary Lou Williams, whose artistry and innovation paved the way for generations of musicians.

Choreography: Dwight Rhoden
Assistants to the Choreographer: Larissa Gerszke, Clifford Williams
Music: Nancy Wilson, Mary Lou Williams, New York Voices, Manchester Craftsmen’s Group
New York Voices: Kim Nazarian, Lauren Kinhan, Darmon Meader & Peter Eldridge
New Lighting Design for Complexions: Michael Korsch 
Original Lighting Design: Brandon Stirling Baker 
Costume Design: Christine Darch
Performed by: The Company

Special thanks to Marty Ashby and the Manchesters Craftsmens Group.

Music Credits:
Overture; Day In Day Out, written by Rube Bloom and Johnny Mercer, in Nancy Wilson's RSVP, MCG Jazz Label; Lonely Moments, written by Mary Lou Williams, Dutch Orchestra, Challenge Records
Cotton Tail, written by Duke Ellington, NYV and Count Basie Orchestra, MCG Jazz Label
On A Clear Day, written by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner, NYV A Day Like This Recording, MCG Jazz Label; Shafi, written by Mary Lou Williams & Shafi Hadi, Dutch Orchestra Recording, Challenge Records
Save Your Love For Me, written by Buddy Johnson, NYV Sing, Sing, Sing, Concord Records
I’ll Be Seeing You, written by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal, NYV Sing, Sing, Sing, Concord Records
Oh, Lady Be Good, written by George and Ira Gershwin, Army Blues, and NYV.

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 kódźBiennale, 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. Over the past three decades, the company has witnessed a world 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 worldwide.

Natiya Kezevadze (Rehearsal Director) started her training in Classical Ballet at V. Chabukiani State Ballet School in Tbilisi, Georgia. At age thirteen, she was accepted to the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet on full scholarship in St-Petersburg, Russia. While at the Academy, Natiya studied with Professor T. Udalenkova, performed extensively on the celebrated Mariinsky Stage, and received her BFA. She joined Boris Eifman Dance Company and later was a soloist with Ballet Classic. Natiya moved to NYC in 2004 to further pursue her performing career, and a year later joined Forces of Nature Dance Theater Company, under the direction of Abdel Salaam. In 2007, she joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet, touring worldwide performing works by Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Igal Perry, and Jae Man Joo. In 2012, Ms. Kezevadze left touring life to focus on motherhood, and to embrace her love for teaching. She has taught at the Joffrey Experience in NYC, Broadway Dance Center, was assistant choreographer with the New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute, and for Dwight Rhoden’s original international production of the Great Gatsby Ballet. Today, Natiya continues performing with Complexions as Rehearsal Director, teaching as Master faculty at the Complexions Academy, and collaborates in various dance projects.

Natalia Alonso (Rehearsal Director) began her career in dance when joining Ballet Hispanico in 2001, for which she received accolades in Dance Magazine’s cover story for her work with the company. Shortly thereafter, she joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet where she danced for 5 seasons. Natalia then performed the role of Maria Tallchief in the Lincoln Center Theater play, Nikkolai and the Others. She can also be seen in commercial publications such as Discount Dance and Baltogs, as well as several TV shows including “Law and Order: SVU”. Ms. Alonso is currently performing with the Metropolitan Opera and has appeared in productions of Die Rosenkavalier, Carmen, La Nozze de Figaro, Die Fleidermaus, Rigoletto and Turandot. Before beginning her career as a professional dancer, Ms. Alonso, received a BA in Economics from Wesleyan University, where she also performed and co-directed a student run dance company. Ms. Alonso has taught master classes at institutions such as The Juilliard School, The Joffrey Ballet School, Barnard, Broadway Dance Center, Perry Mansfield, and is also a certified GYROTONIC® instructor.

Christina Dooling (Rehearsal Director) began her career performing with Complexions Contemporary Ballet after working with Dwight Rhoden at NYU Tisch. After several exhilarating years with the company, Christina parted ways to pursue additional opportunities. Credits include The Phantom of the Opera, Radio City's Christmas Spectacular, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Flesh & Bone, and performances with Artists Pharrell and Camilla Cabello to name a few. Christina is honored to support Complexions in its 30th Season. Represented by Lakey Wolff & Company.

Michael Korsch (Resident Lighting Designer) is a lighting, projection, and scenic designer based in Philadelphia, PA, where he earned his BA in theatre from Temple University. He has worked with numerous directors and choreographers, creating hundreds of visual designs for dance, theatre and other live performances throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, as well as New Zealand. Michael has been the resident lighting designer for Complexions Contemporary Ballet since 1998, and Ballet Arizona since 2001. In addition, Michael has created designs for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Backhausdance, BalletMet, Ballet Nice Méditerranée, Ballet West, BalletX, Carolina Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Cleveland Play House, Czech National Ballet, DanceBrazil, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Disney Creative Entertainment, English National Ballet, FELA! The Concert, Houston Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, MOMIX, Oakland Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, and Washington Ballet among others.

Christine Darch (Resident Costume Designer) has designed for Complexions since 2006. She designs and builds costumes for many choreographers including Julia Adam, Natasha Adorlee, Jennifer Archibald, Val Caniparoli, Rena Butler, Jorma Elo, Nicolo Fonte, Jen Freeman, Adam Hougland, Jae Man Joo, James Kudelka, Gabrielle Lamb, Edward Liang, Matthew Neenan, David Parsons, Caili Quan, 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, Ballet Met, Charlotte Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Gibney Dance, Gwangju City Ballet, Houston Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Madco, Marin Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Le Ballet Nice Méditerranée, Oklahoma City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Parsons Dance, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Post: ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Seoul Metropolitan Ballet, Singapore Ballet,Tulsa Ballet, Washington Ballet, and BalletX. Her full length works include four Nutcrackers, Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Dwight Rhoden’s Othello. She builds costumes from her studio in East Northport, New York.

Staff

Production Supervisor: Harrison Hoffert
Stage Manager: Madison Ellis
Lighting Supervisor: Jenni Propst
Programming and Logistics Manager: Bex Silberfein

Board of Directors
Everick Brown, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Carl Nelson, Sarah Picot, Felicia Swoope

National Advisory Board
Debbie Allen, Angela Bassett, Wren T. Brown, Susan Jaffe, Carmen de Lavallade, Lisa Niemi Swayze, Courtney B. Vance, Pauletta Washington

Collaborators

Publicist: Richard Kornberg & Associates
Photographers: Rachel Neville, Steve Vaccariello Company, Taylor Craft, PhotosbyDrizzy The Gingerb3ardman Photography
Accompanists: Ai Isshiki, Dan Meinhardt, Alice Hargrove 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 Foundation
244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2875 New York, NY 10001

Connect with us

www.complexionscontemporaryballet.org
@Complexions_Ballet

complexionsacademy.com
@Complexions_Academy