a female dancer extending her leg a la seconde while being supported from behind by a male dancer

Meet Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Christian Burse

At 19 years old, Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Christian Burse commands the stage with expansive and exacting movement beyond her years. In Dwight Rhoden’s recent Endgame, she uses her classical sensibility to morph into contemporary shapes, her gaze projecting into the audience with cool intensity. Her stability in moments of stillness is as much of a standout as her quick feet and soaring leaps.

a male choreographer wearing a green shirt watching dancers in a studio

Dwight Rhoden Brings Contemporary Ballet and Professional Connections to Chapman University

“I just kind of fell in love with the program,” says Rhoden,­ who has a long history teaching and choreographing in higher ed settings, including at New York University, The Juilliard School, University of California Irvine, Skidmore College, and the University of Mississippi. At Chapman, he says, there was “a great vibe in the studio and in the program and the people.”

A dancer costumed in bright yellow steps into a wide stance, legs crossed. Her arms are raised at the elbows, hair flying up as she begins to turn. In the foreground, a couple of dancers stride around her. Upstage are musicians.

A Sizzling Summer: The Shows to Catch as Festival Season Hits Its Stride

Summer festival season is underway, boasting a staggering number of must-see performances. Here are a handful of highlights, along with a pair of July premieres happening outside any festival umbrella. American Dance Festival DURHAM, NC  The modern dance festival’s 90th-anniversary season blazes on through July 22, with 32 performances featuring 13 festival commissions, 9 premieres, […]

Complexions Presents “Black is Beautiful”

In response to a national reckoning with racial injustice, Complexions Contemporary Ballet makes a powerful contribution to the conversation with its film “Black is Beautiful.” The company’s artistic directors Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson choreographed movement to a spoken word piece by poets Terrell Lewis, Aicha Therese, Mr. Reed and Poetess Jess. An introduction prefacing […]

Meet Our 2021 "25 to Watch"

At a moment when our field feels ripe for reinvention, the artists on our annual list of dancers, choreographers and companies poised for a breakout year are brimming with possibilities. Here they are: the 25 movers, makers and multi-hyphenates we believe are shaping the dance world of tomorrow. Keerati Jinakunwiphat Jayme Thornton For Keerati Jinakunwiphat, […]

6 of Our Favorite Digital Dance Projects to Come Out of Quarantine

Limitations foster creativity. While unable to gather in person due to COVID-19, dancers, choreographers and companies have taken to the internet to create new projects conceived for the digital sphere. Here are just a few of our favorites. Redefining Bravery Mei Yamanaka in her as sure as sure can be Mei Yamanaka, Courtesy Ladenheim Curated […]

How Complexions' Maxfield Haynes Is Celebrating Pride & Supporting BLM

With performances on pause, Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Maxfield Haynes is back home in Louisville, Kentucky. While they’re catching up on Netflix and doing Zoom classes like most dancers sheltering in place, over the past month, the Black, nonbinary ballet dancer has also been taking to the streets, using drag “as a tool for political action” […]