Christopher Anderson| Artistic Director, Alberta Ballet
Igniting Inspiration
Please join me in welcoming Complexions Contemporary Ballet to our stage!
Alberta audiences will not be surprised to see popular music paired with contemporary ballet. This concept produced some of Alberta Ballet’s most successful repertoire under the tenure of former artistic director, Jean Grand-Maître, with the likes of Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang and The Tragically Hip.
We are thrilled to offer audiences this approach in our 22/23 season with Dwight Rhoden’s WOKE and LOVE ROCKS. This double bill has been crafted with themes and music to reflect on our current cultural moment. It is sure to spark reflection and insights.
Complexions represents one of the most recognized, diverse, inclusive and respected performing arts brands in the World. Since 1994, co-founder Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden have re-invented dance, mixing methods, styles and cultures.
In the 27 years since its inception, the company has born 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.
I look forward to being part of the conversations that unfold from this dynamic and inspired program. Thank you for joining us!
Desmond Richardson| Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Hello!
I’m Desmond Richardson, Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet along with my collaborator, Dwight Rhoden.
We started Complexions in 1994 and were instantly moved by all the different people we engaged during that time. Many were our friends from different companies. Really, it was me and Dwight Rhoden being inspired by so many different dancers, genres of music, and just differences of opinions in terms of movement. We really wanted to have a space where all of those different voices could come together and speak loudly.
As we journey to Alberta in 2023, we look forward to engaging with our audience. Provoking thought and allowing them to have a fantastic time viewing our beautiful dancers and the amazing work of choreographer, Dwight Rhoden, and being inspired! As we all know we’ve come through a particular time in this pandemic and now is the time to love more, to be more engaged with one another, and to see and be moved by art.
The art of Complexions is what we’re so excited to bring to you here in Alberta. We urge you to sit back, relax, and have an amazing time with Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
A physical reaction to the daily news.
WOKE was generously commissioned in part by Detroit's Music Hall.
Special thanks to Meg Paul and Vince Paul.
2019
Choreography: Dwight Rhoden
Music: Various Artists
Lighting Design: Michael Korsch
Costume Design: Christine Darch
Sound Design: Corey Folta
Performed By: The Company
SONG LIST
”Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)” by The Temptations
”Killing Spree” by Logic & Ansel Elgort
”R.I.P.” (Spoken Word) by Suli Breaks
”Pray” by Sam Smith
”Rank and File” by Moses Sumney
”Doomed” by Moses Sumney
”Mona Lisa” by Lil Wayne & Kendrick Lamar
”I'll Take Care of You” by Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa
”Peace Piece” by Bill Evans
MUSIC CREDITS
“Ball of Confusion” (That's What the World is Today), Written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield,Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing |“Killing Spree“, Written by Daniel T. Alston, Robert Bryson Hall II, Arjun Ivatury, and Thomas Vontae, Published by Empire Music Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music |“Pray”, Written by Larrance Dopson, Timothy Mosley, James Napier, Darryl Pearson, Sam Smith, and Jose Valasquez, Published by Anthem Entertainment, Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic, Sony/ATV Music Publishing |“Rank & File”, Written by Ludwig Goransson and Moses Sumney, Published by Ludovin Music, Kobalt Music Group, Warner/Chappell Music |“Doomed”, Written by Matthew Kolaitis and Moses Sumney, Published by Domino Publishing, Kobalt Music Group | “Mona Lisa”, Written by Angel Aponte, Dwayne Carter, Kendrick Duckworth, Diaz Marco Antonio Rodriguez, Published by Concord Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music |“I’ll Take Care of You”, Written by Brook Benton , Published by Third Side Music |“Peace Piece”, Written by Bill Evans, Published by Tro Essex Music Group
WOKE
LOVE ROCKS
"We've got to dance and be in love." - Lenny Kravitz
Special thanks to Lenny Kravitz.
2020
Choreography: Dwight Rhoden
Music: Lenny Kravitz
Lighting Design: Michael Korsch
Costume Design: Christine Darch
Sound Design: Corey Folta
Performed by: The Company
MUSIC CREDITS
“We Can Get It All Together", "I Belong to You", "Take Time", “Fly Away”, "Calling All Angels",
"Riding On the Wings of My Lord", “It’s Enough”, “Here to Love”
All written by Leonard A. Kravitz with permission of BMG Gold Songs.
“Are You Gonna Go My Way”
Written by Leonard A. Kravitz and Craig David Ross with permission of BMG Gold Songs and Wigged Music
Rights/Clearances: BZ/Rights & Permissions, Inc.
"Companies like Complexions are game-changing: they’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been.”
- The Guardian
Founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, armed with a rich Alvin Ailey lineage and a cadre of 18 spectacular dancers, have re-envisioned ballet through technical precision, athletic prowess, and sheer passion. Complexions presents two diverse and extraordinary works including, WOKE and LOVE ROCKS. Wildly inspiring, WOKE, is a powerful ballet that examines our humanity and today’s political climate. LOVE ROCKS, to the music of Lenny Kravitz is Rock meets Ballet! Fun, thrilling and the most amazing Kravitz music, LOVE ROCKS is the “ ! ” on this exciting program.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Artistic Team
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Dwight Rhoden has established a remarkably wide-ranging career, earning distinction from The New York Times as “one of the most sought out choreographers of the day.” A native of Dayton, Ohio, Rhoden began dancing at age seventeen. Rhoden has performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal, and as a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 1994, Rhoden and Desmond Richardson founded COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet. They have brought their unique brand of contemporary dance to the world for over two decades.
Under Rhoden’s direction, COMPLEXIONS has become a dance institution high in demand, as a center for innovation and cutting-edge programming. Rhoden’s choreography has been the lynchpin of the development of COMPLEXIONS repertory. “Musicality, innovation, purpose, consistency, a brilliant use of stage space and the ability to tell a story—all these qualities make [Rhoden] one of today's elect choreographers” (Los Angeles Times). Since 1994, Rhoden has created over 80 ballets for COMPLEXIONS, as well as for numerous other companies, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Arizona Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, BalletMet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Colorado Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Joffrey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theater, Pennsylvania Ballet, PHILADANCO!, Mariinsky Ballet, Minneapolis Dance Theater, Phoenix Dance Company, Sacramento Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, The Washington Ballet, and Zenon Dance Company, The San Francisco Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, among others.
Rhoden has also directed and choreographed performances for shows across a range of media, including So You Think You Can Dance, E! Entertainment’s Tribute to Style, Amici, and Cirque Du Soleil’s Zumanity, and he appeared in the feature film One Last Dance. He has collaborated with, or created work for a number of celebrated artists, including Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson, ELEW, David Rozenblatt, Nicholas Payton, The Drifters, Paul Simon, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, U2, The Turtle Creek Chorus, and Patrick Swayze. Rhoden is a recipient of various honors and awards including The New York Foundation for the Arts Award, The Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, and The Ailey School’s Apex Award. Rhoden received an honorary doctorate degree from the Boston Conservatory in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.
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Meg Paul brings a wealth of significant professional experience in ballet and Broadway performance and teaching artistry. She has worked closely with important dance pioneers and choreographers in the field: from the repertoire and artistic direction of Gerald Arpino and Robert Joffrey to works by Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Dwight Rhoden, and Alonzo King. Her thirty-year career encompasses a wide range of national and international experience in performance, choreography, directing, teaching, program development, community engagement, and arts management. Ms. Paul was a ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet, and Ron De Jesus Dance. She was dance captain, lead understudy and full swing for Twyla Tharp’s Tony award-winning Broadway musical Movin’ Out during the Broadway run. Her awards include The Princess Grace Award, winner of The International Dance Competition of the Americas, and the Copperfoot Award. Ms. Paul has curated and directed several dance concerts and benefits including National City Stars of Ballet and Broadway and Detroit Music Hall’s annual 313 Choreography Expo. She was honored as a Detroit Renaissance Hero by the Detroit Free Press for her work on National City Stars of Ballet and Broadway. From 2010-2022, Paul served in many roles at Wayne State University’s Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, including Associate Professor of Teaching, Recruitment Coordinator for Dance, and Director of Dance (2018-2022). Paul curated and directed the Complexions Detroit Summer Intensive at Wayne State University for nine seasons. Paul is honored to begin her newly appointed role as Associate Artistic Director with Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She continues as Academy Director for Complexions Contemporary Ballet Academy, and ballet faculty for Adrenaline, Revive and National Dance Honors Conventions.
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Jae Man Joo was born and raised In Kwang-Ju, Korea, where he trained in classical ballet, modern, and traditional Korean Dances. He graduated from Dankook University in Seoul, Korea. In 1996, he received The Best Individual Artist Award from The Bagnolet International Dance Festival in Paris, France. After moving to New York City, Joo started working with contemporary ballet companies and was principal dancer with Ballet Hispanico and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Mr. Joo worked with Shen Wei, Zvi Gotheiner, Igal Perry, and Jessica Lang. In 2009 he received The Princess Grace Award for Excellence in Choreography.
For the past 21 years, Jae has worked with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in various capacities, including Associate Artistic Director, Ballet Master & Artist in Residence, and currently a Resident Choreographer & Ballet Master. He has created many ballets for the company including “Tears” (Rachmaninoff), “Surface” (Debussy), “Atmosphere”(Bach), ”Flight" (Bach), ”Recur"(Richter, Silverstrov),and “Goodnight” (Arvo Pärt). Joo has been invited to create work for Jacob's Pillow, Ailey II, Ailey School, Marymount Manhattan College, Joffrey Ballet School, Arts Umbrella, PCDC, and Point Park University. Joo recently created a full-length evening vallet "Vita", his second ballet creation for Wise Ballet Theater Korea. "Vita" received the 2022 Korea Dance Art Award. In 2022 Joo was appointed as full-time Ballet Faculty at Point Park University Conservatory of Performing Arts.
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Christine Darch has designed for COMPLEXIONS since 2006. She designs and builds costumes for choreographers Julia Adam, Val Caniparoli, Alison Cook Beatty, Rena Butler, Robert Dekkers, Jorma Elo, Nicolo Fonte, Adam Hougland, Jae Man Joo, James Kudelka, Gabrielle Lamb, Edwaard 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, Charlotte Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Gibney Dance, Houston Ballet, Imagery, Israel Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Madco, Marin Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Le Ballet Nice Méditerranée, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Post:ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Washington Ballet, and BalletX. She lives in East Northport, NY with acclaimed classical American ballet composer Matthew Pierce.
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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 Broadway community. 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. Richardson, a Young Arts Finalist and Presidential Scholar, has received numerous awards including the Dance Magazine Award, Capezio Award, Ailey Apex Award, L.A. Ovation Award, "Bessie" Award, YoungArts Alumni Award, and most recently the Roosevelt “Rosey” Thompson Award presented by the Presidential Scholars Foundation. In the spring of 2019, Richardson received an honorary doctorate degree from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.
Richardson has been a celebrity guest performer and choreographer for productions across media such as the American Music Awards, the Academy Awards, City Center’s Encores! series, Italy’s Amici, and international franchises of So You Think You Can Dance. Richardson has been featured by famed artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Elton John, and Aretha Franklin, and he appears in celebrated films such as the
Oscar-Award winning Chicago, Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe, and the recent independent film, Fall to Rise. He has worked with fashion icon, Tom Ford, Chic’s Nile Rodgers, and recently contributed to Grammy-Award winning Jill Scott’s video Back Together, which features dancers from COMPLEXIONS. Richardson has also been a featured performer in various operas such as: Julie Taymor’s Grendel as Beowulf and as the Pharaoh in Teatro La Scala’s Moïse et Pharaone opposite Roberto Bolle conducted by famed Maestro Riccardo Muti. Internationally and domestically, he is a master teacher for dance programs such as the New York’s All Stars Project, YoungArts Miami, United Way, NYCDA, and multiple dance conventions. He served as co-creative director and choreographer with David Monn for the Park Avenue Armory Gala Masquerade. Richardson is currently a guest artist-in-residence at USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Richardson can be seen in the current feature film High Strung Free Dance as the character Sammy.
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Michael Korsch 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, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, MOMIX, Oakland Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, and Washington Ballet among others.
FOUNDING CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richardson
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Meg Paul
PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER
Dwight Rhoden
INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Muadi B. Dibinga
ARTISTIC ADVISORS
Carmen de Lavallade & Sarita Allen
REHEARSAL DIRECTORS
Meg Paul, Jae Man Joo
RESIDENT LIGHTING DESIGNER
Michael Korsch
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION & LIGHTING SUPERVISOR
Joseph Walls
COMPANY MANAGER
Monica Montaño
RESIDENT COSTUME DESIGNER
Christine Darch
PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Jacob Wexler
ASSOCIATE COMPANY MANAGER
Taylor Craft
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
Natiya Kezevadze, Terk Lewis, Kelly Marsh IV, Timothy Stickney
THE COMPANY
Alberto Andrade, Christian Burse, Jacopo Calvo, Kobe Atwood Courtney, Jasmine Heart Cruz, Jillian Davis, Vincenzo Di Primo, Thomas Dilley, Joe González, Harrison Knostman, Mary Ann Massa, Marissa Mattingly, Tatiana Melendez, Miguel Solano, Lucy Stewart, Candy Tong (leave of absence), April Watson
Apprentices: Angelo De Serra, Elijah Mack, Carmina Ballesteros
Complexions Contemporary Ballet Dancers
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DANCER
Alberto Andrade is From Queens, New york. Trained at sugarloaf ballet, the Colburn school, and the Milwaukee Ballet School. He has trained at a number of summer programs, the School of Pennsylvania ballet, the school of American ballet, the harid conservatory, the Ellison ballet, and the Milwaukee ballet school. He has previously danced with Milwaukee ballet 2 and American contemporary ballet. This is Alberto’s first season with COMPLEXIONS.
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DANCER
Christian Burse was born in Austin, Texas where she began her dance journey at the age of two years old. She completed her early dance training at RISE Dance Company where she received a diverse dance education. She continued her dance training at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas, and Dance Industry Performing Arts Center. She attended multiple summer intensives with COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet and The Juilliard School. She has received awards from The National YoungArts Foundation and was named a 2020/2021 Texas Young Master. This is Christian’s second season with COMPLEXIONS.
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APPRENTICE
Carmina Ballesteros was born in Chicago, where she trained at the Academy of Dance Arts, Ruth Page Center for Dance, and Visceral Dance Chicago. She obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Biology from Michigan State University, but decided to pursue a career in dance as she trained in intensives held by Complexions Contemporary Ballet Academy, LA Contemporary Dance, and Alonzo King Lines Ballet during her last year in college. Since graduating in May of 2022, she has performed as a soloist with Long Island City Ballet, Swan Kim’s Ballet Center, and City Dance New York, and is now the female apprentice for Complexions Contemporary Ballet Company. This is Carmina’s first season with COMPLEXIONS
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DANCER
Jacopo was born in Asti, Italy. He began his dance training at the age of eleven at his hometown school, Ritmo Danza. At eighteen, he moved to NYC where he attended The Ailey School on scholarship. He has worked with choreographers such as Marcus Jarrell Willis, Brice Mousset, Ray Mercer, Earl Mosley, Francesca Harper, and artist Nick Cave in The Let Go at the Park Avenue Armory. He has attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theater and COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet, and RESET 2021 with Studio Wayne McGregor. Jacopo has performed with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for their 60th Anniversary Season in Memoria at New York City Center and for the Ailey Spirit Gala. This is Jacopo’s second season with COMPLEXIONS.
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DANCER
Kobe was introduced to dance through Richmond Ballet’s Outreach program Minds in Motion. They trained with Richmond Ballet, under the encouragement of Jasmine Grace. They finished their training at San Francisco Ballet School. There, they were fortunate to perform pieces such as Balanchine’s “Stars and Stripes” and an excerpt from Jiri Kylian’s “Sarabande”.They then spent two years working with Orlando Ballet. They were able to learn from many different works such as “Lyric Pieces” by Jessica Lang and “Lambarena” by Val Caniparoli. They continued their career with Festival Ballet Providence, where they were able to dance leading roles in pieces choreographed by artists like Yury Yanowsky, Ja’ Malik, and Lia Cirio. They also recently started their choreographic career, setting work for Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project. They look forward to the next chapter of their career, joining Complexions Contemporary Ballet for this season. @kobe.courtney
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DANCER
Jasmine Heart Cruz was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She received her dance training at Westlake School for the Performing Arts where she focused in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and modern. She also attended programs such as Hubbard Street Dance Intensive, NYCDA Winter Dance Intensive, and English National Ballet School’s fall and summer courses. After graduating high school, she spent one year at the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. In 2020, Jasmine was a Dance Spirit Magazine Cover Model Search Winner. She has received awards from competitions such as ADCIBC, YAGP, NYCDA, and most recently received the bronze medal at Tanzolymp International Dance Festival in Berlin. This is her first season with COMPLEXIONS.
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APPRENTICE
Angelo grew up in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. He began his professional training at the age of 14 with Sharon Podesva, his private ABT ballet teacher. He attended summer intensives with The Royal Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, Academie Princesse Grace. At the age of 17 he was awarded Senior Man Classical Top Six of Youth America Grand Prix Italy and at the age of 18 he won the Expression International Dance Competition in Florence (first place Classical Soloist) and he received a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey School. He then moved to Cannes, France, graduated from PNSD-Rosella Hightower and joined Cannes Jeune Ballet. He then moved to New York City to attend The Ailey School under full scholarship and attended Complexions Academy intensive programs. This is Angelo’s first season with Complexions.
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DANCER
Vincenzo grew up in Adrano, Sicily, Italy and graduated from the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy. Vincenzo performed with some of the world’s most reputable dance companies including The Royal Ballet of London and received several awards including Outstanding Artistry Prize and Contemporary Prize from the Prix de Lausanne, Grand Prix de Paris, Youth America Grand Prix New York, and the Beijing International Ballet Competition. In 2019, he was a contestant and finalist on the Italian TV show Amici. In 2021, Vincenzo was included inDance Magazine’s “25 to Watch." This is Vincenzo’s 4th season with COMPLEXIONS.
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DANCER
Jillian is from Kutztown, PA and began her ballet training at the age of three. She studied with Risa Kaplowitz and Susan Jaffe at Princeton Dance and Theater Studio in Princeton, NJ. Jillian attended San Francisco Ballet, School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and LINES Ballet programs. Jillian has been a company member with COMPLEXIONS since 2014. She has been part of Dwight Rhoden world premieres including Stardust, Bach 25, Woke, Love Rocks, and a world-premiere solo, Elegy, Snatched Back from the Edges, and Endgame. She has also performed installation works by Desmond Richardson. Jillian was honored to perform an excerpt of Approximate Sonata and Slingerland Pas de Deux by William Forsthye. Along with being a dancer with COMPLEXIONS, Jillian is part of the core faculty for Complexions Dance Academy. Jillian joined COMPLEXIONS in 2014. IG: @Jillange93
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DANCER
Thomas began training at age twelve at Premiere Studios in Sydney, Australia. He was a Top 7 Junior Men's Finalist at Youth America Grand Prix and a prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne, receiving admission to Summer Intensives with Academie Princess Grace, American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, The Royal Ballet School, and The Australian Ballet School. Thomas danced for Queensland Ballet's Professional Year Program where he performed works including Strictly Gershwin, Flames of Paris, Scotch on the Rocks, and Muscle Memory. In 2017, he joined the Atlanta Ballet 2 where he performed works such as Beauty and the Beast and Eclipse. Thomas joined CCB to perform the world premiere of Woke. This is Thomas’ 4th season with COMPLEXIONS. IG: @thomas_dd
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DANCER
Joe is from Boston Massachusetts, where he trained at Roxbury Center Performing Arts and the Boston Arts Academy. Joe has participated in Boston Conservatory's summer intensive, American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival and twice at Springboard Danse Montreal. He received his BFA from Boston Conservatory and premiered works in their choreography showcases and commissioned works for Bryn Mawr College, Rowan University and Boston Conservatory at Berklee WinterWorks. Joe toured nationally and internationally as performing artist with Philadanco, Anna Myer & Dancers, Prometheus Dance, #DBdanceProject and was Director of Philadanco's 3rd Company (D/3), the 2020/21 DanceVisions Artist in Resident at Performance Garage. He is currently founder and Artistic Director of Jo-Mé Dance and is on faculty at Temple University, Georgian Court University and Boston Arts Academy. This is Joe’s first season with Complexions. IG @j.gonzalez.dance
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DANCER
Harrison is a Colorado native, is a recent graduate of The Juilliard School and is an aspiring professional dancer and educator. He began training at Studio West Dance Center in Fort Collins, Colorado. This school allowed him to perform works by Crystal Pite, Barak Marshall, and Ida Saki--among many other accomplished choreographers. Also, Harrison is proud to say he was a YoungArts finalist in modern dance and is a college scholarship recipient from the NYCDA Foundation. Harrison is now thrilled to begin his professional dance career with COMPLEXIONS. After making his professional debut with COMPLEXIONS this past summer in Israel, he is grateful to continue working and growing with the company throughout its 28th season. In the future, Harrison hopes to pursue his passion for dance with professional companies worldwide and continue to educate young minds in this beautiful art form he loves dearly.
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APPRENTICE
Elijah is from San Diego, CA. His love and passion for dance began at a very early age. He began training as a Hip-Hop Dancer with Studio FX in San Diego at the age of 9. He studied dance at Creative Performing and Media Arts Middle School and San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts High School where he trained in Jazz, Modern, Tap, Contemporary and Ballet. He began his formal ballet training at the age of 14 with Golden State Ballet Academy’s Pre-Professional Program before attending San Francisco Ballet School. He has attended various dance intensives, competitions, and dance festivals across the country and enjoys traveling the world participating in dance workshops. He was invited to participate in Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s inaugural Trainee Program in 2022 and is thrilled to be living out his dream in New York City as an apprentice with Complexions.
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DANCER
MaryAnn was born and raised in Old Bridge, New Jersey, which is where she began her training at Dance Stop Dance Educational Center. Mary Ann graduated from The Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College in 2019 with a BFA in dance and a concentration in Ballet. During her time at Purchase, she had the opportunity to perform works by George Balanchine, Norbert De La Cruz lll, Gregory Dawson, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, and Stuart Loungway. Additionally, she got to perform a duet at the Kuan Du Arts Festival in Taiwan in 2017 choreographed by Norbert De La Cruz lll. She attended workshops and programs at Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet X, San Francisco Conservatory Forsythe Program,The Rock School, and more. Before joining Complexions, she was a dancer with New Jersey Ballet for 3 years under Maria Kowroski. This is her first season with Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
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DANCER
Marissa grew up in Tampa, Florida where she was trained in several different styles of dance since the age of three. She started to take ballet and contemporary more seriously at the age of 13 when she began training at All American Dance Factory and Classical Ballet School under the direction of Terri Howell and Julio Montano. With this training she took part in many ballet competitions. She is a 4 time YAGP finalist, and performed in the UBC 2022 finals gala as a Legacy Award winner. She has been offered acceptances and scholarships to programs at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Chicago, BalletMet, Colorado Ballet Academy, Kansas City Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Texas Ballet Theatre, Philadelphia Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, and Houston Ballet Academy. She attended her first Complexions summer intensive in 2021, and was invited to take part in their two week Trainee Program in the spring of 2022. This is her first season with the company.
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DANCER
Tatiana grew up in Tampa, FL. She studied at All American Dance Factory & Classical Ballet under Julio Montano and Terri Howell. At 15, she joined Houston Ballet Academy's Professional Division on scholarship. Tatiana performed with Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch's Cinderella and The Nutcracker, and with Texas Ballet Theater as Clara in Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker and Matinü Pieces. She was a part of the world premiere of Dwight Rhoden's WOKE, Love Rocks & SBFTE. Tatiana has guested around the world including dancing the Snow and Sugar Plum pas for Roma City Ballet Company. Tatiana appeared on the cover of Pointe's magazine 2020 Fall edition and danced for the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors. This is Tatiana's 4th season with Complexions.
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DANCER
Miguel is from Medellin, Colombia. He started dancing at age seventeen at the District University of Bogotá and continued his training at BalletStudio Bogotá under the direction of Patricia Niño. In 2013, he moved to NYC to complete his studies at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet on full scholarship, performing with Kirkland’s studio company. He has participated in summer programs including Hubbard Street Dance, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Batsheva Dance Company in Israel. Miguel has worked with Awaken Dance Theater, Thomas/Ortiz Dance, RudduR Dance and Connecticut Ballet. He has worked with choreographers Earl Mosley, Christopher Rudd, Francesca Harper, Darrell Moultrie, Larry Keigwin, Nadege Hottier, Larissa Calero, Eve Chan, and Ted Thomas. This is Miguel’s fourth season with COMPLEXIONS. IG @miguellsolano
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DANCER
Lucy grew up in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, where she spent her early years dancing at a small studio in the mountains and then at Colorado Ballet. Originally training in all forms of dance, her primary areas of study included ballet, contemporary and jazz. She spent her summers training with American Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet, COMPLEXIONS, and Colorado Ballet. Lucy has studied the last two years at The Juilliard School in the dance division where she had the opportunity to study with various leading artists in the dance world, including Ohad Naharin, Tiler Peck, Rena Butler, and James Whiteside, as well as the opportunity to perform Set and Reset by Trisha Brown. For the last several years, Lucy studied regularly with John Gardner and Amanda McKerrow from ABT. Lucy was introduced to COMPLEXIONS by Meg Paul at ten years old and found her true passion. This is Lucy’s first season with Complexions.
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DANCER
Candy was born in San Francisco, California. She trained at San Francisco Ballet School under full scholarship and is a BFA graduate in Dance Performance from University of California, Irvine -- completing the program in just 2.5 years. Candy received a diploma in Dance from the English National Ballet School, where she performed and toured with the company. Alongside her dance career, Candy is a signed model with Stetts Model Management and has been in several global campaigns such as Reebok. Her work has been showcased at the Galleries Lafayette in Paris, the Huffington Post, and on Nikon Europe's ad campaigns. As an entrepreneur, Candy is a fashion designer specifically for dancewear. This is Candy’s fourth season with Complexions.
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DANCER
April began her dance training at age eight at University of North Carolina School of the Arts Preparatory Program. In 2016, April graduated from University of North Carolina School of the Arts High School Program. She spent her summers with School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Charlotte Ballet, Indiana Ballet Conservatory, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Joffrey of Chicago all on scholarship. After graduating from UNCSA, she spent two years in Los Angeles, CA studying under the direction of Debbie Allen as an Artist in Residence on scholarship. April joined the COMPLEXIONS in 2019 as an apprentice. This is her second season with COMPLEXIONS as a full company member. IG @wca
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, Elizabeth Roxas Dobrish, Susan Jaffe, Carmen de Lavallade, Lisa Niemi Swayze, Courtney B. Vance, Pauletta Washington
STAFF
Interim Executive Director: Muadi B. Dibinga
Associate Artistic Director & Complexions Academy Director: Meg Paul
Company & Academy Manager: Monica Montaño
Associate Company Manager: Taylor Craft
Production Associate: Jillian Davis
Press Agent: Lisa Labrado
Photographers: Rachel Neville, Steven Trumon Gray, Jae Man Joo, Steve Vaccariello
Company Accompanists: Ai Isshiki, Dan Meinhardt, Alice Hargrove, Renee Ong
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
244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2875
New York, NY 10001
www.complexionsdance.org
About the Company
Dance with Alberta Ballet School
Recreational and dedicated dance programs available for all ages and levels of experience.
Our quality dance training is delivered through active, and engaging classes and live accompaniment. Visit our website to register for a seasonal or full-year program.
Your Gift is Needed
Did you know that Alberta Ballet relies on multiple income streams to bring these incredible performances to the stage?
Donations are at the very heart of our funding. As a registered charity, Alberta Ballet relies on donations to bridge the shortfall to perform in the Jubilee, create new works and attract the best talent. As stewards of a rarified art form, we face a delicate balance, and ticket prices only get us part of the way there. Donations make it possible for us to deliver the art you love.
Conceived during the pandemic, Alberta Ballet created an Endowment Fund to provide more financial stability in the years to come. When our goal of $15 million is reached, the Endowment Fund will start providing consistent, predictable disbursements that will help us bring seasons like this one to life. It will also help Alberta Ballet be a haven for Albertans to connect with each other and themselves whether they are deeply moved in our audience, taking their first step into a community dance class, or pursuing their craft through professional dance training.
Dance has the power to unite communities and transform lives through inspiration. Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation today.
To make a donation to the Forever Moved campaign or to learn more about the Endowment Fund, please visit our website.
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Barbara A. Palmer
Alfred Sorensen
Clarice Evans Siebens
Anonyomous
Jana Neal
Andrea Brussa
Heather and Ian Bourne
Ellen & Daryl Fridhandler
Ellie & Carter Siebens
John W. Masters & Carol J. Larsen
Walt & Irene DeBoni
Bob Willows
Gerard D. McInnis & Angelina Castro-Miquel
Papadopoulos & LaBonte Families
Heather Rae
Sarah Palmer & Tom Plunkett
Aggie Mikulski, TIPP Consulting
Dr. Paul and Carole Savage
Douglas Myhre
John Seto & Christel Mueller
Melissa Bell & Matthew Fenwick
Patricia Moore
Frank Molnar
Elan MacDonald
David and Violet Todd
Pam FitzGerald & Robert Arts
Colin Jackson & Arlene Strom
Annie McKitrick
Dr Adrian Jones
Ruth A. Cross
Philip & Harriett Libin Family Foundation
Rod and Betty Wade
Maddy Lang
Castilleja Cotton
Diana & Lawrence Andriashek
Chris George
Dr. David Severson
Gina Pylatuik
Jill Strickland
Renate Palmer
Calvin Chow
Hope Smith
Norma A. Gibson
Penelope Weir
Andal Family Fund at Calgary Foundation
ALBERTA BALLET DONORS 2022/23
Thank you to our donors!
Over these many uncertain months, we’ve been grateful to our donor community for all the ways they’ve supported our mission to share dance and ballet.
As we return to the Jubilee with a full season, we’re looking forward to reconnecting this community to the art form they find so deeply inspirational.
If you are a passionate Alberta Ballet patron, consider joining our donor community.
To find out more, visit our website or email us at donate@albertaballet.com.
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Marie and Robert Baird
Andrea Brussa
Walter and Irene DeBoni
Heather Edwards
Annie Freeze
Jana Neal
Barbara Palmer
John Seto & Christel Mueller
Clarice Siebens
Alfred Sorensen
Rod & Betty Wade
Anonymous
George & Colleen Bezaire
Ian and Heather Bourne
Dr. Anthony and Jennifer Cook
Lynn & Vern Hult
John & Sheilagh Langille
Andrew & Alison Love
Dr. Doug Myhre
Betty Schultz
Anonymous
Kerri and Sean Barr
Kelly Bourassa
Judy Cosco
Christopher and Ingrid Eggertson
John Feldberg
Focus Communications
Janice Heard & Bruce McFarlane
John Thompson and Joni Hughes
Colin Jackson & Arlene Strom
J'Adore Dance
Jo Ann Jones
Elan MacDonald
Roderick & Jean McKay
Maggie & John Mitchell
Jennifer & Torval Mork
Diana Mulherin
Brenda Nugent
Jack & Esther Ondrack
Raechelle & Lorne Paperny
Peabody Family Foundation
Christine Richard
Robert & Jean Ann Rooney
Barry & Maureen Schloss
Michael & Natasha Simaeys
Hope Smith
Martin & Theresa Trotter
Sharon Watkins and Alan Kane
Dr. Hillary and Jussi Alto
Judith Anderson
R.R. Andrews
Tom Aves and Christie Hughes
Angelina Bakshi
Valerie & Tony Barlott
Laurie Bayda
Joan Bedard
Katherine Bilson
Josh Bilyk
Corinne Bleakley & Lindsay Williams
Julia Boberg
John C. Bonnycastle
Dr. Ann Calvert
Kimberley & Kevin Carlson
Laura Cillis & Leonard Arcovio
Elaine M. Coachman
Linda Cochrane
Monique Courcelles
Lisa Cuthill
Linda De Bathe
C J de Jong
Leslie Dort
Duke Evans Inc.
Kristine Eidsvik and Tom Couture
Jim Gibson
Sandra Evans and Bill Gordon
Ann Falk
Fath Group/O'Hanlon Paving
Amanda Field
Pamela FitzGerald & Robert Arts
Daryl and Ellen Fridhandler
Leigh Garvie/Coronation Physiotherapy
Leslie and Gerald Giacomelli
Leona Gibb
Joanne Graham and Ian Laxdal
Dianne Grant
Dr. Andrew Greenshaw
Darin Grisdale
Matias Grum and Amy Martin
David Haigh and Dawn Riley
Colleen Hartley
Elayna Hernandez-Kucey
Jose-Carlos Herrero & Nicole Herrero-Langlais
Todd Hirsch
Stephanie Ho Lem
Gary Holland and Kim Kroetsch
Melanie Houley
Victoria Johnston & Gregory McLeod
Craig & Valerie Johnstone
Dr. Adrian Jones
Eileen Jones
Marianne Kasper
Heather Klimchuk
Nicole Lachance & Roberto Noce
Danielle Lajoie
Bob & Mary Lamond
Davin & Alexis Macintosh
Scott MacKinnon and Lianna Stillwell
Valerie MacLeod
Roger Mapp
The Mar Family
The Martin Family
Carol Larsen and John Masters
Tara Mathison
Erica McBeth & Darwin Smith
M. Ann McCaig
Roxanne McCaig
Jane McCaig and Richard Waller
Gerard McInnis
Annie and Greg McKitrick
Kathy J. McMillan
Gwen an Keith McMullen
Dr. John McRory and Cathy Ascroft
Aggie Mikulski
Annette Milbradt
Arliss Miller
Linda L. Miller
Frank Molnar & Anna Maria Marrocco
Alan and Geri Moon
Kathy R. Morgan
Julie Moylan
James & Allison Murphy
Dr. Richard and Aurora Musto
Heather and Ruben Nelson
Jack and Donna Newton
Leslie Ann O'Leary
Keith & Cindy O'Neill
Gail O'Reilly
Sarah Palmer and Tom Plunket
Renate Palmer
Noel Papadopoulos
Leslie Pidcock
Lisa Poole
Veronica Prokop & Peter Andrekson
Gina and Trevor Pylatuik
Trina Quickfall
Heather Rae
Garry and Ruth Ramsden-Wood
Christine Richard
Sarah Riedner
Darcia Rolland
Mona & Scott Rose
City Lumber - Robert Rosen
Patricia Seamans
Hon. Marina Paperny and Dr. Shep Secter
Ellie Siebens
Marco Simonelli
Shelley and Betty Ann Smith
Gordon Sombrowski & Kevin Allen
Kevin Stecyk
Jill Strueby
Lucie Thirnbeck
Lee Anne Tibbles
David & Violet Todd
Eric and Dedre Toker
Liz Anne Tonken
Anne Marie and Christopher Toutant
Yolanda Van Wachem and Hugh McPhail
Dr. Ingrid Vicas
Penelope Weir
Mitch & Susanne Williams
Crystal and Blair Willie
Bob Willows
Ian Young & Catherine Barrett
Diana Andriashek
Lana Bistritz
Grace Bokenfohr
E Ross Bradley
Christine Hayward
Wendy D. Lunn-Strickland
Valerie Obligacion
Osten-Victor Fund
Enzo Pasquini
Scott A. Polischuk
Pratch Family Foundation
Ralph & Gay Young Family Capital Fund
Ann Rooney
Carole Savage
Richard and Mary Shaw
Kathryn Ward
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Anonymous
Alberta Ballet Foundation
Benevity
Calgary Foundation
CanadaHelps.org
Edmonton Community Foundation
GiftFunds Canada
Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by Altalink
A whole community works behind-the-scenes,
helping us inspire you with dance!
2022/23 GOVERNMENT FUNDERS
AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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CHAIR
Daryl S. Fridhandler, Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (Calgary)VICE CHAIR
Jana Neal, SFG Investments (Calgary & Southern Alberta) & Heather Klimchuk, Advocacy, Connections & Communications Consulting (Edmonton & Northern Alberta)CORPORATE SECRETARY
Frank Molnar, Field Law (Calgary)TREASURER
Jana Neal, SFG Investments (Calgary) -
Sarah Palmer, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Calgary)
Heather Rae, HRJ Consulting (Calgary)
Ellie Siebens, EPL Consulting Ltd. (Calgary)
Noel Papadopoulos, Papas Group (Edmonton)
Agnieszka (Aggie) Mikulski, TIPP Consulting (Edmonton)
Wendy Gnenz, Meyers Norris Penny (Edmonton)
Denise Clarke, One Yellow Rabbit (Calgary)
Lawrence Gervais, Metis Nation of Alberta - Region 3 (Calgary)
Alyssa Kim, Bennett Jones (Edmonton)
Noel Xavier, Edmonton Community Foundation (Edmonton)
Eric Toker, Modern Flowers (Calgary)
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CHAIR/PRESIDENT
Alfred SorensenSECRETARY/TREASURER
Peter A. JohnsonDIRECTOR
Daryl FridhandlerDIRECTOR
Jana NealDIRECTOR
Chandra Henry
Photos provided by Complexions Contemporary Ballet