The University of Iowa
Complexions Contemporary Ballet male dancer mid leaping pose
Dance

Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Star Dust: From Bach to Bowie

Presented by
Hancher
Tickets
Adults $55 / $35
Students & Youth $10
Friday, November 1, 2024, 7:30 pm

Part of Hancher's 52nd Season

Two world-renowned dancers head a pioneering company dancing to music by two world-changing artists.

Founded by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson—both legendary former principal dancers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—Complexions Contemporary Ballet continues to push ballet into the future with electrifying dancers and mesmerizing choreography. The company’s Hancher debut will feature Bach 25, set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and STAR DUST, a dazzling love letter to David Bowie set to his music and reveling in his colorful and energetic imagination.

“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

PROGRAM:
BACH 25 
Reverence, Celebration, Moxie
Choreography by Dwight RHODEN | Music by Johann Sebastian BACH & Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH

STAR DUST: A Ballet Tribute to David Bowie
Choreography by Dwight RHODEN | Music by David BOWIE

I. “Lazarus” (from Blackstar, 2016)
II. “Changes” (from Hunky Dory, 1971) 
III. “Life on Mars” (Hunky Dory,1971) 
IV.  “Space Oddity” (Space Oddity, 1969) 
V.  “1984” (Diamond Dogs, 1974) 
VI.  “Heroes” (Heroes, 1977)
VII.  “Modern Love” (Let’s Dance, 1983) 
VIII.  “Rock and Roll Suicide” (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars, 1972) 
IX.  “Young Americans” (Young Americans, 1975) 

Complexions Contemporary Ballet Website


Preorder food from the Stanley Café!

Avoid the lines by making your food selections before you come to Hancher Auditorium. Most entrées are only available through pre-order and cannot be purchased on-site at the performance. Snacks and beverages will be available on-site. 

Orders must be placed by noon two days before the performance.

Preorder food


HANCHER EVENT PARTNERS
Bruce Gantz
John R. Menninger
Margaret Neumann
Gregg Oden & Lola Lopes
Alan & Liz Swanson
Derek & Pamela Willard
George & Carrol Woodworth

News

Some sites may require subscription
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
The Gazette - Thursday, October 24, 2024
Complexions Contemporary Ballet has brought its message of unity to stages in New York, Philadelphia and Boston. Next up, the company’s Hancher debut in Iowa City on Nov. 1. Then it’s back to New York and on to Detroit before the holidays, followed by stops in Chicago and the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., among other major sites in the new year. So how does Iowa City fit in with the big cities? “Complexions is that company that really wants to go everywhere, wants to bring our brand, our message, who we are,” cofounder, co-artistic director and principal choreographer Dwight Rhoden, 61, told The Gazette by phone from his Los Angeles home. He divides his time between the West Coast and New York City, where the company has been based since he established it with fellow dancer Desmond Richardson in 1994.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Paris Young in advance at (319) 467-4849 or at paris-sissel@uiowa.edu.