INTERVIEW: Dwight Rhoden on finding inspiration from Bach and Bowie
Photo: Complexions Contemporary Ballet will present StarDust, set to the music of David Bowie, at their Bach to Bowie program at the State Theatre. Photo courtesy of Sharen Bradford / Provided by the State Theatre with permission.
When Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson first started their dance company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, decades ago, they were bringing with them many years of talent and experience, including their celebrated tenure at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Today, Complexions stands as one of the most important contemporary companies, and they continue to offer newly choreographed works and beloved fan favorites to audiences around the world.
The dance company will offer a special performance Friday, Jan. 28 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The program is called Bach to Bowie and will feature Bach 25, which utilizes well-known works by the classical composer, and StarDust, set to the songbook of David Bowie. For Rhoden, the co-founding artistic director and resident choreographer, the opportunity to pair Bach and Bowie has been a joy.
“Bach to Bowie is a program that came together because I did both of the pieces separately, not knowing that they would end up on the program together,” Rhoden said in a recent phone interview. “Bach 25 … was choreographed during the 25th anniversary season, and it was really because Bach is my favorite classical composer to work to. And this piece is a contemporary ballet piece, very typical style of Complexions. It’s very physical. It’s abstract, but there’s a lot of references to a typical classical ballet construction. Yet it is by no means classical. It’s very athletic. I think it’s about 30 minutes or so, and there’s a lot of different dynamic pieces of Bach — Bach cello, Bach with full orchestra, solo violin, and there are quartets, solos, trios, group work, pas de deux.”
Music inspires Rhoden’s movements, and often that’s where he begins his creativity, by listening to the compositions and songs. Bach was certainly the jumping-off point for his choreography in Bach 25; however, he also credits the dancers that he works with for inspiring his vision for the finish product.
“The dancers have a lot to do with it as well,” he said. “I always look at who is in front of me, and then when I get into the room, the ballet can take many different turns depending on the performers that are there. Because it’s my company and not an outside project, I know these dancers very well. It was really easy and fun, especially again with Bach being a composer that I love. I feel like Bach is so danceable. There are so many layers and rhythms and textures in the music and a lot of different emotions as well. It kind of depends on the actual project, but Bach 25 was definitely brought about by the music, by the occasion and also the dancers.”
The Bowie inspiration started when Rhoden was a teenager. He fully confessed that as a young dancer he wanted to become Bowie, and as an adult he came up with an idea for a ballet after the singer’s death.
“The David Bowie piece is very theatrical,” he said. “It’s a little Broadway show. Of course, it’s all dancing, but it has the vibe of a little extravaganza. It’s very colorful, and we go through his songbook. It was very hard to pick the final cuts because there is so much good music. He’s really one of the artists that has really tapped into so many different types of music, whether it’s rock, punk, R&B. He really did a lot of cross-overing, and I think the fact that he’s such a chameleon as an artist was really attractive to me. … If you look at all of his albums, he reinvented himself over and over again, and the music also mirrored that reinvention. It was a pleasure. I’ve listened to his music forever, but it was the first time that I was able to choreograph to it. And I loved every minute of it. Also paying reference to such an iconic figure in music was fun to do as well.”
Complexions has had a difficult few years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are, of course, not alone. The live performance industry has faced many delays and cancellations due to the virus and outbreaks amongst performers and crew members.
“Just like everyone, we kind of shut down when it first happened, and we’ve been up and down like most other businesses have been, particularly the performing arts,” Rhoden said. “It’s been a roller-coaster ride overall. We did do our season this past November in New York at the Joyce, but then we only did half of it because numbers went up, cases happened, and we had to shut down and things like that. But we have been up and running since the New Year again. Things have been good. We’re really looking forward to getting back on stage, I have to tell you.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Complexions Contemporary Ballet will perform Bach to Bowie Friday, Jan. 28 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets.
