Complexions Contemporary Dance Presents WOKE and BACH 25 Review

Complexions Contemporary Dance Opens as a Living Sculpture

The curtain rises. The stage is filled with more than a dozen bodies clad in form fitting scintillating metallic gold and silvers. The dancers quickly reorganize their limbs in new positions again and again. Each movement is sharp and clear. You too would notice that the muscled lines of each dancer's body is breathtaking, a testimony of how demanding the work is. These dancers appear as a living sculpture—the epitome of beauty and grace.

The company members of Complexions Contemporary Dance dazzled with their extraordinary physical strength and heart as they danced such physically demanding numbers. Complexions state that they wish to “remove boundaries, not reinforce them.” They also explain that 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.” All of this and more was apparent with the works presented on their Program B.

ODE TO THE CLASSICS

The evening consisted of work by co-founding artistic director and principal choreographer, Dwight Rhoden. The first work, BACH 25, which originally premiered in 2018, was a work that demanded physicality and musicality. For the duration of the number, dancers were flying through space. They executed technical movement with the precision and ease that only a professional can attain in this dancer’s opinion.. It was not that long into the number before the audience saw the sweat flying through the air. This was the only give away that these performers were working themselves into a frenzy.

We were amazed that the dancers seemed to mimic the music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach. They danced as if they were the instruments, visually representing all the accents in this renowned classical music. At one moment, they embody the crisp strings of a violin, isolating the movements of their head, arms, and legs in a very quick manner. The next, they dance to the notes of a piano, which is moving through their bodies in a fluid manner. Another, there is a crescendo of instruments as the dancers build in momentum, dancing together— the men lifting the women high above their heads.

Soft violin music accompanies a pas de duet taking place, the couple dancing in unison and the men lifting the woman as she splits her legs and flips over him. They sweep across the stage in each other's arms, entwining themselves in high risk situations, which they confidently maneuver through. It was a stunning, dreamy landscape.But as quickly as this scene takes place, a transition occurs, and dancers are returning back to stage in a seemingly organized chaos. Suddenly, you are watching the whole ensemble jump, grand battement, and pirouette in near perfect unison. They are empowering. Their energy fills the entire stage and spilling over into the audience.

STAY WOKE

The second piece, WOKE, premiering in early 2019, consisted of a completely different atmosphere. Paired with contemporary pop and rap music, this piece was “a physical reaction to the daily news”. The dancers dressed down in all aspects of appearance. Clothes were baggier, with an edgy feel, including black mesh and dark reds. Women unbound their hair from the cleanliness of a slicked back bun, and with men, let their hair fly wild. The dancers appeared more human here, and showed a wide range of emotions and stylistic approach.

This piece contained vignettes of current social issues society struggles with, including: gun violence; gay marriage; sexualizing women; media consumption; and oppression. It is powerful having so many bodies on stage at once, in this writer’s view. We see the dancers as they are, a band of people on this journey together. They are working through situations and searching for answers during this uncertain time. They run across stage, having breakout moments as duets, or small groups. Each choreographic section directly correlates with the music selection chosen.

This reviewer especially enjoyed the part that included spoken word poetry. It was unexpected from the rest of the music, which usually had a driving beat leading the movement. Using only speaking for the music highlighted the importance of what was being said. The vocalist kept saying “RIP. Rewind. It. Please.” Dancers drag their limp bodies across the floor. Male dancers started krumping, releasing their raw emotions in a highly expressive manner. Lights changed to a deep red hue. A woman runs in from downstage and hurls herself into the air. The group catches her and walks, as a unit, as they set the dancer down on her feet and walk behind her as if in solidarity. A duet between a man and woman breaks out, showcasing a tender moment, highlighting their clean lines and technique once again. Somewhere, as the audience watches, the poetry turns into Sam Smith’s Pray. Not a shuffle of paper, nor shift in a chair, is heard throughout the audience. We are transfixed at the raw and vulnerable story unfolding, of these topics that are hugely relevant in everyone’s life. All these elements— from the lights, music, costuming, and choreography —come together in perfect synergy. WOKE most definitely calls attention to the evocative and innovative direction that Complexions Contemporary Dance leads.

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About the Author:

Francesca Baron is a freelance Chicago based choreographic + performing artist. Graduating cum laude with dual degrees in Dance and Psychology from Lindenwood University. Francesca is drawn to dance because it allows for dynamic expression through the instrument of one’s body. Making it a priority to travel and train in leading modern/contemporary dance forms, Francesca has attended The American Dance Festival (NC), One Body, One Career intensive (Amsterdam, NL), FACT S/F workshop (CA), New Dialect intensive (TN), LINK Dance Festival (UT), and Detroit Dance City Festival (MI), as well as many Chicago festivals and intensives. She has also been commissioned to create works for Inaside Chicago Dance, Esoteric Dance Project, New Dances 2019, and Lindenwood University. Currently, she is a company member of Still Inspired(?) as they prepare for their sixth season.

Learn more about Francesca at Francesca Baron website