Howard University Dance Program joins Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Celebrating its 30th season in 2024, Complexions Contemporary Ballet comes to the Opera House stage for its first full company engagement at the Kennedy Center, March 20 - 22, 2025. The pioneering company seeks to remove traditional boundaries and embrace the beauty of differences by presenting courageous, cutting-edge programming and encouraging dancers to be authentically themselves.

Founded in 1994 by the renowned Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, Complexions Contemporary Ballet is recognized for its new, exciting vision of human movement, reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles, and cultures. The program includes a new work by Rhoden entitled For Crying Out Loud. Set to 10 songs from U2’s acoustic album Songs of Surrender, the piece unfolds in an interconnected “wandering narrative.” The full company shines in its diversity, and the raw physicality of individual dancers is undeniable.

Opening the program each night, “Black is Beautiful” will be performed by Dance Program students from the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Howard University have a 3-year relationship that began with a dance residency for students with co-artistic directors, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson and teaching artist, Larissa Joseph, who is now Howard’s new dance program coordinator. Dwight and Desmond were also on faculty at Howard University having completed their first year in 2023-2024. 

Program Listing

Black is Beautiful (2021)

Performed by Dance Program students from the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University

This Time, With Feeling (2024)
Music by David Rosenblatt

GONE (2000)
Music by Odetta

Ave Maria (1995)
Music by Giulio Caccini and Vyatcheslav Kagan

Mercy (2009)
Music by Hans Zimmer

-Intermission-

For Crying Out Loud (2023)
Music by U2

Discount Code for the Complexions + Howard performances at the Kennedy Center for the Howard University community as well as faculty, staff, students, alumni, IABD, and other networks as desired!

Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Thursday, Mar. 20, Friday, Mar. 21, and Saturday, Mar. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
$39 and $59 tickets for select Orchestra seating
Use this link or promo code 611914