Complexions Contemporary Ballet Brings Bowie-Inspired Star Dust to TPAC
On March 14, the electrifying ensemble Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center with a program that blends virtuosic contemporary ballet, rock spectacle, and theatrical flair. The performance—part of TPAC’s 2025–26 dance series—highlights the company’s signature fusion of classical technique and contemporary movement, culminating in a high-energy tribute to the music and persona of David Bowie.
Founded by choreographer Dwight Rhoden and dancer Desmond Richardson, Complexions has spent three decades redefining the boundaries of ballet. Drawing from classical training, modern dance, and popular music influences, the company has developed a style that is both technically rigorous and visually bold. Critics have described the ensemble as a “game-changing” force in contemporary dance, one known for pushing ballet toward new audiences and aesthetics.
The Nashville program opens with selections from Retro-Suite, a collection of works that celebrate the company’s thirty-year history. These pieces—choreographed by Rhoden—range from lyrical and spiritual to fiercely athletic, highlighting the expressive versatility of the company’s dancers. Among the excerpts are This Time With Feeling, Deeply, Ave Maria, Gone, and Mercy, each offering a glimpse into the choreographic language that has defined Complexions since its founding.
The evening’s centerpiece is STAR DUST: From Bach to David Bowie, a glittering ballet that channels the sonic and visual imagination of Bowie’s decades-long career. Set to a collage of his iconic songs, the work unfolds like a rock opera, drawing on Bowie’s chameleonic stage personas and fearless experimentation. Through shifting costumes, striking lighting, and relentless physicality, the piece celebrates individuality and artistic reinvention—qualities Bowie embodied throughout his forty-year career.
Performances will take place at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater, offering Nashville audiences a rare opportunity to experience one of America’s most dynamic contemporary ballet companies live.
With its blend of classical discipline, rock-infused spectacle, and unapologetic theatricality, Complexions Contemporary Ballet promises an evening that feels as much like a concert as a ballet—an exhilarating reminder that dance, at its best, is both timeless and constantly reinventing itself.
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