JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH & DAVID BOWIE SHARING STAGE?
Yes, indeed! It certainly isn’t classical ballet; no GISELLE or LE CORSAIRE here. Now if, instead, contemporary ballet is on the menu, a visit to the Escondido Center for the 
Arts would have been the place to be in late February to experience a heady sampling of the finest the genre has to offer. COMPLEXIONS, a company begun twenty-five years ago by the superstar Desmond Richardson and the creative genius Dwight Rhoden, offered a program entitled STAR DUST: FROM BACH TO BOWIE in the Concert Hall. The verdict? Dazzling and glamorous!
The early 18th Century, German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach may seem like a daring departure from the norm for any successful balletic interpretation, yet it worked like gangbusters in the “BACH 25” portion of the program before intermission. The flurry of notes inherent in the music served as a pallet for dazzling, technical virtuosity 
and swift, uncanny changes in mood and theme. The complex patterns and interplay of the dancers, coupled with the swift alterations in movement styles executed by the company, both proved exhilarating to the onlooker. These disciplined artists boasted an amazing muscularity and an extraordinary endurance capability. An occasional glimpse into the wings provided verification of the extreme physical demands of Mr. Rhoden’s acclaimed choreography.
Bring on the rockstar in the rock & roll section dedicated to the glamorous icon of the Seventies. “STAR DUST” revealed not only Mr. Rhoden’s affection for the adventurous nature of David Bowie’s music, but also the passion of the company in its interpretation of the same. As the evening proceeded from the likes of “Lazarus” to “Changes” to ”Life On 
Mars” to “Space Oddity”, etc., individual company members were featured lip-syncing the tunes while the company itself strove to capture the rich possibilities of the music, reinventing – it seemed – ad infinitum. Decorated with glam costuming and make-up, and enhanced with rock & roll concert lighting, these dancers regaled the audience even to a state of joyful exuberance. Occasional feats of brilliance as in a proud walk across the stage by a tall male danseur en pointe crowned with an asterisk the evening’s stirring impact.
The standing ovation during “Bows” demonstrated the audience’s intense affection for this sterling, large company of about twenty artists making their second appearance at this venue. Hopefully, they can again thrill dance enthusiasts with future visits to this grand temple to the Arts in North County, San Diego.
