(Photo from: www.complexionsdance.org)So, after reading the Complexions company review in the Boston Globe on Thursday I planned out my Saturday to make sure I was able to get in line for student rush tickets.
But not just get in line, to be the first in line since I called the Tsai Performance Center on Boston University's campus and was informed that for Celebrity Series performances (the event that brings several dance performances and performing art performances to Boston every year including Alvin Ailey) there would only be 10 student rush tickets released.
Fellow dancer and friend Ty, headed with me to BU's campus at 5:30 pm this past Saturday, and were the first people in line.
The line exceeded 30 people by 6:28 pm when the cashier decided to start selling the tickets. Being early has its benefits, as we got to choose the seats we wanted and were able to attend the show. Needless to say, several people were quite angry they couldn't watch and the tension could be felt down the line.
As for the show itself, it was phenomenal. The creators and directors of the Complexions company, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson are both former Alvin Ailey dancers with impressive dance resumes. The self-called "contemporary ballet" genre of dance their company members perform, is an electric mix of ballet, jazz and modern dance with influences from Ailey, Twyla Tharp and others which are apparent in the movement.
But not just get in line, to be the first in line since I called the Tsai Performance Center on Boston University's campus and was informed that for Celebrity Series performances (the event that brings several dance performances and performing art performances to Boston every year including Alvin Ailey) there would only be 10 student rush tickets released.
Fellow dancer and friend Ty, headed with me to BU's campus at 5:30 pm this past Saturday, and were the first people in line.
The line exceeded 30 people by 6:28 pm when the cashier decided to start selling the tickets. Being early has its benefits, as we got to choose the seats we wanted and were able to attend the show. Needless to say, several people were quite angry they couldn't watch and the tension could be felt down the line.
As for the show itself, it was phenomenal. The creators and directors of the Complexions company, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson are both former Alvin Ailey dancers with impressive dance resumes. The self-called "contemporary ballet" genre of dance their company members perform, is an electric mix of ballet, jazz and modern dance with influences from Ailey, Twyla Tharp and others which are apparent in the movement.
$20 for a student rush ticket bought me an evening of inspiration and incredible talent. All the dancers were flexible, showcased an obvious strong ballet background and broke barriers in terms of traditional styles of dance.
The first thing I noticed immediately was that the company had a very diverse group dancers with varying ethnicities, heights, body types and styles of dance. This made for a great dynamic where the same movement was portrayed in a different way because of a different body type for example
The first piece, "Hissy Fits" was described in the program as a comment on the tumultuous and ambivalent nature of relationships, and the movement for the piece depicted that sentiment perfectly.
I want to go into more detail but am being bombarded by football noise from all directions. I will continue to blog about the show I attended later tonight or tomorrow.
And don't forget tomorrow's episode of "Dancelife" at 10:30 pm on MTV, followed by my blog soon thereafter.
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