“Quite simply put, absolutely wonderful.” – BroadwayWorld
Complexions Contemporary Ballet:
STAR DUST
A transfixing tribute to the life and music of David Bowie,
full of glitter and glam.
March 19, 2026
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall
[Cincinnati, OH] – The acclaimed Complexions Contemporary Ballet, under the artistic leadership of co-founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, will perform its transfixing tribute to the life and music of David Bowie on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 7:30 PM at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall. The event is part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2025-26 CAA PRESENTS! Season.
Tickets are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-2787 [ARTS], or the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. For group sales (10 or more), call (513) 977-4155. A special 50%-OFF Family Four Pack offer is available for purchases of four or more tickets. Prices include all applicable fees and taxes and are subject to change.
Led by dance icons Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, Complexions Contemporary Ballet has awakened audiences to a new, exciting genre with their singular approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. Armed with a rich Alvin Ailey lineage and a cadre of sixteen stunning dancers, Complexions has been hailed as a “matchless American dance company” by the Philadelphia Inquirer and “game changing” by London’s The Guardian.
The program opens with favorites from Retro-Suite, a series of short works celebrating 30 years as a company. The second half is STAR DUST, an utterly transfixing tribute to the life and music of David Bowie, full of glitter and glam. This ballet takes an array of his hits and lays a visual imprint, inspired by his unique personas and his restless invention artistically, to create a Rock Opera-style production in his honor. With Bowie’s 40+ year career and 25 albums that stretch across musical borders, STAR DUST pays homage to the iconic and chameleonic spirit of what can only be described as… BOWIE. Get ready to witness the raw power and diversity of Complexions as they redefine what ballet can be.
“Companies like Complexions are game-changing: they’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been.” – The Guardian
“If there is one thing that Complexions knows how to do well (and, let’s be honest, they do many things quite well), it’s their choreographic exploration of rock ‘n’ roll and popular music.” – Hollywood Soapbox
“The genius of legendary Co-Founders, Co-Artistic Directors Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden cannot be underestimated.” – BroadwayWorld
Dwight Rhoden (Co-Founding Artistic Director / Principal Choreographer)
A native of Dayton, OH, Rhoden has established a remarkably wide-ranging career, earning distinction from The New York Times as “one of the most sought out choreographers of the day.” Rhoden began dancing at age seventeen, and performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal, and as a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
In 1994, alongside Desmond Richardson, he founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet, bringing their unique brand of contemporary ballet to the world, forging a center for innovation and cutting-edge programming. Rhoden’s choreography has been the lynchpin of the company’s repertory development. In three decades, he has created over 100 ballets for Complexions, as well as for numerous other companies, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Arizona Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, BalletMet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Joffrey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, PHILADANCO!, Mariinsky Ballet, Zenon Dance Company, The Washington Ballet, The Houston Ballet, and The San Francisco Ballet, among many others.
Rhoden has also choreographed for So You Think You Can Dance, E! Entertainment’s Tribute to Style, AMICI, Cirque Du Soleil’s Zumanity, and Mozart Her Story, and collaborated with artists including Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Simon, Nina Simone, and many more. He is the recipient of The New York Foundation for the Arts Award, The Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, The Ailey School’s Apex Award, and an Honorary Doctorate from the Boston Conservatory in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.
Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at Howard University and Artistic Professor of Dance at Chapman University.
Desmond Richardson (Co-Founding Artistic Director)
An iconic American Dance Professional, Richardson is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, celebrating its 30th year anniversary; Broadway Tony Award-nominee; TedTalk guest artist and speaker, and So You Think You Can Dance and AMICI (Italy) guest choreographer.
Richardson is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and has graced the covers of various publications; he was the first African American principal dancer of American Ballet Theater, a principal dancer with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Frankfurt Ballet, and a featured guest performer nationally and internationally.
He has received the Capezio, Rosey Roosevelt Thompson, Bessie, and Dance Magazine awards. He is an honorary Doctorate recipient from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Currently, Richardson and his collaborator Dwight Rhoden are working on the Broadway-bound Mozart Her Story with producers Tegan Summer, Patricia Klausner, and Christopher Sepulveda.
Richardson’s character Ted appeared on Season Three of the HBO Max hit series The Other Two.
For more information about Complexions Contemporary Ballet, visit https://www.complexionscontemporaryballet.org/.
Cincinnati Arts Association SPONSORS
The Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.
Season Sponsors: AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), MIAMI UNIVERSITY, ARTSWAVE, LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, TRIHEALTH
SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS: 21C Museum Hotel, altafiber, Bahl & Gaynor, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Fairfield Inn & Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University Area, Harlan Graphics, Heidelberg Distributing, Kinley Cincinnati, Pepsi, Summerfair Cincinnati
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CALENDAR INFORMATION
WHAT: Complexions Contemporary Ballet: STAR DUST
WHEN: Thursday, March 19, 2026 – 7:30 PM
WHERE: Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall
PRICE: Ticket prices start at $23, inclusive of all fees. A special 50%-OFF Family Four Pack offer is available for purchases of four or more tickets.
INFO: Led by dance icons Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, Complexions Contemporary Ballet has awakened audiences to a new, exciting genre with their singular approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. The sixteen-member company will perform STAR DUST, an utterly transfixing tribute to the life and music of David Bowie, full of glitter and glam.
TICKET INFORMATION – on sale now
- www.CincinnatiArts.org
- (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
- Aronoff Center Ticket Office
- Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4155
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 