Dwight Rhoden

Dwight Rhoden is the founding artistic director/resident choreographer of Complexions Contemporary Ballet Company, a leading dance company known for its multicultural, cutting-edge and courageous programming. His work has been presented on five continents in over 20 countries, appearing in prestigious theatres across the globe, including The Joyce Theatre, Mariinksy Theatre, BAM and Cairo Opera House, to name a few. Rhoden was a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and has earned distinction from The New York Times as "one of the most sought-out choreographers of the day."

A native of Dayton, OH, who began dancing at age 17, Rhoden has performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal and as a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As a performer, he has appeared in numerous television specials, documentaries and commercials throughout the United States, Canada and Europe and has been a featured performer on many PBS “Great Performances” specials. In 1994, Rhoden and legendary dancer Desmond Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet (CCB). Together they brought their unique brand of contemporary dance to the world for over two decades. CCB is widely considered as “America’s Original Multicultural Dance Company,” and is celebrated for its pioneering spirit and the building of a universal brand that continues to challenge traditional ideas and redefine possibilities in the dance arena.

Rhoden's work has filled some of the most prestigious theaters across the globe including, The Joyce Theater (New York City), The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (Los Angeles), BAM (Brooklyn), The Auditorium Theater (Chicago), The Arts Center (Australia), Cairo Opera House (Egypt), Maison De La Danse and Isle De Dance Festival (France), Telaviv Opera House (Israel), Holland Dance Festival (Netherlands), The ASB Theater (New Zealand), The Bolshoi Theater and The Marinsky Theater (Russia), and Grand Theatre De Geneva (Switzerland) to name a few.

“Musicality, innovation, purpose, consistency, a brilliant use of stage space and the ability to tell a story—all these qualities make him [Rhoden] one of today's elect choreographers," (Los Angeles Times)

Mr. Rhoden has also directed and choreographed for TV, film, theater and live performances including So You Think You Can Dance, E! Entertainment’s “Tribute to Style," Cirque du Soleil’s "Zumanity," and the feature film One Last Dance. He has collaborated with many high-profile artists including Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson, ELEW, David Rozenblatt, Nicholas Payton, The Drifters, Paul Simon, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, U2, The Turtle Creek Chorus, and Patrick Swayze. Rhoden was commissioned to create a work for the centennial celebration of reknowned collage artist Romare Bearden.

“Rhoden’s work is post-Balanchinean choreography, a new aesthetic in movement, stage, picture, and performance concepts reflecting a post-modern, techno-savvy worldview,” (Dance Magazine). Widely known as “a dancer’s choreographer,” Rhoden has worked with, coached and created for some of the most diverse artists spanning the worlds of ballet and contemporary dance including legendary dance artists Carmen de Lavallade, Wendy Whelan, Maria Kowroski, Diana Vishneva, Desmond Richardson, Sandra Brown, Jodie Gates, and Gus Solomons Jr., to name a few. Mr. Rhoden served as Resident Choreographer of North Carolina Dance Theatre and has lectured, taught, created works for and served as Artist in Residence at universities around the United States including New York University, Juilliard, UC Irvine, Skidmore College and The University of Mississippi, where his 2004 Racial Reconciliation Project was credited as a catalyst for dialogue in a community that has been historically divided.

Rhoden is a beneficiary recipient of various honors and awards including the New York Foundation for the Arts Award, The Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, and The Ailey School’s Apex Award in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.