If Arthur Mitchell, thanks to his mentor George Balanchine, demonstrated to the world in the 1950s that a Black artist could also access the code of classical ballet, thirty years later another Black dancer, Desmond Richardson, further contributed to breaking down the barriers between different dance languages. With his exceptional talent and unique personality, he made versatility an essential quality for today’s dancer, regardless of training, cultural background, or race.
Richardson arrived at professional dance through a journey that began with the vernacular dances of his family (mixing African and Caribbean roots) and transitioned to club dances and videodance (as seen in Michael Jackson's "Bad"). He, too, had two great mentors: Alvin Ailey and William Forsythe. From Ailey, he learned the importance of versatility: “If you can sing, you should sing; if you can act, you should act. You must bring all of this to the stage: that’s what will set you apart.” From Forsythe, he gained not only improvisation techniques but also the ability to combine academic discipline with the impulses of one’s body and mind: “Only classical dancers,” he notes, “know how to channel their energies properly.”
Thus, in 1997, Richardson was named Principal Dancer of the American Ballet Theatre—the first Black dancer in the history of the renowned New York classical company—where he starred in Lubovitch’s "Othello," played Carabosse in "The Sleeping Beauty," and excelled in Duato’s "Remanso." He then embarked on a new adventure on Broadway, performing as the star in the celebration of the legendary jazz choreographer in the musical "Fosse."
What makes Richardson a significant figure in today’s dance scene is his commitment to using his star quality to serve an artistic and cultural idea that embodies one of the moral dictates of American identity: transcending differences and breaking down boundaries. In 1994, together with choreographer Dwight Rhoden, he founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet, aiming to create a mélange of races. He emphasized that this did not impact the choreography, except in the sense that each individual brings something unique to dance, which is not determined by skin color but by personal identity.
In fifteen years of activity, Complexions has forged many extraordinary dancers, consistently highlighting their versatility and personality, as well as the natural glamour of a group of artists from diverse origins and cultural backgrounds, all capable of sharing the same vision of the art of dance. This is clearly seen in the choreographies by Rhoden and Richardson featured at Oriente Occidente, where the diversity of skin color, physical morphology, and dynamic qualities of the ensemble transforms into a continuous celebration of the most positive and vital values of being human: the sharing of a common ideal, a shared belief in beauty, generosity, and the hope for a world and a way of living freely.
http://www.complexionsdance.org/
