Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to Chicago for the first time in 18 years with “Stardust: From Bach to Bowie” at the Auditorium Theater on February 3.

The first half features five works of repertoire by Founding Co-artistic Director and Principal Choreographer, Dwight Rhoden, and Assistant Choreographer and Co-Founder, Desmond Richardson. The performance features recorded soundtracks from or inspired by the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras of Western music, with lighting design by Michael Korsch and Costume design by Christine Darch and DRSquared.

Dancemakers must wear many hats. Choreographer, performer, producer, director, marketer, floor builder (tap dancers know what I’m talking about!) Add filmmaker to the list.

See Chicago Dance doesn’t just help Chicagoans see dance, but helps dancers be seen. Now in its third year, the SCD Dance for Camera (D4C) program returns with the goal of providing the basic tools of filmmaking for aspiring dancers to learn the ins and outs of producing dance on film.

Historically, ballet doesn't have the most shining record for female empowerment and is replete with anti-feminist views. It's no walk in the park being a woman in the world of ballet, with pressure to be slender, beautiful, graceful, and feminine.

Stiff competition for leads and solos gives men, fewer in numbers, an unfair advantage with more prominent casting a higher salary scale.  In fact, the Dance Development Project reports a mere 22.9% of new work of the top 50 biggest ballet companies in the U.S. are by women artists.

Same Planet Performance Project thrives in the absurd with its newest work, Dingbat, choreographed by Artistic Director Joanna Read. Dingbat was presented at SPPP’s home base: The Garage at Dovetail Studios. "In a world that is both absurd and complex....instead of breaking we find ways to exist,” (Dingbat press release, 2024)  SPPP not only exists within this absurd and complex world, but in its 27th year of creating work in Chicago, it is apparent that they continue to thrive.

Absent from Chicago since 2006, Complexions Contemporary Ballet (CCB) returns to present “Star Dust: From Bach To David Bowie” at the Auditorium Theatre at 7:30pm, February 3. The first half of the evening will present a sampling of excerpts from their 30-year-long histoy, including “Chaconne,” “Choke,”  “Pocket Symphony,” “Elegy,” “Work It Out" and the critically acclaimed "Star Dust."  Each piece has been chosen to reintroduce and highlight the diverse strengths of CCB and to share a common theme of classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach.