Major Tom may not have returned to Planet Earth in David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” but Friday at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet returned to Boston for the first time in 13 years, with a “Bach to Bowie” program anchored by the company’s 2016 Bowie tribute “Star Dust.” The first half of the bill, a quintet of short pieces, is ground zero, but “Star Dust,” which Complexions presented at its Jacob’s Pillow debut in August 2023, has genuine escape velocity and might even find its way to the Major.
Complexions was founded in 1994 by former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater members Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, and 30 years later, they remain the artistic directors. Rhoden did all the choreography for “Bach to Bowie.” The program starts with an excerpt from “Bach 25,” which he created in 2019 as a celebration of the company’s 25th anniversary and of his favorite composer family. Friday, however, the Allegro assai of C.P.E. Bach’s A-major cello concerto emerged from the Majestic’s sound system at an unpleasantly high decibel level. And though the dancers in this five-minute company piece do evoke the joy of Bach, the choreography seems stuck between midlevel ballet and midlevel contemporary.
Odetta’s “Another Man Done Gone” inspired “Gone” (2000), where, jumping and leaping and jetéing, Michael Cherry, Aeron Buchanan, and Angelo De Serra spin variations on the man who “had a long chain on” before “they” killed him. Here Rhoden looks to be in his comfort zone. But then “Momentary Forevers” (2007) ventures into Jiří Kylián/sexual-politics territory. Set to a Handel/John Cage remix (again way too loud), the piece pairs Jillian Davis, in a deconstructed orange tutu, with Alberto Andrade. At six-foot-two and on pointe, she towers over him; their duet is stylized, formal. As she bourrées in a tight circle, he crouches and watches her from behind, and that causes a momentary rift. They reconnect and dance as before, still more acrobatic than ecstatic. At the end, it’s he who backs away and out.
“Pocket Symphony” (2023) gives us first one couple, then a second, then a third, to contemporary German composer Sven Helbig’s “Frost,” which could be music for a film score. At four minutes, it’s over almost before it begins. “Blood Calls Blood” (2023) looks to be more substantial; commissioned by the New Orleans Ballet Association, the piece is set to music from New Orleans native and 2005 Berklee grad Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah’s 2023 album “Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning.” Christian Burse starts it off; she’s followed by Boston Arts Academy and Boston Conservatory grad Joe González, Andrade, and finally Lucy Stewart. All four tap into Chief Adjuah’s West African/Native American vibe, if not the political message. They form couples, Burse with Andrade, Stewart with González, and dance briefly in unison. Then they’re in a line, hands out to the audience, and the excerpt has ended.
On Friday, these five pieces whizzed by in just 27 minutes, and the intermission that followed was nearly as long. “Star Dust” to the rescue. It begins with Bowie’s final single, “Lazarus” (2015), but the remaining eight numbers belong to the earlier stages of his career, ranging from “Changes” and “Life on Mars” (both 1971) to “Modern Love” (1983). Resident costumer Christine Darch has the women in sassy-colored leotards, with a kind of knee-length bodysuit for Davis, and the men in Bowie glam-rock; no two outfits are the same. From time to time, a gold beaded curtain descends by way of backdrop. The sound level Friday was entirely appropriate.
Each number sets a lip-synching point performer against a back-up ensemble. The lip-synching could seem a gimmick, but it’s done well, it draws attention to the lyrics, and the performers don’t just stand and sway out in front, they dance and are integrated with the ensemble. González conveys the agony of the ailing Bowie in “Lazarus”; at the end, his fellow men raise him up, as if to signal there’s life after death.
Or at least “Life on Mars.” Manuel Vaccaro’s search leads to push-ups and some crisp tours à la seconde; the ensemble women end this number by piqué-stepping off and then back on. “Space Oddity” finds Addison Ector’s Major Tom promenading on pointe while the ensemble looks hopefully to the heavens. A particularly glam Bilgude Ariunbold makes the prospect of an Orwellian “1984″ seem almost appealing as he follows his gleeful floor exercise with a nifty double tour and barrel turn; his back-up women, taking their cue from Ector, parade on pointe. After a wistful trio for Andrade, Buchanan, and Candy Tong and duet for Jasmine Heart Cruz and Miguel Solano, “Heroes” finishes in sober silence. A seemingly disaffected man walks down a line of downstage dancers facing the audience. As he reaches the end and is about to exit, he stumbles, and the woman who’s last in line catches him. Perhaps she’s the hero. He hugs her, then goes back down the line and hugs other dancers.
“Star Dust” peaks with “Modern Love,” an irrepressible, hip-swiveling Solano leading a back-up of strutting Broadway ballerinas in formations of dizzying invention and speed and energy. González and Davis, standout godparents to the piece, sound a warning note in “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” before the entire company celebrates being “Young Americans” with antics that include a prancing chorus line. Bowie’s not done: the clap-along curtain calls are taken to “Let’s Dance.” If Major Tom ever does get back to Earth, I expect he’ll want to join in.
BACH TO BOWIE
Performed by Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Presented by Global Arts Live. At Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Friday, Oct. 25.
Jeffrey Gantz can be reached at jeffreymgantz@gmail.com.
Jeffrey Gantz can be reached at jeffreymgantz@gmail.com.