Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Combining a classical technique with personal intervention, Alonzo King lifts his performers to a non-stop dance becoming a staggering articulation of bodies.

Merging classical technique with his unique artistic vision, Alonzo King elevates his dancers into an infinite realm of movement, where their bodies create a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic interplay.
In 1982, Alonzo King settled in San Francisco and founded LINES Ballet, which has since become one of the most influential dance companies in the world. Celebrated both in the United States and internationally, Alonzo King frequently collaborates with opera, television, and film, and is regularly invited to work with the world’s leading dance companies. William Forsythe has praised him as «one of the few true ballet masters of our time.» A devoted admirer of Balanchine, King seamlessly bridges tradition and modernity, crafting an innovative, sensual, and dynamic dance style that showcases the extraordinary technical virtuosity of his performers.

A visionary choreographer, Alonzo King is renowned for his ability to bring audiences together with a deep sense of humanity and freedom. Through his collaborations with artists from different disciplines and cultures, he offers work that is always new and enriched by cultural diversity. His artistic exploration is endless and essential, as it leads to what unites us as human beings: empathy, joy, and the capacity for transcendence.

During the 2024-2025 season, Alonzo King LINES Ballet will unveil two creations as part of an event year dedicated to the rich musical legacy of jazz pianist and composer Alice Coltrane. This celebration intertwines various pieces with her evocative music, honoring the Coltrane family’s profound influence on jazz and beyond.

The programme, choreographed to the music from Alice Coltrane’s legendary album Journey In Satchidananda, as well as an original composition by Ravi Coltrane, paying homage to his mother’s enduring legacy, will be showcased from September 26th to 29th, 2024. It will also be performed with a creation based on the score of Ma Mère l’Oye by Maurice Ravel.

Following these premieres, the company will perform at the Torino Danza Festival in Italy in October 2024, before heading to the Maison de la Danse in Lyon for a series of performances in November 2024. Their tour will then continue across Spain, France, and Switzerland for three weeks.

In early May, Alonzo King will collaborate with the acclaimed musician Ambrose Akinmusire, a rising star on the international music scene, to create a brand-new work. This program will also feature Scheherazade, a piece originally commissioned by the Monaco Dance Forum and created in 2012.

« Through a dance that is as aesthetic as it is earthy, dazzling in its virtuosity, (…) he develops forms of sublime rituals that connect the intimate with the universal, the carnal with the spiritual. »

Jérémy Bernède, Midi Libre

« The dancers, rigorously trained in ballet, dedicate tehir craft to profoundly modern performance, infused witha classicism that enhances its brillance. »

Peter Avondo, L’œil d’Olivier

« Alonzo King masterfully blends classical and contemporary dance to create a work of striking aesthetic beauty. […] With meticulous attention to sets, costumes, and lighting, and a distinctive, feline movement style that is the choreographer’s hallmark. »

Gil Martin, Metropolitain