The spring season for Alonzo King LINES ballet is as ambitious as it is beautiful.
LINES dancer Ilaria Guerra
No one ever said Alonzo King likes to keep things tame. The legendary SF choreographer and founder of LINES Ballet will again show why this month with a triple bill of performances, including a world premiere by King, a reimagined staging of The Collective Agreement and a return to King’s 2013 work, Concerto for Two Violins.
LINES dancer Josh Francique
Alonzo King’s celebrated work, The Collective Agreement, is his acclaimed collaboration with jazz pianist Jason Moran. The San Francisco Ballet originally commissioned the production for the 2018 Unbound Festival and later staged by the National Ballet of Canada. Patrons will see a piece that undergoes a renewed journey as King infuses it with new depth and resonance as he leads his dance troupe. “When a ballet is done by other dancers, it still holds up as beautiful,” King says. “But when you have artists who are able to read your every gesture and absorb your consciousness, it’s a completely different message.”
LINES dancer Theo Duff-Grant
King’s world premiere performance moves to the music of Bernice Johnson Reagon and a curated collection of Black spirituals. Concerto for Two Violins weaves the layers of fugue and counterpoint from Johann Sebastian Bach’s 1730 work into metaphors representing human relationships. On Sunday, April 5, the company hosts a Family Experience for kids ages 4 to 12, with a dance workshop and a sneak peek of LINES dancers in rehearsal. King will discuss his work during post-performance Q&As on April 10 and April 11.
LINES Ballet also hosts its annual gala this month. Look for an inspirational evening of dance featuring LINES Ballet’s premiere performance of King’s work, The Collective Agreement, along with a memorable cocktail reception and dinner. Spring Season Performances, April 5-14, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Blue Shield of California Theater, 700 Howard St.; LINES Ballet 2024 Gala, April 6, 6 p.m., Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Blue Shield of California Theater, 700 Howard St., linesballet.org
Photography by: RJ MUNA
