Alonzo King and a New Style of Dance

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Renowned choreographer Alonzo King is the Balanchine of a new style of dance, his style of dance, a style shying away from the expected and catapulting its audience into a state of wonderment. Alonzo King uses sharp lines intertwined with severe movements all engaging a classical technique in order to create movements, unseen to the dance world. King’s impressive résumé includes having trained with a number of world-renowned ballet companies, and setting works on an even more substantial number of companies, along with establishing his own celebrated company: Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet in San Francisco, California. Alonzo King began dancing at a young age in Santa Barbara, California. He continued his training in New York at the Harkness School of Ballet, Alvin Ailey Dance School, and then the American Ballet Theatre School and School of American Ballet as a scholarship student. After his training he apprenticed at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and performed with a number of companies, many of which were from Europe. Shortly after, he returned to California where he began his LINES Ballet Company in San Francisco, California. King introduced his first season in 1982 by reviving a piece “Maya”, which he originally choreographed and set on the South Coast Contemporary Dance Theatre. From that point on, the company continued its growth and creation of a fresh spin on an incredibly old technique. In the dance world a staggering number of choreographers have made a lasting impact on the way dance is seen to its audience. Alonzo King’s exceptional oeuvre of work includes him in this great history of significant choreographers. He not only created the link between modern and ballet in the twentieth century, but he bridged the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ce, or to better sum it up: “Alonzo King's choreography is a call to the spirit, and also an intimate form of listening for the spirit's response” (Linesballet.org). Works Cited Asantewaa, Eva Yaa. "Alonzo King LINES Ballet." Dance Magazine. 08 May 2012: n. page. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. . Jensen, Jill Nunes. "Transcending Gender in Ballet’s LINES." When Men Dance: Choreographing Masculinities Across Borders (2009): 118. Keen, Laurel. E-mail Interview. Feb 2009. “Alonzo King: Dancing with the Moon” 2008. The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. 10 Feb 2014 . “Repertoire.” Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. LINES Ballet. 10 Feb 2014 . Ulrich, Allan. “The King of Lines.” Dance Magazine. Ed. Allan Ulrich. November 2007. Macfadden Performing Arts Media LLC. 9 Feb 2014 .

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