LINES Ballet Celebrates Over 40 Years of Groundbreaking Contemporary Dance
Since 1982, Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been celebrated as a ground-breaking contemporary ballet company, guided by the artistic vision of the acclaimed choreographer for which it is named. Collaborating with noted composers, musicians, writers and visual artists from across the globe, King draws on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. He has been heralded as a visionary and thought leader on topics that reach well beyond dance, receiving numerous accolades such as a 2020 Dance Magazine Award. The company brings new works of illuminating beauty to Bay Area audiences in bi-annual home seasons. LINES Ballet’s national and international tours allow the company to share its vision of transformative, revelatory dance through performances worldwide. LINES Ballet has demonstrated a dedication to training the next generation of artists through its pre-professional Summer Program, Training Program, Teens Program (Teens at LINES), and Bachelor of Fine Arts Program with Dominican University of California.
“The term LINES alludes to all that is visible in the phenomenal world. There is nothing that is made or formed without a line,” said King, “Straight and Circle encompass all that we see. Whatever can be seen is formed by a line. In mathematics it is a straight or curved continuous extent of length without breadth. Lines are in our fingerprints, the shapes of our bodies, constellations, geometry. It implies genealogical connection, progeny and spoken word. It marks the starting point and a finish. It addresses direction, communication, and design. A line of thought. A boundary or eternity. A melodic line. The equator. From vibration or dot to dot it is the visible organization of what we see.”
Forty years of outstanding, multi-disciplinary collaborations for the stage place the LINES Ballet company at the forefront of artistic innovation in ballet. With each collaboration, LINES investigates deeply rooted affinities between Western and Eastern classical forms, elemental materials, the natural world, and the human spirit.
LINES Ballet’s spring and fall home seasons and global tours share this vision of transformative, revelatory dance with 50,000+ audience members worldwide every year. The Company has been featured at venues such as the Venice Biennale, Monaco Dance Forum, Maison de la Dance de Lyon, the Edinburgh International Festival, Montpellier Danse, the Wolfsburg Festival, the Holland Dance Festival, and most recently the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris. Learn more about the company at linesballet.org.
