-
Georgia
Born 1952 -
Training
Began dance training with June Lane after he moved to Santa Barbra, California -
Continued Training
New York City: Harkness School of Ballet, Alvin Ailey School, American Ballet Theatre School, and School of American Ballet -
Goodbye New York
Left New York City in 1981 for San Francisco -
Early Performing Experiences
Apprenticeship with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, brief engagements with the Harkness Youth Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Bella Lewitzky, Donald McKayle, and several European compaines -
Hello San Francisco
1982; Decided his passion lay in creating works of choreography and he founded Alonzo King's LINES Ballet -
2005
Named a Master Choreography by the Kennedy Center. Was also awarded an honorary Doctorate by Dominican University of California, the Green Honors Chair Professorship from Texas Christian University and an honorary Doctorate from CalArts -
2007
San Francisco Foundation's Community Leadership Award -
2008
October: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom presented the 2nd Annual Mayor's Art Award -
2012
Renowned for his skill as a teacher, King was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Corps de Ballet International Teacher Conference -
October 2012
San Francisco Museum & Historical Society named him a "San Francisco Treasure" -
2013
Received the Barney Choreographic Prize from White Bird Dance -
2014
Appointed to the advisory council of the newly established Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University -
2015
Received the Doris Duke Artist Award in celebration of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of contemporary dance. Joining historic icons in the field, he was named one of America's "Irreplaceable Dance Treasures" by the Dance Heritage Coalition -
Art Songs (2016)
Most recent repertoire (on the website) is Art Songs, which premiered November 2nd, 2016. In which, Israeli mezzo-soprano Maya Lahyani, lends her voice to the collaboration with Alonzo King. Lahyani, a 2010 grand finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the recipient of an Alder Fellowship at San Francisco Opera, is fast and becoming one of the most sought-after young singers today
Found on the Alonzo King LINES Ballet website -
Works in the repertories
Royal Swedish Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Ballet Bejart, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Hong Kong Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and many others -
Collaborations with...
Distinguished visual artists, musicians, and composers across the globe including legendary jazz saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders, Hamza al Din, Pawel Szymanski, Jason Moran, Charles Llyod, Mezzo soprano Maya Lahyani, architech Chris Haas, and tabla master Zakir Hussain -
BFA
His training philosophy undergrids the educational programming at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center of San Francisco, which includes the pre-professional Training Program, Summer Program, and the BFA Program at the Dominican University of California