Since 1982, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet has been revolutionizing the world of ballet in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. The company is known for its unique approach to choreography; at once dynamic and original, it is a synthesis of a variety of cultural traditions and classical ballet, yielding a vocabulary of movement that is unprecedented. In the past, King has collaborated with a diverse group, including celebrated tabla drum master Zakir Hussein, musicians and dancers from the Lobaye Forest of Central African Republic, and Shaolin monks.

The company performs annually in the spring and fall in the Bay Area, and tours worldwide during the rest of the year. They have been featured in dance festivals in Montpellier, Wolfsburg and Holland, and enjoyed success in Venice and France, among others. During the summer 2010 season, they will appear in South Korea, France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom presented the 2nd Annual Mayor’s Art Award to Alonzo King in October 2008, calling him a “San Francisco treasure”. He has been honored with numerous other awards, such as the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, the US Artists Fellowship (given to the 50 finest artists from all disciplines currently creating work in America), and the Bessie Award for Choreographer/Creator, the NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, the Irvine Dance Fellowship, and five Isadora Duncan awards.

The Alonzo King LINES Dance Center offers classes to teens and adults, honoring their commitment of education and community involvement. Alonzo King LINES Ballet School trains young ballet dancers through year-round and summer programs. Recently, King teamed up with Dominican University to offer a BFA program in dance. It is the only BFA program in the country that is led by an active, world-renowned choreographer.

For more information about LINES, visit them online: http://www.linesballet.org/