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Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet at the Joyce
Troupe makes rare East Coast appearance at the Joyce Theater
Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet in Dust and Light with dancers Meredith Webster and Keelan Witmore (Photo: Weiferd Watts)
“Legs for days” and “sharp as a whip” are both clear, animating features, and in the case of Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet they aptly describe the whole company. Known for King’s provocative choreography and the dancers’ immaculate precision, LINES Ballet has a longstanding reputation for being invigorating and exciting.
Their New York Season at the Joyce Theater, May 5–10, will feature Rasa, choreographed by King in 2007, which is set to the tabla music of renowned musician Zakir Hussain. The third collaboration between King and Hussain, Rasa relies on the rhythmic beats, chimes and percussive depth of the score. The program will also include the New York premiere of Dust and Light, which made its world premiere last month during the company’s San Francisco season.
Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet was formed in 1982 and tours internationally—this will be their only East Coast stop—with their stylistic fusion inspired by classical ballet and multi-disciplinary dance. With a home base in San Francisco, they also offer dance training (at the LINES Ballet School) and education (through a partnership with Dominican University of California).
They are clean and structured, but their movement is fluid and seemingly independent of any one dance definition. This may be why LINES Ballet continually seems fresh, uncontrived and thrilling to audiences all over the world.