About the Event

“Deep River soars along a highway to the heavens, taking us on a journey from chaos and despair to revelation and deliverance.” — See Chicago Dance 

Grounded on more than 40 years of thought-provoking dance, master choreographer Alonzo King’s unique artistic vision honors and advances the classical form—the linear, mathematical, and geometrical principles deeply rooted in the East-West continuum. Witness King’s genius in his sought-after work, Deep River, a collaboration with MacArthur Fellow composer Jason Moran and Grammy®-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer.  

Deep River is a call to keep hope, to make the lotus bloom in the mud, and to look at each other as a family of souls. Created over three years and throughout the pandemic, Deep River is a piece written with the heart, a love letter to a world writhing in pain, served by exceptional dancers.  

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Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company 

Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the artistic vision of acclaimed choreographer Alonzo King. Collaborating with extraordinary composers, musicians, writers, and visual artists from around the world, 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 far 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 biannual home seasons, alongside touring nationally and internationally  

LINES Ballet is dedicated to training the next generation of artists through its pre-professional summer program, training program, and bachelor of fine arts program with Dominican University of California. LINES makes dance accessible to Bay Area adults and youth through world-class, affordable classes open to the community and free in-school education programs. The company also produced a new film series, There Is No Standing Still, which The New York Times and The Guardian included in their respective “Best Dance of 2020” lists. 

Alonzo King 

Alonzo King, founder and artistic director of Alonzo King LINES Ballet, has been called a visionary choreographer, who is altering the way we look and think about movement. Named as a choreographer with “astonishing originality” by The New York Times, King has created works for Ballett Frankfurt, Alvin Ailey, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Maurice Béjart, Hong Kong Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Joffrey Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Rambert Dance Company, National Ballet of Canada, and many others. 

Named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, King is the recipient of the NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, the United States Artist Award in Dance, the Bessie Award, and the National Dance Project’s Residency and Touring Awards. In 2015, he received the Doris Duke Artist Award for his contributions to contemporary dance advancement. Joining historic icons in the field, King was named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition. He is a recipient of the San Francisco Arts Medallion Award, and has been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. King holds honorary doctorates from Dominican University, California Institute of the Arts, and The Juilliard School. 

Dance Series Sponsors 

Betty Hum & Alan Yudell and Karen & John Voris