The Personal Element
choreography: Alonzo King
music: Jason Moran
costume design: Robert Rosenwasser
sound design: Philip Perkins
lighting design: Jim French
duration: 20’
premiere: Vail Dance Festival, San Francisco, 2019.
This evocative piece for 8 dancers offers the spectator the opportunity to marvel at the movements and choreographies, on a piano score by Jason Moran. "The Personal Element’s" clear and sober set and elegant costumes give prominence to the company’s choreography and expertise. The interaction between Moran’s piano and the dancers’ movement is a poetic invitation that allows each spectator to establish their own personal connection with the piece.
Azoth
choreography: Alonzo King
music: Charles Lloyd and Jason Moran
costume design: Robert Rosenwasser
sound design: Philip Perkins
lighting design, image technology: Jim French
duration: 50’
premiere: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, 2019.
Azoth was believed to be the essential agent of transformation in alchemy. It is the name given by ancient alchemists to mercury, the essence of life hidden in all matter that makes transmutation possible. The concept of transmuting lead into gold is a symbol of the very work of alchemy. The principle is to transform base metals, the Earth, into pure metals. Symbolically speaking, the Earth represents humanity. Transmitting lead into gold then means transforming the mind and heart into spiritual gold.
Alonzo King is a visionary choreographer who has changed the way we look at dance. He calls his work “thought structures” created by the manipulation of energies that exist in matter through laws which govern the shapes and movement directions of everything that exists. His work is known worldwide for connecting audiences to a profound sense of shared humanity. Heralded by William Forsythe as “one of the few, true Ballet Masters of our time,” King has works in the repertories of the Royal Swedish Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Ballet Béjart, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hong Kong Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and many others. He has collaborated with distinguished visual artists, musicians and composers across the globe. Renowned for his skill as a teacher, King was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Corp de Ballet international in 2012. His training philosophy undergirds the educational programming at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center of San Francisco. His work has been recognized for its impact on the cultural fabric of the company’s home in San Francisco, as well as nationally by the dance world’s most prestigious institutions. Named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, King is the recipient of NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, Jacob’s Pillow creativity Award, Irvine Fellowship in Dance, US Artist Award in Dance, National Dance Project’s Residency and Touring Award... In 2008, King received the SF Mayor’s Art Award. He also received Barney Choreographic Prize from White Bird Dance in 2013, as well as Isadora Duncan award, San Francisco Foundations’ 2007 Community Leadership Award, Lehman Award, and the Excellence Award. In 2012 the San Francisco Museum & Historical society named Alonzo King a “San Francisco Treasure.” In 2014, he was appointed to the advisory council of the newly established Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University; in 2015 he received the Doris Duke Artist Award in celebration of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of contemporary dance. Joining historic icons in the field, King was named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalitions in 2015.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the unique artistic vision of Alonzo King. Collaborating with noted composers, musicians, and visual artists from around the world, Alonzo King creates works that draw on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. Alonzo King
understands ballet as a science – founded on universal, geometric principles of energy and evolution –
and continues to develop a new language of movement from its classical forms and techniques. While the Company’s spring and fall home seasons bring new works of illuminating beauty to Bay Area audiences, LINES Ballet’s global tours allows sharing the vision of transformative, revelatory dance worldwide. LINES Ballet has been featured at venues such as the Venice Biennale, Monaco Dance Forum, Lyon’s Maison de la Dance, Edinburgh International Festival, Montpellier Danse, Wolfsburg Festival, Holland Dance Festival…
