Dance Review: Alonzo King, Change We Can Believe In

If you think all ballet looks the same, that is all centuries old or even died with Balanchine- think again.  See Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet and you will see things you have never seen.  You will continue to see in each moment things you have never witnessed and that you will never see in the same way again, and it will make you think.

Alonzo King is a god of the dance world, a contemporary classical dance genius.  Hearing him speak about dance is like listening to Obama about change, or Martin Luther King Jr. about equality, or Nelson Mandela about freedom.  I say “god” because he is ultimately a creator of something beyond comprehension.  Mr. King connects on a deeper intrinsic level to the human soul.

His craftsmanship is evidenced in the eloquent calligraphy written with his dancers, who own up to his choreography embracing each movement and expressing it within each owns physical voice.  Watching one dancer pirouette, spiraling the spine signaling a head roll continuously flowing into the next technical element, one is amazed by the seamless quality of the choreography.  Each dancer executes the movement with extreme focus, in tune with the highest life forces.  The dancers themselves are freaks of nature, but no movement is for show.  There is a higher purpose. 

Alonzo King’s choreography emphasizes dynamics: sustaining a position then becoming a blur of momentum, sharp and angular projections to swirling internally driven spirals.

In Dust and Light, King creates an exquisite piece with minimal costuming showing-off the beauty of the dancers’ body; the dancers are super human.  Organic, embodying life essences, they are also acutely aware of each other, pacing the stage, watching the given soloist with full attention.  Dancers exit the wings not as if they are leaving the stage, but purposefully, as if bound for an exotic journey.  It thrills to see dancers who push past their own limits, constantly challenging themselves to do more.  The dancers lack self consciousness, slipping almost falling a few times as they strive to out-do themselves, yet lost in the extremity of the movement.  

One of my favorite moments of the evening is in Rasa, one of King’s most popular repertory pieces.  In this signature jewel there is a wonderful duet in which the male and female interchangeably manipulate the other.  Beautiful variations of same movement convey a sense of struggle for equal playing field between the male and female.  Another interesting moment with the choreography occurs when two couples take the stage, but the partnering is unique- the two females are together, and the two males together. 

Balanchine believed that dance was an art beautiful for its own sake.  For him, ballet could have a story, though he is probably more known for his abstract ballets that emphasize beautiful shapes rhythmically coinciding with beautiful music.  Alonzo King’s choreography takes this a step further, challenging his dancers to make beautiful shapes that are distinct and descriptive.  Crawling on pointe, a dancer captures the elegant gait of a cougar.  The soft shape of a dancer’s hand signals the delicate leafing process of a tree in springtime. 

LINES Ballet is a beautiful must-see company of artists, a mainstay and powerful current in the world of modern concert dance.

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Lea McGowan
Performance: Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet
Choreography:  Alonzo King
Venue: The Joyce Theater, New York City
Performance Date:  Tuesday, May 5, 2009
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