Alonzo King is really doing something amazing with Lines Ballet.  King’s choreography goes beyond flawless technique and really reflects artistry at it’s best.  And, even at its most untamed version yet, the dancers of Lines Ballet fully take on King’s quirky, soulful, and distinctive vocabulary in a way that seems innate and organic in their bodies.

The first part of the program is a work choreographed by Alonzo King entitled Signs and Wonders. This ballet, performed to a score of Traditional African music, fully lives up to its name with an eclectic blend of African rhythms, classical ballet vocabulary, and exquisite contemporary flare from dancers with jaw-dropping technique. Speaking of jaw-dropping, Corey Scott-Gilbert and Ashley Jackson truly own this phrase without a doubt. Corey Scott-Gilbert has a tantalizing presence that completely draws you into his long sleek lines, swift maneuvers through space, and incredible extension.  Dually, Ashley Jackson’s focus, effortless attack of the space, and simply beautiful artistry singles her out as a fierce diva.  What makes this piece so wonderful is the dancers sensual approach to pointe work, swift footwork, and sensitivity to Alonzo’s unique musicality.

The second part of the evening consists of a 45-minute ballet, Dust and Light.  Dust and Light takes you on a spell-bounding journey to a place that feels like Egypt.  Set to a beautiful, goosebumpy, classical score by Francis Poulenc and Arcangelo Corelli, the work is designed with a quirky and unusually fitting approach to classical music. Alonzo King has a way of using his work to make classical music that much more magical!  When I think of stand-out moments in this piece, Caroline Rocher’s humble yet stunning quality in her movement as well as Laurel Keen and Brett Conway’s brilliant duet come to mind.

My initials thoughts of the evening, aside from being overwhelmed by the company’s dancers, was that although they are classified as being in the contemporary ballet world, Lines Ballet is really in a league of their own.  As a fellow performing artist, I am deeply inspired and moved by King’s work and look forward to seeing more of his work in the years to come!

iDANZ Critix Corner
Official Dance Review by Simone Sobers
Performance:  Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet
Choreography:  Alonzo King
Venue:  Lehman Center for the Performing Arts
Show Date:  January 10, 2010
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Elegant and Extraordinary Contemporary Dance Company
Makes its Bronx Debut

Sunday, January 10, 2010 at 6pm
All students and seniors pay only $10 for any seat!

Bronx, NY – Lehman Center for the Performing Arts delivers the world of dance to the Bronx with Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet of San Francisco.
This celebrated contemporary ballet company offers a unique global artistic vision that includes rich collaborations with composers, musicians, and visual artists.  Alonzo King’s visionary choreography is renowned for its ability to connect audiences to a profound sense of shared humanity — of vulnerability and tenderness, but also of furious abandon and exhilarating freedom.   The Company has been featured at several prestigious festivals, including Montpellier Danse and the Holland Dance Festival.  The extraordinary quality of the dancers continues to receive glowing reviews in the US and abroad: in France, Le Monde described the performance as “a vision that remains inscribed in memory” as dancers “glide from one halo of light to the next… with distilled grace,” while The Village Voice compared the dancers to “diamonds — twisting in the light or rapidly scratching complex codes on glass.”

Tickets for ALONZO KING’S LINES BALLET are $35, $30 & $25 (tickets for all students and seniors are only $10, any seat) and can be purchased through 24 hour online access at www.LehmanCenter.org or by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Mon. through Fri. 10am-5pm; Tues 10am-7pm and beginning at 12 noon on the day of the concert).  Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd., and is right off several major highways, including the Henry Hudson Parkway, the Saw Mill River Parkway and Major Deegan Expressway.  Free on-site parking is available.
Lehman Center, the Bronx’s premier concert hall for international dance, continues its stellar season with the BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DE MÉXICO DE AMALIA HERNÁNDEZ appearance (Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 4pm) and many more future events.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.  Lehman Center also receives support from the New York State Council on the Arts.  “Signs and Wonders” was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Masterpieces: Dance initiative, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts.

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