Alonzo King


Alonzo King, born in Georgia to civil-rights activists Slater King and Valencia King Nelson, is an American dancer and choreographer based in San Francisco, CA. King, who was raised in California, completed dance training at New York based ballet schools and performed with The Dance Theater of Harlem and other dance companies until 1980/1981.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet

In 1982, upon relocating back to California, King founded LINES Ballet, which premiered at the San Francisco State's McKenna Theater. LINES Ballet performs home season at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco; and also maintains an international touring schedule including a recent set of performances in Hong Kong of The Propelled Heart in September 2017.

Awards and Recognition

King is the recipient of numerous awards including an NEA choreographic fellowship, San Francisco Mayor's Award, a Jacob's Pillow Creativity Award, and Kennedy Center Master of Choreography which was awarded in 2005. He holds Honorary Doctorates from the Julliard School and Dominican University of California, and has a Green Honors Chair Professorship from Texas Christian University.
In addition to his work for LINES Ballet, King's choreography is also in the repertoire of other dance companies including The Royal Swedish Ballet, Ballet Frankfurt, Ballet Béjart, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hong Kong Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

Selected Works