Model and Strategy
LINES Ballet is built upon the philosophy that art lives within all of us, and is revealed through self-reflection, inquisition, exploration, and transformation. The creation of dance isn’t rooted in the body; it comes from expanding the mind and heart. The body just serves as a vehicle to make visible thought and change, while inspiring audiences to embark on their own process of discovery.
Through the diversity of the company and its collaborators, LINES Ballet aims to break down barriers often associated with classical ballet, while attracting and connecting a wider audience to the transformative power of dance.
This project features the creation and performance of three new ballets, each with a unique artistic partner: poet and endangered language documentarian Bob Holman, Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, and the adventurous Kronos Quartet. Engagement activities will allow the artists to share their creative process and connect it to the everyday experiences of the public.
LINES Ballet’s 2017/18 Season includes three collaborative partners. In Spring 2017, Alonzo King will create a new work with Bob Holman using a sound score comprised of recorded text of at-risk languages, alongside music played on traditional instruments. In Spring 2018, King and Zakir Hussain will collaborate on a new ballet to celebrate the intersection of dance and tabla music, and the evolution of their partnership. In Fall 2018, King will partner with Kronos Quartet for a premiere to honor LINES Ballet’s 35th and Kronos’ 45th anniversary in San Francisco.
Impact
The immediate impact of the project will be to audiences at the public performances, events, and online activities, as well as to Alonzo King LINES Ballet and the participating artists.
The impact of each collaboration will be expanded through the touring of each work, giving the ballets life beyond their premieres. LINES Ballet reaches over 30,000 individuals through over tour performances nationally and internationally each year. Over time, the three collaborations involved in this project may reach over 100,000 additional audience members. The works may eventually be taught to LINES Ballet education program students, during or after the award period, expanding the artistic scope of the project.
Lastly, impact may be expanded through the evolution of the partnerships with each collaborator. Many past artistic partners have continued their relationship with LINES Ballet beyond their initial collaboration, returning to work together again in many different capacities.
Leadership
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Alonzo King
Artistic Director