Since 1954, Dance Magazine has celebrated the living legends among us with the Dance Magazine Awards. This year, in light of deep reflections on racial equity inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the selection committee decided to take a close look at exactly who the magazine has honored over the past seven decades. Unsurprisingly, […]
The piqué arabesque is a ballet staple that looks deceptively simple. At Alonzo King LINES Dance Center, LeeWei Chao uses the image of standing on the edge of a cliff to inspire correct alignment, emphasizing a strong supporting side so that dancers avoid tilting and dipping forward. “Your body energy goes up,” he says. “Stay […]
While finishing his degree at the Alonzo King LINES Ballet/Dominican University BFA Program, Michael Montgomery was asked to join the company. In his initial rehearsals, he learned to speak up—and how to push his limits. “At first, I got caught up in trying to please the director. I was working on Rasa, and Alonzo had […]
A conversation with choreographer Alonzo King Alonzo King recently celebrated his 30th anniversary as a force in the San Francisco dance community and beyond. Since founding Alonzo King LINES Ballet in 1982, his undulating and often philosophical contemporary ballets have been performed by major international companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Béjart Ballet Lausanne […]