Biography

Alonzo King, founder and artistic director of Alonzo King LINES Ballet, is a visionary choreographer altering the way we look and think about movement. He calls his works “thought structures” created by the manipulation of energies that exist in matter through laws, which govern the shapes and movement directions of everything that exists. Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been guided by his unique artistic vision since 1982.

Mr. King has works in the repertories of the world’s leading ballet and modern companies and has collaborated with distinguished visual artists, musicians, and composers around the globe. His work has been recognized for its impact on the cultural fabric of the company’s home in San Francisco, as well as internationally by the dance world’s most prestigious institutions.

Named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, Mr. King is the recipient of a NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, United States Artists Award in Dance, Bessie Award, and the National Dance Project’s Residency and Touring Awards. In 2015 he received the Doris Duke Artist Award in recognition of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of contemporary dance. Joining historic icons in the field, Mr. King was named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition. He is a former San Francisco commissioner and a writer and speaker on humanity and art. A recipient of the San Francisco Arts Medallion Award, and an inductee in the California Hall of Fame, Mr. King holds honorary doctorates from Dominican University, California Institute of the Arts, and the Juilliard School.