Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Wikidata P18)
Alonzo King
Born January 1, 1952 in Georgia, United States (74 years old)
Ballet
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. King grew up in Georgia and California, where he attended Santa Barbara High School. As an adult, he decided to pursue teaching and choreography. In 1982, having established himself as a well-respected teacher, he founded Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Believing that everyone has the potential to grow through dance, seven years later he opened what was then known as the San Francisco Dance Center, offering classes for both professionals and the community.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
3 Principal Houses
Spotlight
Career Trajectory
Alonzo King emerged as a transformative voice in contemporary dance through his founding of LINES Ballet in San Francisco, where he has spent decades creating a distinctive choreographic language that marries classical ballet technique with influences drawn from world cultures and philosophical inquiry. His works, commissioned by major international companies and performed on stages worldwide, are distinguished by their architectural precision, emotional depth, and refusal of stylistic categorization. King's career represents a sustained artistic vision: the conviction that ballet remains a vital and evolving form when approached with intellectual rigor and genuine cultural engagement.
Career Highlight
Founded Alonzo King LINES Ballet (1987), establishing it as one of the world's most distinctive contemporary ballet companies and a laboratory for innovative choreography
Principal Houses
Engagements
Verified past & upcoming performances
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Available Performances
Additional recordings will appear here as the catalog expands.