Courtesy photo.
Deep River fuses contemporary and modern dance in a performance scored by composer Jason Moran and featuring the vocals of Lisa Fischer
SUMMARY
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- Fri, April 26 | 8 p.m. | Arlington Theatre (note new venue)
- LINES Ballet Artistic Director Alonzo King presents an evening of genre-defying dance marked by daring technique and rich visuals
- Alonzo King graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1969
- Deep River features a mesmerizing score by Jason Moran that combines elements of Jewish music with African-American spirituals
- Vocals are by Grammy winner Lisa Fischer (20 Feet From Stardom, Rolling Stones backup singer)
- $100 Gold Circle (preferred seating) / $65 / $50 / $35 / $19 UCSB students (Current student ID required)
- Tickets & Info: www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu
“King is one of the few bona fide visionaries in the ballet world today.” San Francisco Chronicle
“Deep River soars along a highway to the heavens, taking us on a journey from chaos and despair to revelation and deliverance.” See Chicago Dance
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Alonzo King LINES Ballet on Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. Blurring the lines between classical and contemporary, San Francisco-based Alonzo King LINES Ballet is renowned for its impeccable technique, captivating dancers and rich visual works. Alonzo King’s newest creation, Deep River, uses spiritual music from Black and Jewish traditions alongside original compositions by Jason Moran to assert the power of hope in the face of seemingly impossible odds. Renowned singer Lisa Fischer provides stirring vocals. The piece premiered last year to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary and is described by King as a reminder that “love is the ocean that we rose from, swim in, and will one day return to” – and that love can set us free.
Alonzo King (Class of ‘69) joins Martha Graham as a distinguished figure in dance who graduated from Santa Barbara High School.
ABOUT ALONZO KING LINES BALLET
Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary dance company that has been guided since 1982 by the unique artistic vision of Alonzo King. Alonzo King LINES Ballet has collaborated with noted composers, musicians and visual artists from around the world to create performances that alter the way we look at ballet today. Its unique artistic vision adheres to the classical form – the linear, mathematical and geometrical principles that are deeply rooted in the pre-existing East-West continuum.
ABOUT ALONZO KING
Alonzo King has been called a visionary choreographer who is altering the way we look at ballet. King 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. Named as a choreographer with “astonishing originality” by The New York Times, Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been guided by his unique artistic vision since 1982.
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 across 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.
King was honored with a Dance Magazine Award in 2020. He has received Honorary Doctorates from The Juilliard School, Dominican University of California and California Institute of the Arts in recognition of his significant contribution to the field of dance. Renowned for his skill as a teacher, King was also honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Corps de Ballet International Teacher Conference in 2012. Joining historic icons in the field, King was named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition. An internationally acclaimed guest ballet master, his training philosophy undergirds the educational programming at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center of San Francisco, which includes the pre-professional Training Program, Summer Program, and the BFA Program at Dominican University of California.
ABOUT UCSB ARTS & LECTURES
Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A&L annually presents more than a hundred public events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and the general public.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures in association with UCSB Department of Theatre & Dance
Dance Series Sponsors: Donna Fellows & Dave Johnson, Margo Cohen-Feiberg, Barbara Stupay and Sheila Wald
Special Thanks: Santa Barbara Independent
For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535 or purchase online at www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu.
Tickets are $100 Gold Circle (preferred seating) / $65 / $50 / $35 / $19 UCSB students (Current student ID required) (An Arlington facility fee will be added to each ticket price)
Tickets are also available through the Arlington box office at (805) 963-4408 and AXS.
UCSB Arts & Lectures gratefully acknowledges our Community Partners the Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli for their generous support of the 2023-2024 season.