Alonzo King

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, and, as an adult, decided his contribution would be 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.

Alonzo holds Honorary Doctorate Degrees from The Juilliard School, California Institute of the Arts, and Dominican University of California.

In 1982, upon relocating back to California, King founded Alonzo King LINES Ballet, which premiered at the San Francisco State's McKenna Theater.

King is the recipient of numerous awards including an NEA choreographic fellowship, San Francisco Mayor's Award, a Jacob's Pillow Creativity Award, and Kennedy Center Master of Choreography which was awarded in 2005.

Sharing his choreography around the world, LINES Ballet performs bi-annual home seasons at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and also maintains an international touring schedule including a recent set of performances in Hong Kong of The Propelled Heart in September 2017.

In 2020, he was one of five honorees of the Dance Magazine Awards.

In addition to his work for LINES Ballet, King's choreography is also in the repertoire of other dance companies including The Royal Swedish Ballet, Ballet Frankfurt, Ballet Béjart, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hong Kong Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.