Alonzo King LINES Ballet

This Saturday, Michael Montgomery teaches LINES rep during our BFA Open House! RSVP: bit.ly/bfaopenhouse. This free online event for prospective students also includes ballet with faculty member Maurya Kerr and Q&A panel with program director Marina Hotchkiss, former BFA student/current company artist Ilaria Guerra, advisor Molly Rogers and a current BFA student. The video above is an excerpt from Alonzo King's Triangle of the Squinches, performed in 2011 by company artist Michael Montgomery with music by Mickey Hart, costumes by Robert Rosenwasser, and set design by Christopher Haas.

This weekend, we're hosting LINES Day Workshops in the *CST and BRT* time zones! Sign up: bit.ly/linesday. The virtual experience includes 6 hours of transformative training, including ballet, LINES Rep and improv/contemporary with our master faculty. Dancers can also use this immersive workshop as their audition for our 2021 Summer Program. To find the LINES Day in your time zone, visit: bit.ly/linesday. Dallas LINES Day Sat, Jan 16th 9am-3pm Central Standard Time (CST)... Faculty: Caroline Rocher Barnes, Erik Wagner Rio de Janiero LINES Day Sun, Jan 17th 9am-3pm Brasilia Time (BRT) Faculty: Keelan Whitmore, Maurya Kerr The above video is an excerpt from a 2019 Pre-Professional Summer Program rehearsal with choreographer Gregory Paul Dawson of Dawson Dance SF.

Karah Abiog, Keelan Whitmore, and LeeWei Chao share tips for virtual auditions on our blog: bit.ly/auditionadvice. "Don’t be afraid to give your perspective if/when asked. This helps the teacher get to know your thought process and depth of understanding." Keelan Whitmore. Karah, Keelan and LeeWei are members of the team teaching and adjudicating our LINES Day workshops, one of three methods for auditioning for the 2021 Summer Program.

We're hosting a Virtual Company Audition on Saturday, Feb 20th. Auditions are by invitation only. For consideration, please send materials by Friday, Feb 12th (by 11:59 PST) to Kara Wilkes (ballet master). For full application details, visit: linesballet.org/company/audition Photography: RJ Muna, featuring artists YuJin Kim and Zack Tang

The spring semester of our Teens Program starts this Saturday! Students can sign up to train with us on the weekends: bit.ly/TEENSlines. The above video features student artists from our Teens 3 performing a work they created in Choreo-Lab with faculty member Katie Zambia Roy. Music: "Iroh" by Sonn. Based in ballet and contemporary training, our virtual Teens Program offers three levels of training for young artists ages 11-17. Students are challenged in a supportive environm...ent that allows for maximum growth and personal discovery. Faculty Teens 1: Jordan Wanderer Teens 2: Brett Conway, Daiane Lopes da Silva, Kara Davis Teens 3: Brett Conway, Daiane Lopes da Silva, Victor Talledos Choreo-Lab: Katie Zambia Roy

Our next Kids weekly class sessions begin Monday! Details: bit.ly/AKLBkids. Our amazing teaching artists have been cooking up curriculums for 5-12 year olds in a range of dance styles. Classes run from the week of November 2 to the week of December 14. Free sessions available through the "One for Me, One for You Program." Mondays: Musical Theater with Joe Ayers Tuesdays: Ballet with Jordan Wanderer Wednesdays: Contemporary with Andi Salazar... Thursdays: Hip Hop with Jocelyn Reyes Photography: Lawrence Luk

Announcing our online Teens Thanksgiving Weekend Workshop. Details: bit.ly/thanksworkshop. Includes a three hour intensive session with Alonzo and features a powerful roster of past and present LINES Ballet company dancers: Adji Cissoko, Maurya Kerr, Keelan Whitmore and Babatunji Johnson. Nov 28-29. Ages 11-17. Drop ins and three class packages available.

"When I first began dancing, I had no idea that it was a profession, I just knew that it was an experience that made the outer world dim, and I felt larger and euphoric." Alonzo King. #MondayMindfulness Video excerpt courtesy of PBS NewsHour Filmed at The Aspen Institute’s Spotlight Health conference Featuring artists: YuJin Kim, Michael Montgomery and Robb Beresford

We caught up with Katie Scherman, inaugural BFA class alum. Visit our Blog (bit.ly/katiescherman) to read her reflections on working with Alonzo, living in Japan and her advice to students. "'You are perfect because you were born.' Alonzo said this to my class early on in our BFA experience. After years of believing whole heartedly that I was only perfect if I had the right legs, face, arms, stomach, I wept when Alonzo said this." - Katie Scherman (BFA '10).

Keelan Whitmore, Maya Lahyani and Meredith T Webster reminisce about the making of Constellation. Tomorrow is the last day to stream Act II. WATCH: linesballet.org/constellation. Witness these three make magic on stage together.

Our Ballet Master Kara Wilkes teaches a Teens Workshop this Sunday. Details: bit.ly/karateens. Kara'll share LINES rep online and coach students on composing and developing choreography that cultivates their individual artistry. At the closing Q&A, dancers can ask her any and all questions about working with Alonzo, life as professional dancer and performing around the world. Kara Wilkes was named one of 25 to Watch by Dance Magazine in 2009 and joined Alonzo Kin...g LINES Ballet in 2011. During her five seasons with LINES, Kara was recognized as one of 12 Standout Performances of 2015 by Pointe and performed in TEDWomen 2016. Music by Charles Lloyd and Jason Moran From Alonzo King’s SAND See more

This Friday, join us for Contemporary Jazz with Stacey Printz, Artistic Director of Printz Dance Project! Register: bit.ly/staceyprintz. Online at LINES Dance Center, 4:30-6pm PT. Stacey's style mixes physically charged, fresh modern dance elements with jazz and hip-hop. Video excerpt from Stacey Printz’s Class Montage 2019 Music: KOLIDESCOPES

Dance and music are soul language. Alonzo King. Artists Michael Montgomery and Ashley Jackson in Ocean. Performed during LINES' 2013 spring home season at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Music by legendary jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and Moroccan multi-instrumentalist El Hamideen. Video excerpt courtesy of KQED Arts.

Want to see more footage like this? Have you made a year-end gift yet? Give $100+ at linesballet.org/support and get access to LINES REWIND, a brand new quarterly series that shares exclusive footage from LINES Ballet’s archives. Streaming now is a collection of collaborations with Jason Moran, including excerpts from Alonzo King’s ballets AZOTH, SAND, and Refraction. To learn more, visit linesballet.org/rewind Excerpt from Alonzo King's SAND ... Music: Jason Moran Featured Artists: Courtney Henry, Shuaib Dee Elhassan and Babatunji Johnson See more

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to watch Constellation Act I. Stream at linesballet.org/constellation. "Constellation maintains the idea of creation as one stupendously inconceivable Thought, and explores how everything is interlinked; from the seemingly inconsequential minutiae to the vast incomprehensible cosmic upheavals." Alonzo King. Photography: Paula Lobo | Artist: Michael Montgomery

Meet new Yoga teacher David Sirgany on our blog: bit.ly/davidyoga. The addition of Iyengar Yoga to LINES Dance Center was inspired by Alonzo’s family history; Alonzo’s father, Slater King, practiced yoga frequently and introduced him to the practice at a young age. Read David's thoughts on how yoga can help people function at the highest level and can enhance the lives of dancers and non-dancers alike. "Yoga supports our highest levels of functioning. Because the practice affects us on a deep fundamental level, all aspects of life are enhanced. This includes physical performance, but also our relationships; with others; with nature; and with ourselves." David Sirgany.

Reminder: Next Monday is the Voter Registration Deadline for California. Register at usa.gov/register-to-vote. Make your voice heard. Every VOTE counts and shapes our future together. Want more information on the relevant issues impacting the dance industry and the arts sector? Visit bit.ly/LINESvote to get the voting toolkit with the latest information on the 2020 election from Dance/USA. #DANCE2VOTE Photography: RJ Muna