Alonzo King LINES Ballet To Present A World Premiere Collaboration With Ambrose Akinmusire And More

Alonzo King LINES Ballet will present its Spring Season, May 10-18, 2025. The program features a world premiere by visionary choreographer Alonzo King in his first-ever collaboration with renowned jazz trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire.

Also on the program is the revival of King's iconic Scheherazade, a work created in collaboration with the late Grammy Award-winning tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, one of King's most enduring creative collaborators for over two decades. Hussain's passing in December 2024 marked a profound loss for the art world. This performance of Scheherazade marks the first time the work has been performed in its entirety in over a decade. The performances take place at the Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. A special Gala performance and dinner will take place on Saturday, May 17.

 

Trumpet superstar Ambrose Akinmusire, hailed by The New York Times as "arguably the most technically gifted trumpeter of his generation," blends beauty, intensity, and personal expression in his music. His artistry reflects a deep spiritual search, delving into the mysteries of nature and the human mind, and exploring both the self and the world. In collaboration with choreographer King, whose work explores similar emotional depths, Akinmusire's music is a natural complement to King's movement. Akinmusire will perform live alongside the LINES Ballet dancers.

 

The revival of Scheherazade celebrates the legacy of Zakir Hussain, whose artistry shaped the world of music across genres. King's creative partnership and friendship with Hussain began with the 1998 ballet Who Dressed You Like a Foreigner?, forging a deep artistic connection. In Scheherazade King reimagines the classic Persian, Sanskrit, and Arabic tales from One Thousand and One Nights, exploring the power of storytelling. Originally commissioned in 2009 by the Monaco Dance Forum to honor the centennial of Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, the production features a groundbreaking score by Hussain that combines lush orchestrations of Rimsky-Korsakov with traditional Eastern and Western instruments. The score integrates instruments such as the rubab, nay, doira, and tabla with classical violin, harp, and cello, creating a richly textured soundscape. "Zakir Hussain was a genius, whose artistry defied boundaries," said King. "This revival of Scheherazade is not only a celebration of his talent and spirit but also of the journey we shared together." 

 

This season also features LINES Ballet's 2025 Gala, a festive evening benefiting the performance company and education programs, on May 17. The Gala begins at 5pm with registration and a pre-show beverage followed by a 6pm performance in the Theater. Guests will then head to the YBCA Forum for a cocktail reception and dinner with paddle raise. Terrace-level tickets, which include a post-performance toast (no dinner) are available for $125, and full evening, dinner sponsorship packages begin at $1,000 per individual and $10,000 per table. A post-performance Q&A will take place on Friday, May 16 and Sunday, May 18.

 

About Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Forty-three years of outstanding, multi-disciplinary collaborations for the stage place the LINES Ballet company at the forefront of artistic innovation in ballet. With each collaboration, LINES Ballet investigates deeply rooted affinities between Western and Eastern classical forms, elemental materials, the natural world, and the human spirit. At LINES Ballet, the artistic investigation is infinite and essential for it leads to what unites us as human beings: empathy, joy, and the ability to transcend. LINES Ballet's spring and fall home seasons and global tours share this vision of transformative, revelatory dance with 50,000+ audience members worldwide every year. The Company has been featured at venues such as the Venice Biennale, Monaco Dance Forum, Maison de la Dance de Lyon, the Edinburgh International Festival, Montpellier Danse, the Wolfsburg Festival, the Holland Dance Festival, and most recently the Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.