Alonzo King LINES Ballet To Be Featured on PBS' NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER

Alonzo KING LINES Ballet, renowned for pushing the boundaries of contemporary ballet, will take center stage in the upcoming episode of PBS’s acclaimed series NEXT at the Kennedy Center. Airing on Friday, October 18, the episode showcases the company’s performance of Alonzo King’s Deep River, captured live at the Kennedy Center. 

Deep River is a collaboration between choreographer Alonzo King, Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer, and Kennedy Center Artistic Director of Jazz Jason Moran. In this work, KING explores the essence of human beings as the pinnacle of creation, reflecting on our capacity for connection, resilience, and transcendence. 

The episode weaves together LINES’ performance of Alonzo King’s Deep River live at the Kennedy Center with intimate off-stage moments and words from American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland, New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck, Moran, Fischer, and Damian Woetzel, president of The Juilliard School. 

The episode premieres locally on KQED 9 at 9:00 PM PT, and will be available nationwide at 10:00 PM ET on PBS, pbs.org, and the PBS App. 

NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER, a new primetime series from The Kennedy Center and PBS, spotlights cultural leaders from the worlds of hip hop, jazz, folk, comedy, modern dance, and more. Captured to match the unique style of its featured artists, each episode weaves together performances filmed live at the Kennedy Center with intimate off-stage moments, contextualizing their significance and impact on American culture.  

About Alonzo KING LINES Ballet

Alonzo KING LINES Ballet, established in 1982, is a pioneering contemporary ballet company that continuously redefines the art form with innovative choreography, remarkable dancers, and groundbreaking collaborations. Under the artistic leadership of Alonzo King, the company embodies a philosophy that movement is a universal language that has the power to connect, inspire, and transform. With a rich history of acclaimed performances and influential collaborations, LINES Ballet remains committed to pushing artistic boundaries and creating transcendent experiences for audiences worldwide.

About the Kennedy Center 

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America’s living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, attracting millions of visitors each year to more than 2,000 performances, events, and exhibits. With its artistic affiliates, the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, the Center is one of the nation’s busiest performing arts centers dedicated to providing world-class art, powerful education, and outstanding memorial experiences to the broadest possible constituency. Across all its offerings, the Kennedy Center is committed to increasing accessible, inclusive opportunities for all people to participate in, and learn through the arts, including more than 400 free performances each year and a variety of specially priced ticket programs for students, seniors, persons with disabilities, and others. 

About PBS

PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 42 million adults on linear primetime television, more than 15 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, and 56 million people view PBS content on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. 

Photography: Alonzo KING LINES Ballet. Courtesy of The Kennedy Center.