Podcast appearances and mentions of alonzo king

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest, Alicia Graf Mack, Dean and Director of the Dance  Division of The Juilliard School.  In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest, Alicia Graf Mack who was recently recognized as a Dance Magazine Award Honoree.     Join us as we talk, not only about her inspiring career, its longevity and the set backs she has overcome, but she graciously pulls back the curtain on her gratefulness, spirituality and family that grounds her along with sharing her deep connection to the responsibility of an artist in the world. You will agree that Alicia Graf Mack brings this to all she does.  Be inspired by this kind, gentle, thought provoking and intelligent woman who not only loves to dance, but she loves teaching and loves to inspire the success of her students no matter which path they choose.  Listen in and be 'moved in these moments.' Alicia Graf Mack enjoyed a distinguished career as a leading dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.  She has also been a principal dancer with Dance Theater of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and she had danced as a guest performer with Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, Beyonce, John Legend, Andre 3000, and Alicia Keys.  Graf Mack graduated magna cum laude with honors in history from Columbia University and holds an MA in nonprofit management from Washington University in ST. Louis.  In 2007, Smithsonian Magazine named her American Innovator of the ARTS and Sciences. She is the recipient of the Columbia University Medal of Excellence, an award given each year an alumnus who has demonstrated excellence in their field of work.  In 2008, she delivered the keynote address to the graduates of Columbia University's School of General Studies.  As a dance educator, Graf Mack most recently taught as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Houston and was a visiting assistant professor at Webster University.  She is co-founder of D(n)A Arts Collective, an initiative created to enrich the lives of young dancers through master classes and intensives.  She began her inaugeral season as director of the Juilliard Dance Division in 2018. Follow on Instagram @aliciagrafmack @movingmomentspodcast https://www.juilliard.edu/dance/faculty/graf-mack-alicia Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance Follow  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share. Please leave us review about our podcast!  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey "Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

Acclaimed choreographer and dance Alonzo King joins The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul to discuss the power of stillness, how everyone can tap into their own creativity and much more. Alonzo King is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and true thought leader. Born in Georgia to civil rights activists and now thriving in San Francisco, Alonzo remains a beacon of artistic innovation and social consciousness, especially in the world. Founding Alonzo King LINES Ballet in 1982 and the San Francisco Dance Center in 1989, he has tirelessly championed the transformative potential of movement, believing that dance is a universal language capable of fostering human connection. With his choreography, King seamlessly blends classical technique with contemporary vision, captivating audiences with works that delve deep into the human experience. His impact extends globally, as his artistry enriches the repertoires of prestigious dance companies around the world. Recognized with accolades such as the Kennedy Center Master of Choreography and the Dance Magazine Award, he holds Honorary Doctorate Degrees from The Juilliard School, California Institute of the Arts, and Dominican University of California. Learn more about Alonzo King LINES Ballet: linesballet.org Follow us: @artofkindnesspod / @robpeterpaul Support the show! (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theaok) Music: "Awake" by Ricky Alvarez & "Sunshine" by Lemon Music Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alonzo King Lines Ballet will perform an original work called "Deep River," blending music from Jewish and African American spiritual traditions with a score by pianist, composer, and MacArthur fellow Jason Moran and vocals by Grammy-award winning singer Lisa Fischer. The work also incorporates compositions by Pharoah Sanders, Maurice Ravel, and James Weldon Johnson. The performance will take place tonight at 7:30 at Northrop's Carlson Family Stage. Jazz88's Peter Solomon spoke with choreographer and group founder Alonzo King.

Alonzo King Lines Ballet will perform an original work called "Deep River," blending music from Jewish and African American spiritual traditions with a score by pianist, composer, and MacArthur fellow Jason Moran and vocals by Grammy-award winning singer Lisa Fischer. The work also incorporates compositions by Pharoah Sanders, Maurice Ravel, and James Weldon Johnson. The performance will take place tonight at 7:30 at Northrop's Carlson Family Stage. Jazz88's Peter Solomon spoke with choreographer and group founder Alonzo King.

The RAD's flagship event, the Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition, gives young dancers a chance to learn from top professionals. This year's coaches include Endalyn T Outlaw – dancer, educator, choreographer and Dean of the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina. Endalyn's career is incredibly varied – she performed with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and in the original Broadway cast of The Lion King, she's restaged ballets and developed a philosophy of dance teaching that is focused on helping dancers bring their whole selves to the stage.Endalyn T Outlaw – dancer, choreographer and educator – is dean of the School of Dance at UNCSA. She was previously director of Dance Theatre of Harlem School in New York – a company she joined in 1984, becoming a principal dancer in 1993 – and director of the Cambridge Summer Art Institute, Massachusetts. She has created an eclectic body of choreographic works and excels at restaging ballets, having worked with luminaries including Arthur Mitchell, Alonzo King, Agnes de Mille and Garth Fagan. She has performed on Broadway and internationally, including in the original casts of The Lion King and Aida.Find out more about the work of the RADFollow the RAD on social media and join the conversation with host David Jays:Instagram @royalacademyofdanceFacebook @RoyalAcademyofDanceTwitter @RADheadquartersYouTube / royalacademydanceDavid Jays @mrdavidjaysSign up to our mailing list to keep in touch!RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign or making a donation.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adji Cissoko is an artist of striking elegance and daring, whether as a performer or choreographer. With Cissoko's selection of 2023's Artist-in-Residence, Festival audiences will be treated to ample amounts of both. For this live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance' podcast, Adji will talk about her years at the Vail Dance Festival past and what the opportunities as Artist-in-Residence mean for her creative output this year.This episode was recorded live on August 1st, 2023 at the Manor Vail Lodge. Conversations on Dance at the Vail Dance Festival is generously underwritten by the Town of Vail.VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL IS GOING ON NOW! Conversations on Dance events: https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/Performance tickets: https://vaildance.org/LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/mail-COD Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FIRST: We'll hear about CA vs Hate, California's first statewide reporting hotline for victims of hate incidents, from San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu.PLUS: We'll sit down with Professor Adam Winkler of UCLA School of Law to discuss Governor Newsom's recent proposal to introduce a constitutional amendment to enshrine certain gun safety measures into law.AND: We'll meet world-renowned choreographer Alonzo King of Alonzo King LINES Ballet.

Ananda Bena-Weber is an interdisciplinary performing artist who has performed in a diverse array of productions and venues throughout the United States and abroad. Her touring solo work, Fancifool!, recently won ‘Best Variety Show' and was a Critic's Choice pic at the United Solo Theatre Festival in NYC. Roles in regional theater include: Rosalind (As You Like It), Arkadina (The Seagull), Juliet (Romeo andJuliet), Lady Anne (Richard III), Lola (Damn Yankees), Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Ophelia and Horatio (Hamlet), and the title role in Medea. Ananda has performed choreographic works by: Gregory Hines, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Fred Astaire, Hermes Pan, John Cranko, Alonzo King, Bill ‘Bo Jangles' Robinson, Jimmy Slyde, Marius Petipa, Sam Weber, Rosine Bena, Lynn Dally and others. Shehas performed as a dancer with such companies as: The Jazz Tap Ensemble, The Sierra Nevada Ballet, The Reno Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, and as an independent artist throughout the US and abroad. An accomplished teacher, Ananda teaches a variety of subjects and has taught classes and workshops throughout the US and Europe. Ms. Bena-Weber is the Associate Artistic Director of the Sierra Nevada Ballet. She was a professor of dance at Marymount Manhattan College, and teaching artist for the Dance Theater of Harlem and Mark Morris Dance Center inNew York for 16 years. She currently resides in San Francisco where she teaches for Alonzo King's Lines Ballet and California State University East Bay. Education includes: Goddard College (MFA, Interdisciplinary Arts), San Francisco State University (BA, Theatre Arts and Russian Language and Literature), Shakespeare and Co, American Conservatory Theater, Moscow Art Theater School, British American Drama Academy at Oxford University, Linklater Center of Voice and Speech, and Terry Schreiber Studio. Ananda is an official adjudicator for Regional Dance America, a board member of NAPAMA (North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents), a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, and a member of the Actor's Equity Association.For more information:https://fancifool.comhttps://anandabenaweber.comMore about Liz-Work- https://www.lizshealingtouch.com/Radio Show- https://www.voiceofvashon.org/raise-the-vibePodcast- https://www.buzzsprout.com/958816Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/raisethevibewithlizInstagram- https://www.instagram.com/raisethevibewithliz/*** Seeking sponsorship. If interested, please email- liz@lizshealingtouch.comSupport me- https://paypal.me/LisbethPeterson?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US On Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/user?u=43081730Thank you!Support the show

Duncan C. Schultz, born and raised just outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota, received his early dance training at Metro Dance Center. After completing his B.A. in Dance at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities he worked with Mathew Janczewski's ARENA Dances, Olive Bieringa and Otto Ramstad's BodyCartography Project and Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands' TU Dance.While in the United States, he has had the privilege of working with choreographers Dwight Rhoden, Alonzo King, Gioconda Barbuto, Camille A. Brown and Gregory Dolbashian. Following his time working in the Twin Cities, he moved to Kaiserslautern, Germany to work at the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern under the direction of James Sutherland. Currently he is a member at the GöteborgsOperan Danskompani in Sweden with Artistic Director Katrín Hall. While in Europe, he has created and performed works by Sharon Eyal, Damien Janet, Crystal Pite, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Maxine Doyle, Alexander Ekman, Ohad Naharin, Roy Assaf, and Marina Mascarell to name a few. He received the Sage Award for Dance in 2014 as an Outstanding Performer and in 2016 as the Hoffnungsträger (Bearer of Hope) by TANZ Jahrbuch in Germany.

Brilliant choreographer Alonzo King shares how finding stillness is key to fueling our creativity and intuition, cultivating the relationship we have with ourselves, and tapping into our natural state of joy. He finds stillness and his own inner voice through yoga and meditation, and inspires his dancers to use heart and mind in addition to the body.

The Nutmeg Ballet's Nutcracker is a staple of the holiday season in Connecticut, beloved as a tradition for countless families. Under the direction of Victoria Mazzarelli, this iconic story set to the masterful music of Tchaikovsky ignites the imaginations of children and adults alike.on stage at The Warner Theatre, located in Torrington, Connecticut. FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VICTORIA MAZZARELLI Victoria Mazzarelli was trained by the Nutmeg faculty for 14 years and with Ms. Dante as her coach, was awarded the only gold medal at the 1984 New York International Ballet Competition at the age of seventeen. Invited to join the Basel Ballet in Switzerland under the direction of Heinz Spoerli, she was quickly promoted to principal dancer. Ms. Mazzarelli not only had the opportunity to dance leading roles in much of the company's classical repertoire, but also in works by distinguished choreographers such as Hans van Manen, Jiri Kylian and William Forsythe. Ms. Mazzarelli's contact with Forsythe led her to join the Frankfurt Ballet in 1990 where she remained as a principal dancer until1996. During that time, she toured extensively and had the opportunity to work with Alonzo King, Ohad Naharin, Jan Fabre, and Saburo Teshigawara. In 1996, she returned to Switzerland to join the Zurich Ballet as principal dancer. In the summer of 2000, Ms. Mazzarelli continued dancing as a guest artist with the Frankfurt Ballet and the Schauspielhaus Zurich and in 2001, she returned to Basel to join the newly formed Basel Ballet under the direction of Richard Wherlock. Victoria Mazzarelli returned to Connecticut in 2003 to join the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts as Associate Artistic Director where she currently teaches, coaches and choreographs for the next generation of dancers. Appointed as the Conservatory's Artistic Director in 2011, Ms. Mazzarelli continues in this role to date and also serves as guest teacher for MOMIX and enjoys performing various engagements as guest artist.

Carolyn Tyler is most famously known in San Francisco as a reporter and news anchor on KGO ABC7 News. She had an outstanding 32 year career chronicling some of the most important moments in SF history. Tyler detailed the long fight for marriage equality starting in 2004 and brought stories of social justice for African Americans to the forefront. She also reported extensively on the impacts of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, for which she and her team won a Peabody Award. Over the years Carolyn earned the reputation for being one of the most fair-minded and hard-working journalists in the field. Since retiring, Carolyn has been blending journalism with her other passions. A fierce Golden State Warriors fan and board member of the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company, she is currently producing a unique discussion between Warriors Coach Steve Kerr and Alonzo King on the intersection of ballet and basketball. It will be held on September 16th at SF Jazz and hosted by Carolyn herself. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Carolyn and hear about her wonderful career and latest endeavors. In the Fall, tune in to our Classical Performance series with her as our guest host! For more information about Carolyn Tyler, please visit: https://www.kqed.org/news/11696365/tv-anchor-carolyn-tyler-bids-farewell-to-three-decades-covering-san-francisco Meet Carolyn Tyler!

Today, we welcome guest  Kyle "Grim Chim" Seeley to the show.Kyle "Grim Chim" Seeley was raised in Prince Georges County, Maryland, and was turned on to entertainment at an early age through watching Michael and Janet Jackson music videos. He began training professionally at Suitland High School's Visual and Performing Arts Dance Program. After graduation, he received a full scholarship to prestigious schools such as Washington Ballet School, Dance Theater of Harlem School, Joffrey Ballet School, Alonzo KIng's Lines Ballet School as well as The Ailey School, where he studied all genres of dance and choreography for three years and has had the honor of performing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in the piece "Memoria" as well as appear in the book "Men in Motion" by Francios Rousseau. After leaving the Ailey School, Kyle pursued the commercial route training in Hip-Hop and Street Jazz under Rhapsody James, Jared Grimes, and Luam. Kyle has had the pleasure of dancing for recording artist Zayn Malik, performing on the Latin Grammy Awards with Bomba Estereo and Will Smith, and dancing in the iconic Las Vegas show Don Arden's Jubilee! Recently Kyle was fortunate enough to dance in two back-to-back Halftime Shows for Super Bowl LV and LVI. Kyle hopes to master the art of versatility one day to create a career merging the world of concert and commercial dance. In this episode, we discuss what it means to control your narrative, why it is so important to show up for yourself before anything or anyone else, black representation in commercial dance, finding love, and so much more!!  So, come on and dive in!To learn more about Kyle and his beautiful journey, check out the links below:~ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grimchim/~ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrimChim/Be sure to follow the Hope Without Fear Podcast via the following:~ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopewithoutfear~ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopewithoutfearpodcast/Follow and engage with Host Stacy Simmons:~Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Mr.StacySimmons~Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.stacysimmons/Please be sure to rate the episode, download it to your device, and subscribe so you may stay alerted when new content releases.  If you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, please email us at hopewithoutfearmedia@gmail.com.  We are thrilled to have you on this journey with us!

Today, we welcome guest  Kyle "Grim Chim" Seeley to the show.Kyle "Grim Chim" Seeley was raised in Prince Georges County, Maryland, and was turned on to entertainment at an early age through watching Michael and Janet Jackson music videos. He began training professionally at Suitland High School's Visual and Performing Arts Dance Program. After graduation, he received a full scholarship to prestigious schools such as Washington Ballet School, Dance Theater of Harlem School, Joffrey Ballet School, Alonzo KIng's Lines Ballet School as well as The Ailey School, where he studied all genres of dance and choreography for three years and has had the honor of performing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in the piece "Memoria" as well as appear in the book "Men in Motion" by Francios Rousseau. After leaving the Ailey School, Kyle pursued the commercial route training in Hip-Hop and Street Jazz under Rhapsody James, Jared Grimes, and Luam. Kyle has had the pleasure of dancing for recording artist Zayn Malik, performing on the Latin Grammy Awards with Bomba Estereo and Will Smith, and dancing in the iconic Las Vegas show Don Arden's Jubilee! Recently Kyle was fortunate enough to dance in two back-to-back Halftime Shows for Super Bowl LV and LVI. Kyle hopes to master the art of versatility one day to create a career merging the world of concert and commercial dance. In this episode, we discuss what it means to control your narrative, why it is so important to show up for yourself before anything or anyone else, black representation in commercial dance, finding love, and so much more!!  So, come on and dive in!To learn more about Kyle and his beautiful journey, check out the links below:~ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grimchim/~ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrimChim/Be sure to follow the Hope Without Fear Podcast via the following:~ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopewithoutfear~ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopewithoutfearpodcast/Follow and engage with Host Stacy Simmons:~Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Mr.StacySimmons~Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.stacysimmons/Please be sure to rate the episode, download it to your device, and subscribe so you may stay alerted when new content releases.  If you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, please email us at hopewithoutfearmedia@gmail.com.  We are thrilled to have you on this journey with us!

Our guest is writer, scholar, and activist Angela Davis. For more than 5 decades, Davis has been fighting for Black liberation, equal rights for women, queer and transgender people. Davis first received national attention in 1969, after being removed from her teaching position at UCLA for her social activism and membership to the Communist Party. In 1970, she was placed on the FBI's “Ten Most Wanted List” on false charges, which culminated in one of the most famous trials in recent U.S. history. A massive international “Free Angela Davis” campaign was organized, leading to her acquittal in 1972. Davis is a founding member of Critical Resistance, a national organization dedicated to dismantling the prison-industrial complex, and the author of books including Freedom is a Constant Struggle and Women, Race & Class. On May 24, 2022, Angela Davis came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to choreographer and activist Alonzo King.

"Any kind of comfort or satisfaction is poisonous to any kind of growth,” choreographer Alonzo King told Forum ten years ago on the 30th anniversary of his company LINES Ballet. “You want to expand your heart and expand your mind. And that wants to continue going until you leave the planet,” he said. Now, with his 40th anniversary ballet “Deep River” opening at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on Friday, King joins Forum to talk about his expansive career and the process of making art in uncomfortable times.

On episode 243 of The Quarantine Tapes, Paul Holdengräber is joined by musician and composer Jason Moran. This episode comes as part of a partnership with OXY ARTS. Jason and Paul discuss collaboration, improvisation, and what it means to play the room in this thoughtful and illuminating conversation.Jason talks about the importance of being in action as an artist and recounts his experiences as both a teacher and a student. He tells Paul about his collaborations with his wife, the incredible singer Alicia Hall Moran, and one of their recent projects, Two Wings. Paul and Jason talk about therapy, ancestors, and why Jason doesn't worry too much about trying to find balance as an artist.“Follow the Light”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Zmzy7_QuA“Two Wings”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9F2WDyvTd0Since his formidable emergence on the music scene in the late 90s, jazz pianist Jason Moran has proven more than his brilliance as a performer. The Blue Note Records recording artist has established himself as a risk-taker and innovator of new directions for jazz as a whole. In almost every category that matters – improvisation, composition, group concept, repertoire, technique and experimentation – Moran, and his group The Bandwagon – with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits – have challenged the status quo, and earned the reputation as “the future of jazz.”His ongoing visionary collaborations in the art world have brought him additional fans and respect. Moran's music is in the collections of both the MOMA and Whitney Museum of American Art. He scored a ballet for renowned Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, as well as scoring video works for contemporary American artists Glenn Ligon and Kara Walker. Moran also has worked with pivotal visual/performance artists Joan Jonas and Adrian Piper. Moran currently teaches at the New England Conservatory. He lives in New York City with his wife, mezzo soprano Alicia Hall Moran, and their twin toddlers.You can find Jason Moran's website at http://jasonmoran.com.Paul Holdengräber is an interviewer and curator of public curiosity. He is the Founder and Director of Onassis LA (OLA), a center for dialogue. Previously he was the Founder and Director of LIVE from the NYPL, a cultural series at the New York Public Library, where he hosted over 600 events, holding conversations with everyone from Patti Smith to Zadie Smith, Ricky Jay to Jay-Z, Errol Morris to Jan Morris, Wes Anderson to Helen Mirren, Christopher Hitchens to Mike Tyson. He is the host of "A Phone Call From Paul," a podcast for The Literary Hub. 

How do you find the light at the end of the tunnel when life keeps LIFE-ing? In today's special Interview episode w/ Antoinette Watkins, founder and CEO of The Diabaddie Organization, Inc., she shares how she manages to do just that! At the age of six, Antoinette was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes but that didn't stop her from receiving a master's certification in dance, training with Debbie Allen, Alvin Ailey and Alonzo King and be apart of the National Student Exchange program at Virginia State University studying nutrition and dietetics. Listen as she shares more! Follow her on her personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikaantoinette/ Business IG Diabaddie: https://www.instagram.com/diabaddieorg/ Website: -https://www.diabaddie.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/diabaddieorg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-diabaddie-organization Grab your ticket for Sat Jan. 15th event HERE --->>>> https://faces-pop-up-shop.ticketleap.com/purchase-tickets/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/crystal-simmons2/support

Ballet Talk is back in person! This episode was recorded was recorded on opening night of PNB's second rep of the 2021/22 Season, BEYOND BALLET. Former Manager of Audience Education Doug Fullington walks a small live audience through the three works that make up BEYOND BALLET. As we celebrate internationally acclaimed choreographers Ulysses Dove, Jessica Lang, and Alonzo King, we can find even more beauty in their common threads. The combination of Ulysses Dove's mournful Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven, Jessica Lang's haunting Ghost Variations, and the PNB Premiere of Alonzo King's The Personal Element promises unmatched emotion, expression, and musicality.

Alonzo King is a visionary choreographer who is altering the way we look at dance. Born in Georgia to civil rights activist parents, King found his own form of expression through the language of movement, and ultimately went on to found Alonzo King LINES Ballet, a San Francisco based dance company. He gives us his Brief But Spectacular take on life and movement. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Alonzo King is a visionary choreographer who is altering the way we look at dance. Born in Georgia to civil rights activist parents, King found his own form of expression through the language of movement, and ultimately went on to found Alonzo King LINES Ballet, a San Francisco based dance company. He gives us his Brief But Spectacular take on life and movement. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Alonzo King is a visionary choreographer who is altering the way we look at dance. Born in Georgia to civil rights activist parents, King found his own form of expression through the language of movement, and ultimately went on to found Alonzo King LINES Ballet, a San Francisco based dance company. He gives us his Brief But Spectacular take on life and movement. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!  1. Rebroadcast of the Rhodessa Jones's "Resurrection of She" from March 28-Apr.7, 2013.  2. We close with an interview with Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, dir. "Toni Morrison: Pieces That I Am." 3. Alonzo King, LINES Contemporary Ballet, Nov. 2012

DATE: May 5, 2021 SHOW: Prelude to Positivity Producer: Tommy Geraci HOST: Tommy Geraci GUEST: Julien Valme Mini Bio: Tommy Geraci: As an entertainment, social media and pop culture expert whose clients include celebrities, television shows, film producers and mainstream media,Tommy Geraci has provided social media coverage for the BAFTAS, Britannias, Emmys, Oscars, Golden Globes, Erase MS, and more. He has worked on the red carpet for movie premiers, including Transformers, White Rabbit, and the One Direction Movie as well as the BAFTAS, Erase MS, and the Golden Globes. Tommy also provided social media coverage for the convention circuit, including EyeCon and DragonCon. In addition, he writes for Addicted Magazine. Tommy's blog, Teeco71.com, highlights his interviews with celebrities, indie filmmakers and musicians, and the events he attends. He is Associate Producer on the Emmy nominated season 3 of Eastsiders and Season 4, Executive Producer for 2nd Hour's What I See ( David Hernandez and Effie Passero), Producer on the film Sins Unveiled and Aris Ziagos' Music video for Love, as well as the documentary Growing Up in Hollywood. In 2012 he received a nomination for a Shorty Award for both Blogging and PR. Julien Valme: From Miami, FL, Julien began his training at local dance studios and magnet schools in the metro Miami area before continuing his education at the University of South Florida. Julien graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet Performance and had the opportunity to perform works by Jennifer Archibald, Maurice Causey, Alonzo King, and Doug Varone. Julien has attended summer programs with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as well as Springboard Dance Montreal, where he had the opportunity to work with renowned companies Rubberbandance Group and MADboots Dance Co. Julien moved to Chicago to fulfill a childhood dream of dancing with River North Dance Chicago. Julien joined DanceWorks Chicago in October 2015. He has lived and danced in NYC as well and now teaches in Miami while also instructing 305 fitness classes there and online for COA - Community Online Academy. LINKS: Tommy Julien SOCIAL MEDIA: Tommy: Twitter Instagram Facebook Linktree YouTube Clubhouse Julien: Instagram COA Clubhouse TikTok

This week, we present a conversation with choreographer Alonzo King.  He’s the artistic director of LINES Ballet, a contemporary dance company in San Francisco.  He founded it in 1982, and has revolutionized the way we view dance.  King’s choreography includes a blend of powerful and tender emotion, and unbelievable feats of athleticism.  LINES Ballet looks and moves unlike any other ballet company, and King’s art has always spoken to the moment, politically and spiritually.  On April 14, 2021, Alonzo King spoke with Steven Winn about his artistic process and the inspiration he took from his parents, who were both civil rights activists.  

John Michael Schert had a storied start to his dance career, landing a coveted position at American Ballet Theatre. But quickly he realized his passion lie not in perfecting the ballet vocabulary but in creating new, contemporary vocabulary - a realization that took him to Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, and ultimately to the Trey McIntyre Project. John Michael led the administration of TMP and was able to launch this executive experience into a diverse post-performance career including university teaching positions, a consultancy business, and international scholarship as an Eisenhower Fellow. Connect with his career on Linked In and on Instagram @nonmimel. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/count9/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/count9/support

Hear the Dance host and former NYCB dancer Silas Farley is back for the newest two-part episode of City Ballet The Podcast. Farley is joined by former Principal Dancer Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux for a lively discussion of Balanchine’s neoclassical masterpiece, Stravinsky Violin Concerto. In this first half of their conversation, Bonnefoux describes joining the Paris Opera Ballet at the age of 14, achieving the rank of principal dancer at 21, and relinquishing his position there just a year short of earning his pension to move to the US and work with Balanchine. The episode includes a short excerpt from legendary Russian teacher Alexander Pushkin’s class as well as Bonnefoux’s retelling of his last-minute lifesaving intercession on behalf of fellow Pushkin student, Rudolf Nureyev. (47:13) Music Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, B.W.V. 1043 by Johan Sebastian Bach Orpheus (1947) by Igor Stravinsky Reading List: Dance is a Contact Sport by Joseph H. Mazo Striking a Balance: Dancers Talk About Dancing by Barbara Newman The Stravinsky Festival of The New York City Ballet by Nancy Goldner Igor Stravinsky: An Autobiography by Igor Stravinsky The Dance Element in Stravinsky's Music by George Balanchine Balanchine's Fourth Dimension by Lincoln Kirstein Alexander Pushkin: Master Teacher of Dance by Gennady Albert Vera Volkova: A Biography by Alexander Meinertz Classes in Classical Ballet: A Book for Teachers and Dancers by Asaf Messerer Rudolph Nureyev: The Life by Julie Kavanaugh Alonzo King Lines Ballet by Alonzo King and RJ Muna Balanchine & the Lost Muse: Revolution & the Making of a Choreographer by Elizabeth Kendall Written by Silas Farley Edited by Laura Snow

Alonzo King is a visionary choreographer, dancer and activist who prides himself on training people's hearts, minds and bodies. Today he joins Blazing Trails to share how to develop a better understanding of ourselves, tips for finding inner peace, and what it means to plug into your thoughts. His mantra: “From me, to we, to oneness.”

Chris Fitzgerald Walsh chats with Seewan Eng about how to bring mindfulness into our homes and our classrooms. Celebrated choreographer Alonzo King also stops by to spread some love and give a masterclass on being human.¯------------------ ◠‿◠ ------------------ /¯ school180.com@school_180Chris Fitzgerald Walsh: @fitzwalshMindful Schools: www.mindfulschools.orgAlonzo King LINES Ballet: linesballet.org

Hello again friends!Welcome to this second episode of the Late to the Party Ballet Podcast! This episode was recorded in July and it was supposed to air shortly after. But then my life started to crumble a bit due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, and all my energy was focused on resolving that. But, now that IT IS resolved (yay!), I am excited to come back to this conversation with a very fascinating dancer, choreographer, artist: Drew Jacoby! I came across Drew shortly after I started ballet, when I was struggling with being by far the tallest dancer in my beginner classes. And not seeing much of tall dancers in the professional ballet world either! So I googled my heart out, found Drew, and got really drawn into her story and mentality. The reason why I wanted to chat with her for this blog is that for me, she is a great model for how to build a self-directed career in dance. What I mean by that: She created her own opportunities vs waited to be cast/hired/asked to perform. This is exactly the mindset from which I have always approached my dance and also the Late to the Party Ballet mission. For us adult dancers, it might not necessarily mean “career” but a way of taking or ballet training and transform it into a diversity of creative projects - vs. just taking classes and learning the usual classical variations. Drew grew up in Idaho/US and got her training at San Francisco Ballet and Pacific Northwest. She joined Alonzo King's Lines Ballet at the age of 17. What followed then is quite unusual for a ballerina: Instead of sticking to company life and working her way up through the ranks, she left the system and started freelancing in New York City at age 22. It wasn't until her late twenties that she turned towards a company career again, when she joined the Netherlands Dans Theater and then later became a principal dancer the the Royal Ballet of Flanders. Drew has a daughter and together with her husband they now live in Seattle. I think what stands out to me about Drew's path and her approach to art is that even when she experiences frustrations and rejections, she doesn't doubt her abilities. She is good at discerning that when you don't get what you're aiming for, it's not so much about that you're not cut out for it, but rather that others/environments have their own ways or working and are not ready or suitable for you. Yes, hard work is still required, but the important thing is to let go quickly and continue to look for what's a good fit. Also, to me, she lives the opposite to “shrinking” - she is not afraid to be seen and noticed; she owns her height and movement abilities and welcomes the impact that she can have with them.We talk about the key moment that prompted her to move to NYC and start freelancing despite always dreaming of a classical career; her advice for adult ballet starters and how to use your ballet knowledge to create opportunities for yourself; how becoming a mother changed her outlook on dance and her corner stones for raising a strong daughter.Hearing Drew speak about the huge amount of flexibility, braveness, and confidence that she had from a very young age and that helped her create her unique career trajectory was so liberating. It reminded me that in the end, we can't control outcomes, but we can choose what to pursue in a way that works for us, we can choose to show ourselves and go for it. Please enjoy this conversation!

Images of dancers or sculptures don't leap to mind with the mention of climate change. But artists are increasingly using the carbon conundrum as a creative lens, using their mediums to design cultural moments that bring people together. Storytellers and artists are reaching people on a deeper and more emotional level than the cerebral facts and charts often used to shape the climate narrative. Can art reach and activate people on climate in new and compelling ways? How can art convey the joy of nature and the grief of how humans are destroying it? Join us for a conversation about art, beauty and humanity in the age of climate disruption with celebrated choreographer Alonzo King, whose new dance is inspired by the beauty and tragedy unfolding in the Arctic. The world premier will be held in San Francisco later this year. Also joining is senior curator Nora Lawrence, whose 2018 exhibition at New York's Storm King Art Center, Indicators: Artists on Climate Change, was one of the first major museum exhibitions to address climate change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPEAKERS Alonzo King Founder, Alonzo King Lines Ballet Nora Lawrence Senior Curator, Storm King Art Center Greg Dalton Founder and Host, Climate One In response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, this program took place and was recorded live via video conference, for an online audience only, and was live-streamed by The Commonwealth Club of California from San Francisco on August 6, 2020.

Can art help us process our changing climate? The story of climate change is typically told in the language of facts and figures, graphs and charts. But through dance, music, sculpture and other media, artists can reach people on a deeper and more emotional level, designing cultural moments that can bring us together - and bring us to tears. Choreographer Alonzo King sees the union of art and science as the perfect balancing act. “There is nothing that exists that you can create that does not have science -- it's impossible,” says King. “There's nothing that doesn't have music. It's impossible.” A conversation about art, beauty and humanity in the age of climate disruption. Visit climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts for more information on today's episode. Guests: Alonzo King, Choreographer and Founder, LINES Ballet Nora Lawrence, Senior Curator, Storm King Art Center Additional Speaker: Adam Schoenberg, Composer This program was generously underwritten by the Sidney E. Frank Foundation and was recorded via video on August 6, 2020.

Alonzo King's Lines Ballet company member sits down and chats all things dance, confidence, and timing

This week on Conversations on Dance, we are joined by Michael Montgomery, dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival. Michael was born in Long Beach, CA, trained at the Orange County High School of the Arts and studied at the Alvin Ailey School in the Certificate program. In 2011 he […] The post (174) Michael Montgomery, Alonzo King LINES Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.

This week on Conversations on Dance, we are joined by Michael Montgomery, dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival. Michael was born in Long Beach, CA, trained at the Orange County High School of the Arts and studied at the Alvin Ailey School in the Certificate program. In 2011 he […] The post (174) Michael Montgomery, Alonzo King LINES Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.

Thank you Dean and thank you everyone at Grace who have been so warm and so inviting, it has been a wonderful time that LINES has been here and it’s not over. We are thrilled to be here. I would like to start with an affirmation by Yogananda. I’m going to say it and if you could repeat after me. “I relax, and cast aside all mental burdens Allowing God to express through me his perfect peace, love, and wisdom.” This time of year, we’re still in January; it is a boon in the way it is structured, because we come out of the joy of Christmas and the celebration of Christ, and we step into the new year with support and cheering assistance so that we can renew ourselves. We look at ourselves, and this is where resolutions arise, and we say we too want to renew in the new year, and usually that means some cleaning. It’s always easy to look at someone else and see what needs to be repaired, but when it comes to ourselves, it’s not so easy. And so that introspective look of impersonal analysis that examines our habits, and sees where we are going, what we’re becoming - it’s a great opportunity to look at that and say, do I like what I’m becoming and where I’m going. That introspection, buoyed by this new year, can help us to change; and we human beings, individuals changing ourselves, are helping the entire world - that is how we assist. There is a story that is common in India where they talk about going to the Ganges. And that if you bathe in the Ganges that your sins are washed away. The joke is that when you step toward the Ganges all your negative habits and negative ways of thinking, they leave because they don’t want to get into those holy waters. So when you step into the holy waters you are refreshed and you feel new and you feel rebirthed and clean. And when you get out of the water, those habits are waiting. And as soon as you get out, they jump right back on you. They call them the monkeys. The monkeys that are waiting in the trees after you get out of the refreshing dip in the Ganges. And so, too, that is like us - we begin with this firm conviction, we go forward with zeal, and inevitability, the monkeys come and jump on our back again. I watched the Martin Luther King, Jr. speech that he gave at Grace, last night. It was incredibly powerfully moving and I wanted to read some words from it: Dr. King said that “Man must seek to develop his inner powers in a brilliant manner, no matter how small it may be according to the world’s standards. He must see that it has cosmic significance if it is for the upbuilding of humanity. He must come to see that whatever he is called to do is significant, if it is for the making of a better world. So, if you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill, be a scrub in the valley - but be the best little scrub on the side of the rill. Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be the sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or you fail, be the best of whatever you are. And this determined push to the end of self realization, this inward drive to develop one’s inner powers is the length of a human being’s life.” It’s beautiful. And in it’s deeper meaning, it’s pointing to the fact that we are souls. And that when we human beings who have our essence disguised in these bodies, and we identify with these bodies, when we delve into the senses like food, you identify with the body, you’re locked in, but in reality Christ has told us who we are and what we are. His words in John, “Ye are gods.” - “Know ye not that ye are gods and that the kingdom of Heaven resides within you.” Not outside somewhere to run to, but within you. Very deep, profound statement. Many physicists have said that this cosmos looks more like a grand mind, than just a working machine. The brilliance of an unimaginable, Omnipotent mind. In our struggle to claim our real identification, we have mentally separated ourselves from that mind. That Omnipotent mind is just beneath the surface of our minds. Just behind the darkness of our closed eyes. Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi says, “We are waves on the vast ocean of that omnipotent mind.” But we are like bottles of ocean that are corked and we have to uncork that bottle and dissolve back into that Magnificent Ocean. We can tap into that ocean because thoughts are universal. We think, individually, that we’re thinking about our own little thoughts in our own little world - no, we plug into that limitless realm of thought. Whether it’s negative or positive, God was the creator. Good or bad, He created all of creation. And so, we have the ability, as waves, to find the way where we can relax, and let go. Find that identity - and how is that found? It’s akin to the way salmon have to go back to their spawning grounds - swimming upstream against the current, a rushing roaring, impossibly difficult, current. We have to travel against that stream to return back to bliss. Dr. King said, “While the Montgomery boycott was going on, India’s Gandhi was the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change. Gandhi referred to his form of nonviolence as satyagraha meaning truth-force or love-force.” Each of these great mighty men were using love as the transformative force to help mankind. Gandhi, in his literature on nonviolence, says that it’s not just about saying I’m nonviolent, but it’s actually to begin to love that person and realize that that person is merely playing a role. And I read recently that he said, “Even if a vegetarian admonishes a meat eater for eating meat, that is violence.” Dr. King goes on to say, “I came to see for the first time that the Christian doctrine of love, operating through the Ganhdian method of nonviolence, was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.” And the question arises, who is not oppressed on planet earth? There is the schisms, there’s the war, religious sectarianism, the greed, materialism, the boomerang of evil, but they both talk about how that can be transformed through love. The application is that everyone of us has some form of oppression inside of us - again those monkeys - that we too, through our behavior and the way that we think, want to eradicate. Because it helps the world, it helps mankind, or humanity, I should say. Dr. King and Gandhi were looking to remove oppression from the world and how to rid the world of evil by helping their brothers and sisters. The Gita says that a lot of the struggle is actually karmic. There is personal karma, there’s karma in families, there is karma in cities, countries and there’s world karma. Karma is really the law of retribution, what you put out, returns to you. The old testament, when they are talking about karma, they say “God is an angry god and he seeks revenge.” It’s impossible for God to be angry. It doesn’t make sense, it’s an aberration. God is love. God is unconditional love. No matter what mistakes we make, no matter what bad habits we have - God is unconditional love. But the old testament was referring to the law of cause and effect. The law that was created by God and God is above the law. Yoganada says, “Since God is not bound by his cosmic law, devotion is also necessary to summon his attention. Devotional demand is greater than law, than the law of cause and effect, because it touches the heart of God and makes him answer his naughty and good children alike. Law is based on mathematical precision - justice weighted according to the law of cause and effect. Devotion is based upon claiming God as your own true love. Law is exacting in it’s demand, but love presupposes God’s mercy and thereby attracts his response whether or not the full measure of the law has been met.” That’s tremendous - that love is above the law. Dr. King says, “If you can understand and feel, even in the midst of those critical and often physically painful moments, that your attacker is as much a victim as you are, that he or she is a victim of the forces that have shaped and fed his anger - then you are well on your way to the nonviolent life.” Seeing roles - every person has to play their role. This is teaching us how to see people. When people identify as this age, race, sex, religion, we must respect that. But we have to see people no matter how they appear or behave, as souls. Souls with roles - we all have our roles to play. And this brings the Shakespearean statement, “All of life is a stage” into a true reality. Some play huge roles on earth, others small personal roles. But, all souls are equal. So whether it’s on the big stage of the planet with the entire world watching, or in a little village, the soul shines. All souls are equal. A few definitions of the soul. This self, soul, is never born, nor does it ever perish, nor having come into existence, will it again cease to be. It is birthless, eternal, changeless, ever the same, unaffected by the usual processes associated with time. It is not slain, when the body is killed. The universal everything is made of the singular consciousness of God. When a spark of that consciousness is individualized by God, it becomes a soul, capable of ultimately expressing the God image in which it is made. In essence, the soul is perfect and complete. An exact reflection of God’s ever existing, ever conscious, ever new bliss. A land, a country, a nation, is conserved through it’s masterpieces of humanity. And so, again, our work is to realize that we’re not weak, whining mortals, we are immortals. A difficult task. Often people say, “I feel I have a great purpose to accomplish in life” and that is true, that purpose is to find out who and what we really are. And Christ tells us who we are when He says, “Know ye not that ye are gods.” I’d like to close with what is known as the quality that God cherishes most, humility. By Andrew Murray, “Humility is Perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.” I would close with one last affirmation by Paramahansa Yogananda, if you could repeat after me. I am submerged in eternal light. That light permeates every particle of my being. I live in that light. The divine spirit fills me, within and without. I am submerged in eternal light. That light permeates every particle of my being. I live in that light. The divine spirit fills me, within and without.

This week we are joined from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival by Adji Cissoko, dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet.  Adji grew up in Munich, Germany where she trained at Ballet Academy Munich. She attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre on full scholarship, before joining the National Ballet of Canada in 2010. In 2014, […] The post (161) Adji Cissoko, Dancer With Alonzo King LINES Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.

This week we are joined from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival by Adji Cissoko, dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet.  Adji grew up in Munich, Germany where she trained at Ballet Academy Munich. She attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre on full scholarship, before joining the National Ballet of Canada in 2010. In 2014, […] The post (161) Adji Cissoko, Dancer With Alonzo King LINES Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.

The internationally celebrated choreographer and Grace Cathedral's 2019 Artist in Residence on how dance moves from idea to performance, as he joins us during rehearsals for the work he is creating for the cathedral's “Year of the Body.” Performances take place during the cathedral's winter mini-arts festival, Spacious Grace, on February 7 and 8, 2020.

The internationally celebrated choreographer and Grace Cathedral's 2019 Artist in Residence on the spiritual elements of dance and the cathedral's annual theme “Year of the Body.”

Cathy Levy leads a captivating conversation with Alonzo King the day of his company's NAC presentation of SUTRA, an ensemble work created in honour of the 35th Anniversary of Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Born in Albany, Georgia, to a prominent 1960s civil rights family with ties to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, Mr. King learned early on the importance of aligning actions with beliefs. His natural love of movement led to a passion for dance and the eventual creation of his San Francisco-based contemporary ballet company, known for breaking the structure of the art form and for its intelligent and powerful dancers. Collaborative ventures are key and SUTRA showcases the unique talent of the tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and master sarangi musician Sabir Khan. Mr. King's other passion, education, saw him partner with Dominican University of California to create a four-year BFA, and a host of education and outreach programs for pre-professional dancers, youth and the community.

Brilliant choreographer Alonzo King shares how finding stillness is key to fueling our creativity and intuition, cultivating the relationship we have with ourselves, and tapping into our natural state of joy. He finds stillness and his own inner voice through yoga and meditation, and inspires his dancers to use heart and mind in addition to the body.

You can't draw the horse, unless you first become the horse"  This episode we are thrilled to have Alonzo King on the show.  Alonzo King is most known for his expertise in ballet choreography, but he's so much more than that.  Learning at an early age from his parents during the Civil Rights Era, Alonzo understood the idea of suffering and sacrifice for something that is bigger than himself.  Alonzo takes those life lessons and lets them fuel his love, energy, and appreciation for loge.    Alonzo King Alonzo King Twitter

In this episode, Jessica and Clara interviewed dancer Paul Hamilton about his experience collaborating with a diverse range of choreographers including Alonzo King, Elizabeth Streb, Reggie Wilson, Ralph Lemon and Keely Garfield.  He shared a bit about each choreographer’s style and process and talked about his own journey of discovering and re-discovering dance as his […]

Stance visits India with a cultural trip that takes us beyond the National Geographic lens, to meet street educators, young LGBTQ activists and visual artists that are all changing the face of modern Mumbai. Stance meets Grammy Award-winning musician, Zakir Hussain, and visionary choreographer, Alonzo King, at the world premiere of their new co-creation, Sutra. They discuss the importance of artistic collaboration. Finally, we speak to actor and playwright, Natasha Gordon. The first play she has ever written, Nine Night, is debuting at London's prestigious National Theatre. She explores rituals defined by her Jamaican heritage and the complexity of family relationships in this extraordinary stage debut.

Join Jennie Scholick, PhD for an exploration of Unbound A. Learn about these three new works from Alonzo King, Christopher […]

Photo credit: Thaler Photography On this episode, I Zoom in Aesha Ash and we chat about her experiences an elite ballerina and how important it is for her to empower young girls of color. Aesha has been a professional ballet dancer for 13 years. After attending the legendary School of American Ballet, she joined the New York City Ballet at the age of 18, where she remained for eight years dancing numerous soloist and principal roles. Aesha then joined the legendary Bejart Ballet, in Lausanne Switzerland, as a soloist. After enjoying success in Europe, she returned to the United States in 2005 where joined Alonzo King's Lines Ballet. After a tremendous amount of growth and learning, Aesha went freelance. She began working with Morphoses, founded by Christopher Wheeldon. Aesha has been featured in Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine, Bazaar, Marie Claire, the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle, to name a few. You will find Aesha featured in the New York City Ballet Workout II, Barbie Nutcracker, as well as the principal dance double for Zoe Saldana in the movie Center Stage. She is the recipient of the prestigious Mae L. Wein Award and has been honored by The National Women's History Museum with the Women Making History Award. Ms. Ash is currently working on The Swan Dreams Project. This project, which began in 2011, uses imagery to change stereotypes that surround women of color and individuals from underserved communities. She wants to remind us all that beauty and grace are not defined by race or socio-economic background. You can connect with Aesha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theswandreams The Swan Dreams Project is here: http://www.theswandreamsproject.org/

Brilliant choreographer Alonzo King shares how finding stillness is key to fueling our creativity and intuition, cultivating the relationship we have with ourselves, and tapping into our natural state of joy. He finds stillness and his own inner voice through yoga and meditation, and inspires his dancers to use heart and mind in addition to the body.

Alonzo is a visionary choreographer who changes the way we look at ballet and the way we look at life. Alonzo King LINES Ballet offers bold dance innovations that explore classicism, while breaking the traditional ballet mold.

Amy Brandt was born in Libertyville, Illinois, where she received her initial dance training at Dancenter North, the Ruth Page Foundation and the Milwaukee Ballet School. She later joined the Milwaukee Ballet, where she danced featured roles in works by Antony Tudor, George Balanchine, Simon Dow, Jean Paul Comelin and Alonzo King,among others. She joined The Suzanne Farrell Ballet in 2003, where her repertoire included featured roles in Balanchine Agon, Pas de Dix, Diamonds, La Valse,Divertimento No. 15. In 2005, she performed in honor of Ms. Farrell at the nationally televised Kennedy Center Honors. Ms. Brandt has also freelanced extensively in New York City, dancing leading roles with Dances Patrelle, Ad Hoc Ballet, New Chamber Ballet, and Ballet NY. She is a contributing writer and advice columnist for Pointe magazine, and has also written for Dance, Dance Spirit, and Dance Retailer News. She is now associate editor for Dance Teacher magazine.  

BCFHN presenters: Laura Elaine Ellis is Executive Director of the African& African American Performing Arts Coalition (AAAPAC), a San Francisco based, non-profit organization, founded in 1995 by a collective of artists who were looking to create better performance opportunities for African and African American performing artists as well as produce shows that reflect the aesthetic and cultural representation of the African and African American experience.  Kendra Kimbrough Barnes, Director, holds a BA in Dance, from San Francisco State University and a MA in Arts Administration from Golden Gate University. She graduated with honors and is a recipient of the "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges" award and as of 2008 the "Who's Who Among American Women".  Guest Choreographer: Gregory Dawson, Dawson Dance SF (2007), has premiered From Bruch to Brahms, Bach Goldberg Variations, Were You There?, and On the Way to the 16th St Bart Station at The Lund Dance Theatre, Valencia for the California State Summer School of the Arts (CSSSA). Gregory Dawson began his studies in Chicago at Ruth Page School of Ballet and then left for Southern Illinois to study ballet and Haitian dance with Katherine Dunham. He moved to San Francisco where he studied with Evelyn Schuert at Shawl-Anderson Dance Studios and with Alonzo King at Dance Central. Mr. Dawson left for New York in 1982 to study with The Dance Theatre of Harlem. From 1983-1986 he danced with Theatre Ballet Canadian, returning to the Bay Area to perform with Oakland Ballet, Berkeley Ballet Theater, Sacramento Ballet, and the San Francisco Opera Ballet. Mr. Dawson joined LINES in 1987 and danced for 18 years with the company.We close with an interview with Mr. Henry Delton Williams, designer for Motown who is bringing Martha Reeves to the African American Museum and Library, Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m.

Laurel Keen was a Principal dancer for nearly a decade with Alonzo King LINES, a contemporary ballet company based in San Francisco. In her years with the company, Laurel originated 21 roles, was featured on the cover of Pointe Magazine and earned the prestigious Princess Grace Award. In describing what makes her an exceptional artist, Alonzo King once said,"Her clarity is like calligraphy carved in steel...her faultless honesty and sincerity... her ability to be rather than do." Laurel grew up in Minneapolis where she began her training at Minnesota Dance Theatre, studying there from the age of seven until she reached high school. During this time, she also received training from the School of American Ballet, Dance Aspen, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School (PNBS). She moved to Seattle and continued with PNBS as a professional division student. Laurel was able to perform and tour with the company, dancing in several Balanchine works. Upon completing her training with PNBS, Laurel returned to Minneapolis and to the Minnesota Dance Theater as a company member. In 2002, she joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco. In 2006, her fifth season with LINES, Laurel received a Princess Grace Award, one of only six dancers that year to receive the award. As an additional honor, the Dance Panel voted to recognize Laurel with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA's Chris Hellman Dance Award. This award, endowed by Prima Ballerina Chris Hellman and her husband, F. Warren Hellman, represents the panel's high regard for a dancer's work and dedication to dance.  

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