The Monaco Dance Forum commissioned a new interpretation of Scheherazade by the choreographer, which – in Fokine's vision – was performed by the Ballets Russes in 1910 with Nijinsky, whom audiences at the Paris Opéra immediately took to their hearts. Fokine's version is set in Baghdad between the 6th and 9th centuries. The music for this ballet was composed by Zakir Hussain, who reinterprets Rimsky-Korsakov's original score with ancient oriental instruments. The show evokes the alternation of night and day, listening and the art of storytelling: it is a reflection on the temporality found only in a thousand and one nights. Alonzo King sets outs to make the story of “Scheherazade” moving but also sensual. The fluid and energetic movement, which is the choreographer's hallmark, draws an inventive and powerfully carnal guideline, visible in the quality of movement that Alonzo King is able to inspire so successfully in his dancers.  

Source: Maison de la Danse venue programme

“‘Scheherazade' is the symbol of the saviour. She weaves stories not to save her own life but to save humanity from the vengeance that is its perpetual response to wounding.”

Alonzo King

Combining a classical technique with personal intervention, Alonzo King projects his performers in a nonstop dance translating into a staggering articulation of bodies. After a dancer's career at Alvin Ailey company and American Ballet Theatre, Alonzo King moved to San Francisco and in 1982 founded LINES Ballet which today is one of the most prestigious and exciting companies in North America. Highly recognized in the United States, he has worked regularly with opera, television and cinema. At the same time he is invited to work with the largest companies around the world. William Forsythe stated that "Alonzo King is one of the few, true Ballet Masters of our times."  Admirer of Balanchine, he creates bridges between tradition and modernity and developes an inventive, sensual and vibrant dance with impeccable classically trained dancers.  Through his collaborations with artists from different disciplines and cultures, he proposes a work that is always new and fed by cultural diversity. As a visionary choreographer, Alonzo King is renowned for his incredible ability to grip the audience with a real humanity and a deep sense of freedom. The company 's repertoire includes 13 pieces, especially Meyer (2013), Biophony (2015), Sand et Art Song (2016) et Figures of speech (2017).

Source : Le Trait d'Union

More information : linesballet.org

Artistic Direction: Alonzo King

Creation: 1982

Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the unique artistic vision of Alonzo King. Collaborating with noted composers, musicians, and visual artists from around the world, Alonzo King creates works that draw on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. Alonzo King understands ballet as a science – founded on universal, geometric principles of energy and evolution – and continues to develop a new language of movement from its classical forms and techniques. Alonzo King’s visionary choreography, brought to life by the extraordinary LINES Ballet dancers, is renowned for connecting audiences to a profound sense of shared humanity.
 

"The term LINES alludes to all that is visible in the phenomenal world. There is nothing that is made or formed without a line. Straight and Circle encompass all that we see. Whatever can be seen is formed by a line. In mathematics it is a straight or curved continuous extent of length without breadth. Lines are in our fingerprints, the shapes of our bodies, constellations, geometry. It implies genealogical connection, progeny and spoken word. It marks the starting point and finish. It addresses direction, communication, and design. A line of thought. A boundary or eternity. A melodic line. The equator. From vibration or dot to dot it is the visible organization of what we see." Alonzo King

Source: Alonzo King LINES Ballet 's website

More information : linesballet.org