Alonzo King has been called a visionary choreographer who is altering the way we look at ballet. King calls his works “thought structures” created by the manipulation of energies that exist in matter through laws, which govern the shapes and movement directions of everything that exists. Named as a choreographer with “astonishing originality” by The New York Times, Alonzo King has guided LINES Ballet with his unique artistic vision since 1982.

King has works in the repertoires of the world’s leading ballet and modern companies and has collaborated with distinguished visual artists, musicians, and composers across the globe. His work has been recognized for its impact on the cultural fabric of the company’s home in San Francisco, as well as internationally by the dance world’s most prestigious institutions.

Named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, King is the recipient of the NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, the US Artist Award in Dance, the NY Bessie Award, the SF Arts Medallion Award, and the National Dance Project’s Residency and Touring Awards. In 2015, he received the Doris Duke Artist Award in recognition of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of contemporary dance. King was also named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition, joining historic icons in the field. In 2020, he was honored with a Dance Magazine Award, and his choreography appears in the 2023 short film Flower, produced by and starring Misty Copeland. King was also inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2022 and received the Minyon Harlin Award from UCSF in 2024 for his service to women and girls with HIV. Additionally, Alonzo King’s celebrated ballet Deep River is featured on NEXT at The Kennedy Center—a series on PBS that showcases artists who are at the forefront of their disciplines and serve as culture bearers of the 21st Century.

King has received honorary doctorates from The Juilliard School, Dominican University of California, and California Institute of the Arts in recognition of his significant contribution to the field of dance. Renowned for his skill as a teacher, King was also honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Corps de Ballet International Teacher Conference in 2012. An internationally acclaimed guest ballet master, his training philosophy undergirds the educational programming at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center of San Francisco, which includes the pre-professional Training Program, Summer Program, and the BFA Program at Dominican University of California. Furthermore, King is a former San Francisco commissioner and a writer and lecturer on humanity and art.