Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Maël Amatoul, Adji Cissoko, Theo Duff-Grant, Lorris Eichinger, Shuaib Elhassan, Joshua Francique, Mikal Gilbert, Anna Joy, Megan LeCrone, Marusya Madubuko, Tatum Quiñónez, Amanda Smith, Victoria Vassos (courtesy of Ballet West)

Program

The Collective Agreement

World Premiere 2018, San Francisco Ballet Choreography | Alonzo King Composer & Pianist | Jason Moran Recording | Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra Original Lighting Design | James F. Ingalls Grid Lighting Design | Jim Campbell Costume Design | Robert Rosenwasser Performers I. Adji Cissoko & Shuaib Elhassan II. Megan LeCrone & Lorris Eichinger with Mikal Gilbert & Company III. Maël Amatoul, Theo Duff-Grant, Lorris Eichinger, Shuaib Elhassan, Joshua Francique & Mikal Gilbert IV. Company V. Lorris Eichinger or Shuaib Elhassan VI. Theo Duff-Grant with Company ________ Intermission ________

Ode to Alice Coltrane

World Premiere 2024, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco Choreography | Alonzo King Music | Alice Coltrane Lighting Design | Seah Johnson Costume Design | Robert Rosenwaser Prelude Music & Music Supervision | Philip Perkins Performers | The Company Prelude: DD2 Wisdom Eye Radhe-Shyam Transcendence Journey In Satchidananda Translinear Light The Sun Turiya And Ramakrishna Radhe-Shyam Govinda Hari Om Supreme Hari Siva Spiritual Eternal Jai Ramachandra Going Home Special thanks to the Lisa Stone Pritzker Family Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts for supporting this creation.

Inspiration for The Collective Agreement

The Collective Agreement, Alonzo King’s acclaimed collaboration with MacArthur Fellow composer Jason Moran, takes on new life in a transformative re-envisioning by King, the LINES Ballet dancers, and light installation artist Jim Campbell. This work was originally commissioned by San Francisco Ballet for the 2018 Unbound Festival and set on the National Ballet of Canada four years later, but the alchemy between King and the company dancers infuses it with new resonance. “When a ballet is done by other dancers, it still holds up as beautiful,” King says. “But when you have artists who are able to read your every gesture and absorb your consciousness, it is a completely different message.” The message transmitted in The Collective Agreement is understanding — a theme that holds profound meaning in the current moment. “We are, as a community, trying to reach wholeness,” King says. “How do we come together?” The ever-changing balance of interdependence and individuality is embodied in the choreography, at once nuanced and dynamic. The work opens with an intimate duet, then expands into growing ensembles and the rising tempi of composer Jason Moran’s original score — his first for a symphony orchestra and his eighth collaboration with LINES — before culminating in a reprise of the duet. The score was recorded live for this performance by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, with Moran on piano. The reimagined Collective Agreement is an endeavor shared by King, the company dancers, and collaborators, but it will fully come to life in concert with the audience. “In Indigenous cultures, the circles on planet Earth are replicated in the dances, and we’re bringing that to the rectangle of the stage,” says King. “That experience is the collective agreement.”

Inspiration for Ode to Alice Coltrane

In an extraordinary collaboration, Alonzo King LINES Ballet partners with The John & Alice Coltrane Home and the Coltrane family to celebrate the life and work of the legendary spiritual leader, composer, pianist, and harpist Alice Coltrane, an artist celebrated for her trailblazing career. As part of “The Year of Alice,” LINES Ballet premieres a new work set to her transformative music. This premiere is part of a series of nationwide tributes honoring Alice Coltrane’s extraordinary legacy. LINES Ballet is joining organizations including Impulse! Records, the Detroit Jazz Festival, the Hammer Museum, and The New York Historical to honor Alice Coltrane through performances and exhibitions. Alonzo King choreographed one of his first works to the music of Alice Coltrane, which premiered at the company’s inaugural performance in 1982 at the McKenna Theater, San Francisco State University. He continues to draw inspiration from her groundbreaking contributions. “I’ve been mesmerized by the transcendental music of the incredible Alice Coltrane since I was a child,” King says. Jazz saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, Alice’s son, reflects on her enduring impact: “Alice was ahead of her time, one of the first people to move outside the mainstream, and certainly one of the first female, Black, American jazz musicians to record her own music in her own studio, and to release music on her own terms. … People across all generations are finding their way to Alice’s music in a myriad of different ways. It’s hard to pinpoint what makes her music so powerful, but there’s something in her spirit, in her intention, that is very clear — and people can feel that immediately.”

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Securing The Soraya’s Future

Support the Thor Steingraber Fund for Artistic Innovation to help us continue to bring new works, world premieres, and bold collaborations to life

In the fall of 2015, my family and I attended a performance at the Valley Performing Arts Center at CSUN. My son, David, had received his undergraduate degree from CSUN many years prior, and we were pleased to see how the campus had grown. The recollections that stand out most in my memory from that evening were the extraordinary venue, its artistic excellence, and my first time meeting Thor Steingraber. For those reasons, my family decided in 2017 to invest in The Soraya’s future and long-term sustainability. In the 10 years since, we have come to know Thor and his vision. Through his leadership, we have witnessed values we so admire come to life on this stage — in the artists, their work, and the experiences they create for Los Angeles’ many communities and for CSUN students. Thor’s dedication and imagination serve so many, and it is my wish that his legacy be preserved. In honor and recognition of Thor’s accomplishments, I am pleased to announce a new fund supporting the art and artists who will continue this work: the Thor Steingraber Fund for Artistic Innovation. From the performance that first introduced my family to this majestic venue a decade ago, to the many moments of beauty and inspiration that have graced its stage since, we have Thor to thank. I hope you will join me and my family in supporting this effort — to ensure that these performances, and the spirit they embody, thrive long into the future.

— Soraya Sarah Nazarian

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Program Note

Now in its fifth year, The Soraya’s jazz festival has gained national and international notoriety. The breadth of offerings is one of its signatures — from large-scale performances and big bands to trios and quartets in the intimate Jazz Club. Each year, there is an element of Latin jazz as well as album releases, newly minted Grammy-winning artists, and revered jazz masters. Unlike many festivals which are scheduled in the summer months, we chose February for The Soraya’s festival. This is for two reasons: First, there was an opportunity to add world-class jazz programming to the sometimes-barren winter months; and second, February is Black History Month. I can think of no better way to honor the occasion, culturally and historically, than three weeks of jazz featuring some of today’s more important artists. Mardi Gras also lands in February, and this year we celebrate the occasion with one of the standard-bearers of New Orleans traditions, Preservation Hall Jazz Band. For the closing performance, we engaged one of the West Coast’s most prominent dance companies, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, bringing their Ode to Alice Coltrane. Both stand on their extraordinary artistic merits while also honoring Black History Month in authentic ways.

Gratefully,

Thor Steingraber

Executive and Artistic Director, Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts

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About Alonzo King LINES Ballet

“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

Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary company that has been guided since 1982 by the artistic vision of acclaimed choreographer Alonzo King. Collaborating with extraordinary composers, musicians, writers, and visual artists from around the world, he draws on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. King has been heralded as a visionary and thought leader on topics that reach far beyond dance, receiving numerous accolades including a San Francisco Arts Medallion, an induction into the California Hall of Fame, and a 2020 Dance Magazine Award. The company brings new works of illuminating beauty to Bay Area audiences in biannual home seasons. LINES Ballet’s national and international tours allow the company to share its vision of transformative, revelatory dance through performances worldwide. LINES Ballet is dedicated to training the next generation of artists through its preprofessional Summer Program and Bachelor of Fine Arts program with Dominican University of California. LINES also makes dance accessible to Bay Area adults and youth through world-class, affordable classes open to the community and free in-school education programs.

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Alonzo King

Alonzo King, choreographer, artistic director, and co-founder of LINES Ballet, is one of the pioneers of contemporary ballet. He 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. Described as a choreographer with “astonishing originality” by The New York Times, 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 around 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 Dance Award, the United States Artist award in dance, the Bessie Award, the San Francisco Arts Medallion, 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 in 2024 for his service to women and girls with HIV. Additionally, his 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 standard-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 preprofessional 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.

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Robert Rosenwasser

Robert Rosenwasser is a co-founder of LINES Ballet. As creative director, he shapes the aesthetic and artistic direction of each project at the company, including conceptual design and production. Rosenwasser served as executive director from 2018 to 2025. In addition to his work with LINES Ballet, he has designed for Ballet de Monte Carlo, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, the Royal Swedish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He has also collaborated on book projects with artists and poets including Richard Tuttle, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Kiki Smith, Cecilia Vicuña, and Barbara Guest. Rosenwasser’s work is found at the The Museum of Modern Art in New York, at the Whitney Museum, and the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library. Rosenwasser grew up in New York, attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, The Cooper Union, and California Institute of the Arts.

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Alice Coltrane

Alice Coltrane forged masterful creative works, created music that beams universal love and spirituality to those listening, and laid the groundwork for other musicians to do the same. She was prolific in her creation, with iconic works that include Journey In Satchidananda (one of Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums), A Monastic Trio, Universal Consciousness, and Ptah, the El Daoud. Coltrane continued creating music when she started her ashram in California — music from that time would later be released to critical acclaim. Beyond her recorded output (elegantly explored in The New York Times’ “Five Minutes That Will Make You Love Alice Coltrane”), Coltrane was a beloved and wise spiritual leader, a pragmatic person with a keen eye for business, and a deeply giving human, who emphasized the importance of charitable giving, education, and spiritual guidance.

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Jason Moran

Jazz pianist, composer, and artist Jason Moran hails from Houston. He’s an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Jaki Byard. Upon graduation, Moran studied with Andrew Hill and Muhal Richard Abrams. Moran’s 18-year relationship with Blue Note Records produced nine highly acclaimed recordings. His groundbreaking trio, The Bandwagon (with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits), has been playing together for 25 years. Moran’s performances with Cassandra Wilson, Charles Lloyd, and the late Sam Rivers reveal the scope of Moran’s partnerships and music making. He’s also worked with visual artists Adrian Piper, Joan Jonas, Glenn Ligon, Adam Pendleton, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, Stan Douglas, and others. Moran has received awards and fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, United States Artists, Doris Duke Foundation, and Ford Foundation. Moran collaborated with his wife, mezzo-soprano and composer Alicia Hall Moran, as named artists in the 2012 Whitney Biennial, constructing Bleed, a five-day series of live performances spanning Motown to acupuncture to dance. They also created Work Songs for the 2015 Venice Biennial and continue to produce albums for their record label, Yes Records. Since Moran’s first album, he has produced more than a dozen additional albums, created scores for Ava DuVernay’s films Selma and 13th, and author Ta-Nehisi Coates’ staged version of Between the World and Me. History is a recurring theme for Moran, who has mounted monumental touring works for Thelonious Monk (In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall 1959), Fats Waller (Fats Waller Dance Party, plus Grammy-nominated album All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller) and James Reese Europe (James Reese Europe and the Absence of Ruin). In 2018, Moran’s first solo museum exhibition opened at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and it traveled to the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. The exhibition opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art in September 2019. Moran teaches at the New England Conservatory in Boston and curates the Artists Studio series for Park Avenue Armory in New York City.

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Maël Amatoul

A native of the French Riviera, Maël Amatoul embarked on a journey at the PNSD Rosella Hightower in Cannes, where he trained in ballet and contemporary. He has worked on pieces by choreographers including Jean-Christophe Maillot, Christophe Garcia, Hervé Koubi, and Francesco Curci. In 2022, Amatoul was awarded a Scholarship of Excellence in Art and Culture from the Côte d’Azur University. After seven years in Cannes, he decided to open up his dance experience to new techniques and joined The Ailey School. There, Amatoul had the opportunity to learn and perform works by Alvin Ailey and other renowned choreographers such as Ray Mercer, Branndi Lewis, Renee Robinson, and Clifton Brown. After attending the LINES Ballet Summer Program in June 2023, Amatoul joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet as a company dancer.

Adji Cissoko

Born and raised in Munich, Adji Cissoko trained at the Ballet Academy Munich and graduated with a diploma in dance. She attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in New York City on a full scholarship before joining the National Ballet of Canada in 2010. In 2012, Cissoko was awarded the Patron Award of Merit by the Patrons’ Council Committee of the National Ballet of Canada. Cissoko joined LINES Ballet in 2014. Since then, she’s originated many central roles and guested for galas worldwide. Cissoko has given multiple master classes and taught classes around the world as part of the company’s outreach program. In 2020, she became certified in health/life coaching and ABT’s National Training Curriculum. Cissoko choreographed her first piece, AZIZ, for BalletX in 2021. She is also a 2022 recipient of the Toulmin Fellowship and was the Artist-in-Residence for Vail Dance Festival in 2023. On Jan. 1, Cissoko was appointed associate artistic director of Alonzo King LINES Ballet.

Theo Duff-Grant

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,Theo Duff-Grant studied at Goh Ballet Academy for 10 years before completing his training at the Dutch National Ballet Academy. In 2015, he joined the Dutch National Ballet, and in 2017, he moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, to join the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Duff-Grant joined LINES Ballet in 2022.

Lorris Eichinger

Lorris Eichinger started training in Grenoble, France, at the National Conservatory and continued at the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Danse de Marseille. After training at the School of American Ballet in New York from 2010 to 2013, he joined the Professional Division program of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. Eichinger then moved back to France to dance with the Jeune Ballet de Lyon. He danced with De Dutch Don’t Dance in the Netherlands in 2015 and then moved to Israel to join Kamea Dance Company in 2016. Eichinger joined LINES Ballet in 2019.

Shuaib Elhassan

Originally from Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Shuaib Elhassan began his formal dance training on a full scholarship at The Ailey School under the co-direction of Tracy Inman and Melanie Person. Elhassan has also trained at intensives with Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Elhassan was a member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet during their 2012–2013 season. Additionally, he has performed with Life Dance Company, Zest Collective, Dance Iquail, and the Von Howard Project. Elhassan joined LINES Ballet in 2014.

Joshua Francique

Born and raised in Chicago, Joshua Francique began his dance training with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in 2015. He continued his training in the Northern Illinois University BFA dance program and soon after at The Ailey School on a full scholarship. Francique has performed works by Nicole Clarke-Springer, Gary Abbott, and Kevin Iega Jeff, to name a few. In 2020, Francique attended the LINES Ballet Training Program for a year. He then joined LINES Ballet in 2022.

Mikal Gilbert

Mikal Gilbert grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He developed a love for dance at the age of 19 while studying music performance at the University of the Arts. It was there that Gilbert’s passion grew with encouragement from several dance faculty members. He then went on to formally train and study ballet and modern at Norfolk Academy under the tutelage of Elbert Watson. In 2017, Gilbert was an inaugural member of the preprofessional program at Complexions Contemporary Ballet. In 2018, he continued his studies at The Ailey School as a full scholarship recipient. Gilbert has attended intensives and workshops at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions, and BalletX. He is a “Dancer of Philadelphia” and has been a member of Koresh Dance Company (2019–2022), Dance Iquail (2022), and PHILADANCO! (2022–2024), where he performed works by Bernard Gaddis, Milton Myers, Christopher Rudd, and Tommie Waheed Evans. Gilbert joined LINES Ballet in 2024.

Anna Joy

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Anna Joy began her training at Draper Center for Dance Education. She traveled to Trujillo, Peru, to perform in the Festival Internacional De Ballet Trujillo and attended competitions throughout the United States. Joy spent summers at American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, The Royal Ballet School, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. In 2019, she competed in Dance Prix de New York where she was offered a full scholarship by Cynthia Harvey to the Upper School at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Joy moved to New York City to attend school and participated in projects, including performing in New York Fashion Week. She graduated in 2023 and joined The Washington School of Ballet as a trainee from 2023 to 2024. Joy joined LINES Ballet in 2025.

Marusya Madubuko

Originally from New York City, Marusya Madubuko began her preprofessional training at age 15 with Premiere Division Ballet under the tutelage of Nadege Hottier. In 2019, she competed at the Royal Dance Grand Prix in Italy, winning second place for her contemporary and classical solo. Madubuko trained with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the Royal Ballet School, and the San Francisco Ballet School, where she had the opportunity to dance repertoire including Helgi Tomasson’s The Nutcracker and Cinderella, as well as George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2021, she participated in Ballet Unleashed’s first creative project Switchback, working with choreographer Cathy Marston to create a solo. Madubuko joined LINES Ballet in 2021.

Tatum Quiñónez

Tatum Quiñónez began her training at Master Ballet Academy in Phoenix. She then continued her training at Ballet West Academy and the BWA Trainee Program. Quiñónez spent her summers at Ballet Arizona, Ballet Austin, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet West, and Oregon Ballet Theatre. She then joined Oregon Ballet Theatre’s second company in 2019. Quiñónez has performed works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Willam Christensen, Gerald Arpino, Christopher Stowell, James Canfield, and LeeWei Chao. Quiñónez joined LINES Ballet in 2021.

Amanda Smith

Amanda Smith grew up in Orange County, California, and trained at California Dance Academy, Pointe of Grace, and Anaheim Ballet. In 2008, she was crowned Miss Dance Drill Team California and USA. Smith moved to New York to study at SUNY Purchase where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2012. She also studied abroad and performed at the Dance New York International Dance Festival in Madrid, Spain. After graduating, Smith joined Charlotte Ballet and worked with Patricia McBride. In 2015, Smith moved back to New York, where she joined New York Theatre Ballet. She also taught and participated in outside projects including The Black Iris Project and Kymera Dance, and she was featured in a national campaign for GAP. Smith then joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2017 and was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine’s April 2019 issue. While at DTH, she performed many roles in ballets such as Allegro Brillante and Blake Works IV. Smith also guested for Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. She has taught classes, performed as a guest artist, and worked with many prolific artists such as Arthur Mitchell, Carmen De Lavallade, and William Forsythe.

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Alonzo King LINES Ballet Staff

Leadership Team Choreographer, Artistic Director & Co-Founder | Alonzo King Creative Director & Co-Founder | Robert Rosenwasser Managing Director | Ruth Nott Associate Artistic Director | Adji Cissoko Co-Founder | Pam Hagen Company Staff General Manager | Brandi Williams Assistant to Alonzo King | Syam Waymon Production Director | Seah Johnson Rehearsal/Stage Manager | Byron Roman Sound Designer | Philip Perkins Costume Construction | Joan Raymond, Abdiel Portalatín Pérez, Keely Weiman, Chantrell Glover, Shannon Maxham Rehearsal Directors | Julia Erickson, Ilaria Guerra, Jenny Sandler, Meredith Webster Stage Supervisors | Adam Cook, Matt Sanford, Josh Weckesser Booking Director, Selby Artists Management | Margaret Selby mselby@selbyartistsmgmt.com; 262 West 38th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY 10018 Director, Delta Danse | Thierry DuClos td@deltadanse.com; 102 Rue Pasteur, 16600 Magnac-sur-Touvre, France

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The Soraya

The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya/Producer) is an award-winning, state-of-the-art 1,700-seat theater that opened in 2011 as the Valley Performing Arts Center. Through a transformative gift by Younes and Soraya Nazarian, the venue was renamed The Soraya in 2017. The Soraya is located on the campus of California State University, Northridge, the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley.

Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber, in his 12th year leading the organization, sums up what makes The Soraya a central piece of Los Angeles arts and culture. “At The Soraya, we hold a high standard of excellence for every performance from a vast array of artistic disciplines, and we hold steadfast to our commitment to the value and impact of the performing arts in community-building, for the Valley’s 1.8 million residents and beyond.”

The Soraya’s 2025–26 Season is a journey through the expansive sounds of orchestras, the freestyle vibes of jazz, the innovations of dance luminaries, and a vast array of global voices. The Soraya continues its vigorous commitment to excelling, innovating, and amplifying access for Valley residents, students, and arts lovers across Southern California.

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