Detroit Opera’s 2022–23 dance season opens Oct. 21-22 with an inaugural presentation of “Deep River” by the San Francisco-based Alonzo King LINES Ballet.
“Deep River” is a “soulful, powerful” new work that fuses Black spirituals with dance, set to a score by jazz pianist, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran, and sung by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer. The ballet was developed for the dance company’s 40th anniversary tour.
“We are thrilled to kick off our first full dance season since the pandemic with the Alonzo King LINES Ballet,” says Jon Teuwissen, artistic advisor for dance at Detroit Opera. “His fusion of spirituals and dance is punctuated by exquisitely talented dancers who are among the most celebrated names in the world of dance.
“King’s collaboration with Lisa Fischer and Jason Moran results in an envelope-pushing experience. Bending the lines between classical and contemporary ballet, King draws on his strengths, altering the way we look at ballet today.”
Wayne S. Brown, president and CEO of Detroit Opera, says: “We are delighted to welcome the Alonzo King LINES Ballet to the Detroit Opera House as they commemorate their 40th anniversary. We invite everyone to witness ‘Deep River,’ a powerful work from such a visionary choreographer.”
Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the artistic vision of choreographer Alonzo King. Collaborating with noted composers, musicians, writers, and visual artists from around the world, King draws on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential.
He has received numerous accolades such as a 2020 Dance Magazine Award. LINES Ballet’s national and international tours allow the company to share its vision of “transformative, revelatory” dance through performances worldwide.
“As we look back on 40 years of work in the community, in ourselves, the programs, classes, and performances, both live and on film, we recognize that it is the same vision and belief that have carried us to this moment and will continue to carry this organization into the future,” King says.
“We have strived to make obvious that art is the inheritance of every individual, that art activates evolutionary growth, is an intellectual virtue, and the fostering principle for all that is made, done, or known. The intention behind the work is to remind me, the artists, and the viewers that love is the ocean that we rose from, swim in, and will one day return to, and that love, if listened to and deeply cultured, can bring us to liberation.”
Performances at Detroit Opera will take place Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 23 at 2:30 p.m. Run time is approximately 60 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are available online at DetroitOpera.org and start at $29. Orders for groups may be placed by emailing groupsales@detroitopera.org. Subscriptions for the 2022-23 season also can be purchased online or by calling 313-237-7464.
