Resin is a work created on musics hailing from the rich Sephardic tradition. Emerging from a spirited and tangled intercultural history that crosses centuries, continents and beliefs, Sephardic music is a living testimony of the varying encounters between Judaism and the communities where the Sephardic diaspora settled. A dancer compresses his body against the walls of a cone of light; the luminous circle rises, the lament of a shofar rings out, Resin can begin.

Just as the work moves from intimate duets to the dazzling, almost imperceptible, footwork of a quartet of dancers, Alonzo King explores the possibilities offered by the vast panorama of traditional Sephardic music. In this “Diaspora in the Diaspora” as the curator and ethnomusicologist Francesco Spagnolo wrote, “the music of the Sephardic Jewish community came into contact with the music coming from Europe, particularly from Italy and the Balkans, but above all with the Arabic and Turkish musical heritage”. Precious archive recordings are interwoven with Judaeo-Spanish musics. 

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