Alonzo King LINES Ballet Brings Its Soulful New Work, Deep River, to Boone

BOONE, NC — Appalachian State University’s annual summer arts celebration, An Appalachian Summer, presents acclaimed contemporary dance company Alonzo King LINES Ballet in Deep River, Saturday, July 19 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. This soulful work, created in collaboration with Grammy Award^®-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer and Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran, melds dance with Black spirituals and invites audiences to look at human beings as the pinnacle of creation.  Master choreographer Alonzo King says that the work is a reminder that “love is the ocean that we rose from, swim in, and will one day return to”—and that love can set us free. At the forefront of artistic innovation in ballet, the celebrated San Francisco-based company — which bends the lines between classical and contemporary aesthetics and draws on deeply rooted cultural traditions — is recognized for its impeccable technique, captivating dancers, and rich visual works. Tickets are $10-$40, with discounts for App State faculty/staff and local residents. To purchase, visit appsummer.org or call the box office at 828-262-4046.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet will also participate in an ARTtalk Friday, July 18 at 2pm at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Lecture Hall. In this intimate, behind-the-scenes chat, members of the company will discuss the juxtaposition of art, dance and movement. The event is free and open to the public.

App Summer runs June 28-July 26 and features a diverse lineup of music, dance, theatre, film and visual arts programming. This season’s artists include Amos Lee, Ranky Tanky with Ms. Lisa Fischer, Tessa Lark, Joshua Roman and Edgar Meyer, Joan Osborne and Lisa Loeb, Heather Headley with Western Piedmont Symphony, Peabo Bryson, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, The 5 Browns, as well as more music, visual arts, and international films. Visit AppSummer.org to explore the full season and purchase tickets.

Deep River Tickets
$40 Tier 1, $30 Tier 2, $20 Tier 3, $10 children 12 and younger. Discounts: 10% off Tiers 1, 2 & 3 for App State faculty/staff and local residents of Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, and Wilkes counties. To purchase, visit appsummer.org or call the box office at 828-262-4046.

From the Press

“A striking reminder of the universality King has reclaimed for ballet.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“Gripping, urgently beautiful choreography” – San Francisco Chronicle

“A feast for the eyes” – Boston Globe

About Alonzo King

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 by his unique artistic vision since 1982. King has works in the repertories 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. Furthermore, 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.

About Tickets for An Appalachian Summer

With ticket prices ranging from $5-$65, as well as several free events and discounts for both children, students, and App State faculty/staff, App Summer offers unique opportunities for residents and visitors to create arts experiences suited to their individual artistic tastes and budgets. Purchase in person at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts Box Office (733 Rivers St), online at AppSummer.org, or by phone at 828-262-4046.

App State Faculty/Staff: 10% off Tiers 1, 2 & 3. Contact Box Office for discount code.

Local Residents (Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, and Wilkes counties): 10% off Tiers 1, 2 & 3 for select events. Enter zip code before selecting tickets online.

About An Appalachian Summer

Presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources, this annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is held every summer in venues across the university campus, and features a diverse mix of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and film programming. An Appalachian Summer began in 1984 as a chamber music series and retains strong roots in classical music, combined with a variety of other programming geared to varied artistic tastes, preferences, and price points. The series has become one of the region’s leading arts events, attracting more than 27,000 visitors to the High Country each summer. App Summer has been named one of the “Top Twenty Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society.

For more information, call the Schaefer Center Box Office at 828-262-4046, visit in person at 733 Rivers Street, or explore AppSummer.org.

Corporate Sponsors

Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer, App State Campus Store, Broyhill Family Foundation, Appalachian Home Care LLC, Art Cellar Gallery, Explore Boone, Goodnight Brothers, Highstreet Insurance Partners, Mast General Store, SkyBest Communications, Creekside Electronics, Grandview Events & Catering, Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchants, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Rosemyr Corporation, Courtyard by Marriott, Graystone Lodge, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Holiday Inn Express-Boone

Media Sponsors

WBTV, WCYB, PBS North Carolina, Our State Magazine, The Mountain Times, Watauga Democrat, WNC Magazine, Creative Loafing Charlotte, Yes! Weekly, Winston-Salem Journal, Greensboro News & Record, WZJS 100.7 and WATA 96.5, WHKY 1290AM and 102.3FM, WDAV 89.9FM, WFDD 88.5FM, WASU 90.5FM, and WKSK The Farm

Restaurant Sponsors

Coyote Kitchen, The Local, Lost Province, Pepper’s, and Timberlake’s Restaurant