Farewell Interview with LINES Ballet Dancer Madeline DeVries

After a decade dancing with LINES Ballet, this will be Madeline DeVries’ last season. Her radiant warmth, grounded joy, and abundant honesty will be dearly missed—both on stage and off. To celebrate her final season, we asked Madeline to reflect on her favorite roles, lessons learned, and long-standing friendships with fellow LINES Ballet dancers. Reminisce with Madeline before she takes the stage April 5–14 at the Blue Shield of California Theater for the company’s 2024 Spring Season. Tickets are on sale now, with shows staring next week.

Interview by Erin McKay | Videos by Jamie Lyons

Which piece that you performed with the company stands out to you the most?

Performance Footage: LINES Ballet Company Dancer Madeline DeVries performing Alonzo King’s “Child of Sky and Earth”

How did you navigate through your season of rejection in professional dance?

There was so much rejection, and it was hard. I applied for 73 different ballet companies in Europe and got under 20 responses, almost all of which said, “You’re too tall.” Three companies did invite me to audition, but when I went, they ended up being closed doors as well. I started to doubt if this was really what I was supposed to do. There were definitely dark moments, but at the end of the day, I had to ask myself, “Do I want this? And how badly do you want it?”

In order to keep going, I needed to believe in myself. In the face of rejection, I told myself, “No, You deserve this. I know who I am.” I think we are all beautifully made, and there is a home for everybody; it’s about finding that home. And honestly, you don’t want to be at a place where they don’t want you. Overtime, I came to believe that if a company told me “No,” then I wasn’t supposed to be there.

So, with that in mind, I moved back in with my parents in Seattle, and I started doing freelance jobs with smaller dance companies that taught me so much. That journey was actually invaluable, because it prepared me for the audition with LINES Ballet. That’s my story, and the rest is history.

What has Alonzo King taught you?

How have you seen your friends in the company grow, and how have they impacted you?

There is something uniquely special about joining the company in my early years and growing up alongside the LINES Ballet dancers who became my closest friends. I’ve watched them refine who they are, ultimately becoming who they were meant to be.

(From left to right) Shuaib Elhassan, Madeline DeVries, Adji Cissoko, Alonzo King, and Babatunji sitting together on a bench indoors

Alonzo is in the business of shaping and molding his dancers into their truest selves. When we came to dance with him, we were little fresh buds in the grass. We giggled, tumbled, and flew around, just scratching the surface of possibility. But Alonzo knew there was more. He believes in us and sees it all before we see it ourselves. Slowly but surely, we grew roots that sunk down deep into an understanding of who we are and what we wanted to say.

Shuaib Elhassan, Madeline DeVries, Adji Cissoko, Alonzo King, and Babatunji

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company Dancers Babatunji and Madeline DeVries partnering in the water in front a cliffside with a waterfall

I watched my friends in LINES Ballet become heroes. They rose up and off the ground, touching the heavens, and dove to their depths, becoming creatures with quiet power, surrender, and immovable strength. I saw every part of them: the risks they took, the tenderness and vulnerability they shared, and the determination of their will that kept them suspended on one leg for what seemed like hours. A simple step became poetry or an arm became a weapon. Every movement was much more than the physical body, because they are storytellers. Sometimes I barely recognize them.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company Dancers Madeline DeVries and Adji Cissoko together during a company rehearsal in studio 5; Madeline is fixing Adji’s hair as Adji smiles at the camera

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company Dancers Madeline DeVries and Babatunji together during a company rehearsal in studio 5; Madeline is resting her leg on Tunji’s shoulder, while Tunji’s stares at the snack she’s holding; both dancers are mid-laughter

But they have done more than inspire me, they challenge me. Collaboration with Alonzo is like a puzzle that we work together to solve. What is difficult about our work, but also beautiful, is seeing just how differently we interpret something that is given. Often my friends have an entirely different perspective than mine that is no less true. They are some of the greatest artists, athletes, scientists, and musicians I’ve ever seen, and they show me there is always more to be explored and understood. This is the beauty of many becoming one.

In all that I am trying to say, one Bible verse comes to mind that sums it up quite nicely. And that is, “Iron sharpens iron, and one friend sharpens another.” —Proverbs 27:17. My friends at LINES Ballet have shaped me. They love deeply, give generously, and laugh infectiously, and it has been an honor to dance and grow beside them. What a gift.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company Dancers Madeline DeVries and Adji Cissoko dancing together outdoors, holding each others’ elbows as they lean away from each other

How often do you enter a flow state while dancing?

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company Dancer Madeline DeVries standing on relevé on a wrap-around, raised step with the other leg in front attitude, leaning forward to rest her hand on the red/orange wall in front of her

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company Dancer Madeline DeVries performing on stage at Jacob’s Pillow; seated on the floor, Madeline suspends both of her legs up slightly off the ground, as her arms reach out and head leans back

What would you tell your younger self as you were starting out in the company?

You are loved. This space is an infinite playground to run around, make mistakes, grow, fall, laugh, cry, and experience freedom and joy. Do not be afraid. And do not listen to the voices that say you are less than, unworthy, and do not belong here.

You have something to say that no one else can say, because you are the only you. And you were made specifically for this purpose of sharing your art, heart, and soul with these audiences at this specific time. Give it all, and don’t hold back. Remember you are loved. And you are going to have so much fun.

Jacob's Pillow | Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Madeline DeVries | © Danica Paulos

What brings you joy in this season of life?

One of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen, once said that “True joy, happiness, and inner peace come from the giving of ourselves to others.” This couldn’t be a more accurate description of the work we do with Alonzo. It is a pouring out of ourselves on stage. This, in return, has brought so much joy, along with the many small and simple pleasures that bring me joy every single day, like the old elevator with an operator that brings me up to work every day, the pink and gray bathroom tile that I just noticed yesterday, Lorris’s nail colors, my husband Phil Tang, candles, ramen, and the dancers’ lounge, that often smells, but feels like a second home to me.

What insight would you like to share with other artists?

Push harder than you think is humanly possible. The spirit takes over in some real, wild ways. It comes with presence plus effort. Effort will never betray you.

Deep focus and an understanding of the idea will carry you. There is a deep well of abundance we can freely access for strength, creativity, vulnerability, and power.

Listen to your body. But also listen to the heartbeat of the other, meaning listen to your colleagues. We are always stronger together, breathing and beating as one. If the intention is there, the invisible threads will bind you together to move as one.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company Dancer Madeline DeVries jumping with arms crossed across her chest and hair flying up into the air; symbols made of light are projected onto her body and the back wall

What do you want to do next?

I want to rest.
I want to create.
I want to learn.
I want to share.
I want to start an herb garden.
I want to write my story.
I want to paint.
I want to dream.
I want to invest my time and energy into the city of San Francisco.
I want to love the community around me.
I want to be present.
I am so excited for next.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company Dancer Madeline DeVries mid-twirl with hair flying across her face; both legs are slightly bent with one arm flowing up above her head; blue light squares are projected up onto the ceiling

Spring Season 2024

Join us and give Madeline DeVries a roaring send-off during LINES Ballet’s Spring Season, where the company presents a triple bill of works by artistic director Alonzo King. Audiences will enjoy the world premiere of SPRING, 2013’s Concerto for Two Violins, and a reimagining of The Collective Agreement—an acclaimed collaboration with jazz composer Jason Moran and light installation artist Jim Campbell. King’s choreography pairs with music recorded live by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, with Moran on piano. Performances run April 5–14, 2024, at the Blue Shield of California Theater.

TICKETS

LINES Ballet company dancer Madeline DeVries dancing en pointe wearing red and yellow striped flowy pants and a red and blue striped flowy shirt; one leg is extended out, as the arms extend

Love these conversations about dance, philosophy, and gratitude? In addition to these inspirational interviews, LINES Ballet’s performances and education programs reach more than 30,000 people every year. But we need your help. We rely on donors’ generosity to bring these inspirational programs to our community. Donate today!