It was so incredible to see Deep River for a second time. I felt kind of like a kid at Christmas, asking myself, “Where do I look?” The first time you watch the ballet, you sit in awe and just absorb it. But later, you pick up on all of these different movements that you may have missed before.
LINES Board Member Aaron Walton
Why do we return to works we love over and over again? While repetition and familiarity provide comfort and nostalgia, we are also gifted a new and deeper experience each time we engage with a beloved piece. We see and hear and feel things we had not in our previous beholdings. We share the work with loved ones and learn something fresh from their perspectives. We discover new facets each time we encounter our favorite pieces within an inherently new time and context.
Our return to critically acclaimed Deep River this September is intended to bring these new aspects to life. Whether you have seen it before or this will be your first experience with the work, you will find yourself transformed by Alonzo King’s powerful reflection on love, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit.
Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Adji Cissoko | © RJ Muna
LINES Ballet Board Member Aaron Walton is no stranger to returning to this cherished work. Having attended company performances of Deep River twice within thirteen months of its premiere in 2022, he affirmed his experience.
When asked “Did it speak to you differently the second time?”, Walton responded:
“It was so incredible to see Deep River for a second time. I felt kind of like a kid at Christmas, asking myself, “Where do I look?” The first time you watch the ballet, you sit in awe and just absorb it. But later, you pick up on all of these different movements that you may have missed before.
I brought a lot of friends to the show in Beverly Hills, and I watched it through their lens. My friend Cheri Oteri was literally sitting on the edge of her seat. It was incredible to feel the energy and joy that I experienced the first time through someone else’s body.
I also enjoyed watching my friends’ interpretations of the show. We all felt the power of the story. My guests walked away from the performance as different people. That’s what happens when you see Alonzo’s work. Something kind of magical happens; you can feel it. And that’s what great storytelling, and great art, should always do: make you feel something every time that you see it. And, perhaps, make you feel something different each time, because the environment, the people around you, and the world itself has changed. So our perspectives on the story should change as well.”
Photography: LINES Ballet Board Member Aaron Walton | © Kal Yee
Read our full 2023 interview with LINES Ballet Board Member Aaron Walton here
LINES’ Fall Season
Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s Fall Season, September 18–21 at YBCA’s Blue Shield of California Theater, features our return to Deep River.
Deep River, Alonzo King’s acclaimed masterwork, fuses dance with Black spirituals and Jewish liturgical music in a powerful reflection on love, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit. Named one of Pointe Magazine’s standout performances of 2024, Deep River has been praised for its beauty, emotional depth, and spiritual force. With soaring vocals by Lisa Fischer and an evocative score by Jason Moran, Deep River is a transformative journey of compassion, beauty, and transcendence.*
*Please note: these performances will feature pre-recorded music; musicians will not perform live.
Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancer: Lorris Eichinger | © RJ Muna
Interested in joining Aaron Walton in supporting LINES Ballet’s mission of touching hearts and stirring minds through the transformative power of dance? We welcome you to join our community of passionate donors with a gift of any amount today!
Banner Photography: Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Dancers: Adji Cissoko, Theo Duff-Grant, and Shuaib Elhassan | © RJ Muna
Compiled by Katie Roy
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