Long River, High Sky

Let me preface this post by saying that LINES ballet is my all-time favorite ballet company. Alonzo King is a genius, and there is still, even with how out of shape I am, nothing I wouldn't do for the opportunity to be in that company. Every single one of those dancers are gorgeous. 

                                                                                                                                                        

Now, down to the real stuff. I meant to post a review of the last ballet I saw LINES perform back in late May, just after I saw them, but---yada yada yada. Anyway, I'm doing it now. The title of the piece 

was "Long River High Sky," and it was a collaboration between LINES ballet and the kung fu monks of Shaolin Temple USA. Now, if that isn't enough to get you interested, I don't know what is. 

Though there wasn't a specific "story" to the piece per se, there were many recurring themes throughout, woven together to create something as typically beautiful as only LINES can promise. A zen setting was ingrained within each person's movement-- it was as if the dancers alternated between this world and the next, and occasionally the monks would achieve some sort of serenity whereby they could interact with the dancers. 

In contrast to the ethereal parts of the piece were sections during which the monks and the dancers seemed to interact on this plane. The dancers played normal humans, and many people occupied the stage--walking, dancing, and clearly seeing one another, though only a couple of the performers would ever dance together. 

To the oblivious bystander (ie. me), this ballet seemed to be a perfect window into what I imagine is the life of a storybook Shaolin Monk. It was amazing. If you ever get a chance to see 

e of a storybook Shaolin Monk. It was amazing. If you ever get a chance to see LINES perform at the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts in San Francisco, GO!