ALONZO KING LINES BALLET’S DEEP RIVER AT THE WALLIS

This was one of the absolute best dance shows I have ever seen! And I’ve been going to dance shows my entire life, since I was a little girl in New York, so that’s saying something.

That we saw Alonzo King LINES Ballet at The Wallis in Beverly Hills made it even more perfect.

The first night of the two-night run was completely sold-out, with a very appreciative audience. Because of that full house, I sat in the last row of the orchestra for the first time ever, (along with the magnificent Debbie Allen,) and let me tell you…I loved it back there! It turned-out to be the ideal place to take in the entire tableau.

And that area is sooo comfortable. There are fewer audience personalities to deal with—no one is behind you to possibly cough down on your head, there’s so much less yakking while artists are performing their butts off, and this time, I saw only one person look at his phone, (which he told me later was just to check the time.) It was actually cozy back there, sort-of like a secret clubhouse!

But it doesn’t matter where you sit for Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s performance of Deep River; it’s a perfect presentation on all levels. I could see it again and again, and discover something new every time.

The choreography, which a note in the program tells us was developed over the three years of the pandemic, (with Alonzo King and company even working on it separately,) is downright fascinating. I don’t remember even breathing while witnessing the show! At one point, I was sure that the performers were spelling out a secret message with their bodies!

The dozen dancers are all excellent. There is not one weak or distracting one, as I often see in other companies. And all of their literature-worthy names are worth reading the program for!

Deep River is one continuous number. The whole show was over in just one hour and five minutes. It could have gone on for double that time, as far as I’m concerned. Especially to see more of Adji Cissoko, one of the most exquisite dancers I’ve ever seen! I’m not alone in that assessment; many of us in the audience gasped at her dancing beauty, and a couple even called-out loud expressions of appreciation. (That last part was a tad odd, but nobody minded because we all felt the same way.) She’s what every dancer should aspire to be.

When Adji did her first solo, I honestly thought she was about seven feet tall, mainly due to her *Victor Wembanyama-esque limbs. But then when I saw her next to the other dancers, I noticed that she’s a tiny little thing. Filling-up the whole stage like she does is just part of her great talent. I kept thinking that Alvin Ailey would have loved her! *[Note: If you don’t know who Victor Wembanyama is, look him up. Or just wait for the Fall, when you’ll start being aware of him for years to come!]

On a side note, in a perfect world, I would love to see her do a duet with my favorite male dancer, Serafin Castro, whom I discovered at this very venue a year ago, performing in Complexions Contemporary Ballet. They would be my dream team.

Adji is not the only one who dances en point in Deep River; I adore that several of the ladies do the same.  I had just been thinking that the presentation is more like modern ballet than the contemporary dance I believe it’s billed as, and then, all of a sudden, I noticed a lot of toe work, which is always so spectacular.

The incredible dancing was accompanied by haunting live music, mostly sung by Lisa Fischer, who not only wrote much of it, (with Jason Moran,) but sang throughout most of the show, often interchanging two mikes, which I had never seen done before. (Someone told me they serve different purposes, but my knowledge ends there.) My friend Marc went even more insane over her than he did over the dancing!

I also give major props to the person who wrote the statement in the program entitled Inspiration for Deep River. I recycle my programs after I read them, (only because my office is way too cluttered,) but I saved those two paragraphs, along with the one from Alonzo King himself, (on the About The Company page,), and will read them often. The writing of them is as beautiful as everything else about this company! As much as I wish I could dance like anyone on stage that night, I also wish I could write like the authors of those notes! (Maybe I should start a company called “Karen Salkin’s WISHES!”)

One last note: Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been going strong for over four decades, yet this is the first I’ve heard of them! How is that even possible??? It’s better late than never, though, especially in this case. But shame on me for that lack of knowledge, and major kudos to The Wallis for always making nescient Angelenos (including myself) aware of beautiful culture such as this. I always appreciate that.

I heartily suggest you see Alonzo King’s company whenever the chance presents itself where you’re located. And do yourselves another favor by checking-out the Wallis’ schedule so you do not miss any of their always-worthwhile presentations. www.thewallis.org