The Moroccan Project

This piece sets the vibrant drumming of Gnawa ceremonies as a backdrop for the haunting strains of oud (lute), violin, and devotional singing. The musicians draw on diverse forms of North African music, including Berber (Amazigh) songs from the Middle Atlas Mountains, Gnawa rituals originating in West Africa, and a form of popular song in Morocco called Chaabi. In this landscape of shifting rhythms and echoing voices, the extraordinary dancers of LINES Ballet move with flawless grace. The plaintive energy and melodic blending of the Moroccan songs is made tangible as Alonzo King’s choreography reflects the intricate rhythms of emotion and community.