I know I’ve written a great deal about New York City Ballet (NYCB) Soloist and Resident Choreographer, Justin Peck, in my blog. Every time I see a new dance by him or hear him speak about his work, the more I want to see his choreography and share my thought with you.
Justin is just 27, and yet he is creating dance with a depth and artistry well beyond his years. Like Balanchine, he is also expanding his creative process by collaborating with musicians and visual artists, many of whom you wouldn’t typically associate with the world of dance.
Recently, the Guggenheim Museum presented a YouTube presentation for Heatscape, a new piece Justin choreographed for the Miami City Ballet. They will premiere the piece this March in Palm Beach, Florida. If you didn’t get the chance to see the live stream, it’s still available on YouTube at this link:
The talk was moderated by Ellen Barr, NYCB, and joining Justin on the panel were Lordes Lopez, Director of Miami City Ballet, and Shepard Fairey, artist and graphic designer. I especially liked watching one part of the presentation where the dancers performed a section of the piece and then Justin gave them feedback, exactly like he would in rehearsal.
Another place you can see Justin’s work is in the recently released documentary titled, Ballet 422. This film is about the creation of Pas de la Jolla, the 422nd ballet created for New York City Ballet. The film is scheduled to play in the Capital Region at Proctors on Tuesday, March 10th and I’ve heard rumors that a couple of other local theatres are looking to get it. Personally, I can’t wait to see it, so I’m planning to travel to Cambridge, MA or Hudson, NY to see it in February. Check out the list of play dates at:
http://www.magpictures.com/dates.aspx?id=530a5d60-9254-4c2e-8ff6-0b4cc0861d52
I’m excited to see that this year’s NYCB summer schedule at Saratoga Performing Arts Center includes two of Justin’s pieces. His new piece, Rōdē,ō: Four Dance Episodes, will be performed three different days. And the Gala includes his piece, Belles Lettres, which premiered in the NYCB Fall 2014 season.
Along with SPAC, expect to see a couple of Justin’s pieces performed at Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival this summer. The LA Dance Project will dance Murder Ballads, a piece that Justin choreographed for them last year. The brochure description of the Stars of NY Ballet says that they will perform a work by Justin Peck as well.
Ok, I’ll stop gushing about this amazing young man, at least until he does his next big thing!