BALLET 422 (Jody Lee Lipes 2014)

[Chris Knipp]

Jody Lee Lipes: Ballet 422 (2014)


Justin Peck with NYCB dancers in Ballet 422

Group creative process, single youthful leader

Justin Peck is a brilliant young talent in the world of dance. He is an American dancer and choreographer whose ballets are classical in style, yet fresh, inventive and alive. We're very lucky to have this record by the excellent cinematographer and director Jody Lee Lipes of the creation and debut in 2013 of Peck's third commission for the New York City Ballet, Paz de la Jolla. Lipes' film is done somewhat in the neutral, fly-on-the-wall manner of Frederick Wiseman, but never rubs our noses in the material's boring side, always keeping its eye on the essential and on the life of the moment. The film's approach is neat, modest, and snappy. This is much like the personal style of the talented good-looking but and quiet and no-nonsense 25-year-old Justin Peck himself, who, during this period of intense focus, appears to have no other life. (As a NY Times article points out, this is true to life when he's creating a ballet, but not the rest of the time.)

Peck was recently appointed resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet. Pay attention and you will begin to see why he received this singular honor. In his documentary's 72 minutes filmmaker and cinematographer, Lipes takes us with Peck and the ballet's many departments to the presentation of this, NYCB's 422nd ballet production. The 20-minute ballet is set to Bohuslav Martinů 's 1950 composition "Sinfonietta La Jolla.". Lipes and Peck have collaborated to make what's not only one of the best and most enjoyable ballet films, but one that's special in how illuminatingly it follows the choreographer's creative process on a new ballet.

That process takes the viewer through each phase, from composition through rehearsal, orchestra practice, costume design, and lighting planning -- to the premiere. It's all so low-keyed and no-nonsense it takes a while to feel the exhilaration of seeing an exciting young talent at work in this collective setting. Peck begins with a boom box and filming himself with his iPhone, studying videos of the corps dancing at home and making more notations. Along with rehearsal, we see costume design, orchestra practice, lighting, and finally the premiere.

Then the shocker: Peck leaves goes backstage again, strips off his dress suit, pus on makeup and costume and performs that same night at his other job, as a corps de ballet dancer (he has since been named a soloist, one notch down from principal dancer) performing in Alexei Ratmansky's Concerto DSCH Not so unusual, it seems: under orders from George Balanchine, the master of them all, whose portrait hangs over Peck at his study at home, Peter Martins in the previous generation did much the same thing when he was a young choreographer for the NYCB.

This was, as mentioned, Peck's third full-scale ballet for the company. Previous ones were "In Creases" and "The Year of the Rabbit." He's younger than principal dancer (and the lead male dancer in this ballet) Ramar Ramassar, 33, whom it's hard not to notice. The leads don't seem to mind. Peck takes feedback from the dancers readily, and takes hints from other departments as he goes along, notably practical dance points from ballet master Albert Evans. He might seem one of the guys. He's only recently arisen from the corps de ballet. But though he's easygoing, and his youth puts him on a wavelength with the dancers, he's a man with a purpose, never unfocussed, never for a second at a loss: he is quite decisive. When a female dancer can't get her arm movements right, he simply keeps saying no, no, and no, over and over, gracefully running through the movements himself to show how he wants it done. If of course something can't be done, or leaves dancers in the wrong position for a followthrough, he's quick to make the necessary change.

There is mystery here. How does he do it? This film can't tell us what makes a choreographer, and this showing-not-telling style free of inartistic, obtrusive talking heads means nobody, least of all Peck, tries to explain it to us. But artistic creation is inexplicable, a kind of magic. What's not magic and not solitary is the profoundly collective nature of ballet. Ballet 422 is best at showing us how the institution and the human collective that is the New York City Ballet interact under the leadership of a choreographer to produce a new ballet. It's an inspiring effort.

This is a breakthrough moment for Juntin Peck. It's also one for 33-year-old Lipes, who as a choreographer shot two debut features, Lena Dunham’s feature [i]Tiny Furniture]/i] and and Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene. He mans the camera here as well as directs. Seamless editing by Saela Davis.

Ballet 422 , 72 mins., debuted at Tribeca spring 2014 (see Ronnie Scheib's
Variety review) and showed at five other festivals. Limited US release by Magnolia begins 6 February 2015. (SF Bay Area 13 Feb.)