Ballet 422 Documentary Analysis

The documentary, Ballet 442, takes us backstage at New York City Ballet, one of the foremost creative dance companies in the world. Justin Peck, one of fifty dancers in the lowest rank of the company, has been commissioned to craft a new ballet after his success at the choreographic institute. Around a countdown to opening night, Ballet 422 shows us the process behind the creation of a ballet within one month, two weeks, one week, and one day. While watching Justin constructing “Paz de la Jolla”, we can feel his tension in his serious face. Being alone in a rehearsal room, Justin films himself dancing with a cellphone. After returning home, he looks at what he has recorded over and over, trying to figure out the ideal steps. In addition, he asks a principal dancer to copy his improvisations to test the outcome and communicates with her, attempting to make improvement. However, creating a ballet is not only about making up the dance. It also includes lightning, costume, orchestra. As a choreographer, Justin has to coordinate all of them. During a rehearsal, Justin and Evans both say it’s too dark and they can’t see s thing. That’s when I realize why Justin is worried about lightning. Indeed,

For designers, they come up with ideas, like romper, sash and cashmere, ask Justin and other dancers for opinions. Justin claims they used to wear really hot, uncomfortable costumes. The principal dancer Tiler Peck is up for anything “just as long as her legs don’t look short”. Except for the styles of the costumes, designers also focus on the colors. According to Justin, “the palette work so well” and it presents variety. When the general format is ascertained, I see the costume department dying textiles in the washing machine and matching the color with samples, and then tailoring them. Even during practices, designers make alternation to a skirt to reflect the flow of the