Justin Peck | |
|---|---|
 Justin Peck in 2018 | |
| Born | September 8, 1987 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | School of American Ballet |
| Occupation(s) | Choreographer, dancer |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Spouse | Patricia Delgado |
| Children | 1 |
| Career | |
| Current group | New York City Ballet |
| Website | justin-peck |
Justin Peck (born September 8, 1987) is an American choreographer, director, and dancer associated with New York City Ballet, of which he was appointed Resident Choreographer in July 2014, being the second person in the history of the institution to hold this title.[1] In 2018 he won the Tony Award for Best Choreography for his work on the third Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. Peck also choreographed the 2021 Steven Spielberg film West Side Story, an adaptation of the musical.
Peck was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in San Diego, California. He began tap dancing when he was nine years old, after seeing a performance of Bring in 'da Noise. When Peck was 13, he witnessed a performance of American Ballet Theatre in Giselle which inspired him to begin training in the ballet form.
At 15 years old, Peck moved to New York City to attend the School of American Ballet. In 2006, when he was 18 years old, he was invited by Peter Martins to join the New York City Ballet as an apprentice.[2] In June 2007, he was promoted to corps de ballet. In February 2013, he was promoted to soloist.[3] At New York City Ballet, Peck has danced extensive repertoire, performing in existing and new works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, Benjamin Millepied, Alexei Ratmansky, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and Christopher Wheeldon.
In 2008, Peck choreographed his first ballet. He has since created more than 25 works, for companies such as New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, [4] Miami City Ballet,[5] LA Dance Project,[6] and Paris Opera Ballet.
Alastair Macaulay, the chief dance critic at The New York Times, described Peck in an article as "the third important choreographer to have emerged in classical ballet this century."[1] In 2014, Peck was named the New York City Ballet's Resident Choreographer, the youngest and only the second ever to hold the position.[7]
Peck is the focus of the 2014 Jody Lee Lipes documentary Ballet 422.[8]
Peck has worked with composers Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner (of the band The National), Caroline Shaw, Dan Deacon, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. He has also collaborated with visual artists Shepard Fairey, Marcel Dzama, Sterling Ruby, John Baldessari, Steve Powers, George Condo; fashion designers Humberto Leon (Opening Ceremony, Kenzo), Dries Van Noten, Tsumori Chisato, Mary Katrantzou, and Prabal Gurung; and directors Steven Spielberg, Sofia Coppola, Damian Chazelle, and Jody Lee Lipes.
He has contributed to the fashion world, working with Vogue,[9] Harper's Bazaar,[10] Nowness,[11] Vogue China, Vogue Australia, DuJour magazine,[12] Vulture,[13] New York Magazine, and others.
The New York Times has proclaimed that "Mr. Peck has quickly become the most eminent choreographer of ballet in the United States,"[14] and that "young Mr. Peck can do anything he wants with choreography: a virtuoso of the form."[15]
Peck provided the choreography for the third Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel in 2018 at the Imperial Theatre.[16] Peck has received numerous award nominations for his work on the production including a Tony Award for Best Choreography.
Ballet 422 follows Peck's process of creating Paz de la Jolla for the New York City Ballet,[8] focusing on aspects such as choreography, staging, lighting, and costumes.[7][17] The movie was filmed and directed by Jody Lee Lipes, an American cinematographer known for his cinematography in the television show Girls and film Manchester by the Sea.[17][18]
Peck is married to former Miami City Ballet principal dancer Patricia Delgado. They welcomed their daughter in March 2021.[19]
