Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (ballet)

Last updated

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Choreographer Justin Peck
Music Anthony Gonzalez
Yann Gonzalez
Brad Laner
Justin Meldal-Johnsen
PremiereApril 10, 2018 (2018-04-10)
War Memorial Opera House
Original ballet company San Francisco Ballet
DesignReid Bartelme
Harriet Jung
Genre contemporary ballet

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is a ballet choreographed by Justin Peck to music from French electronic music band M83's album of the same name, which was written by Anthony Gonzalez, Yann Gonzalez, Brad Laner and Justin Meldal-Johnsen. The ballet was commissioned for the San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival and premiered on April 20, 2018, at the War Memorial Opera House. [1]

Contents

Production

Background

Justin Peck's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming was commissioned for San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival in 2018, in which 12 one-act ballets were created. [2] When the ballet premiered, he was a New York City Ballet soloist, resident choreographer and interim leader, though he had previously made In the Countenance of Kings for the San Francisco Ballet, stated the troupe is his "favorite company to work with" outside of his home company. [3]

Music

The ballet is set to French electronic music band M83's album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming , including the song "Wait." [4] The music featured in the ballet was written by Anthony Gonzalez, Yann Gonzalez, Brad Laner and Justin Meldal-Johnsen. [5] The album is about people dreaming at different stages of life. [3] Peck listened to the album during his last time working with the San Francisco Ballet, and commented, "I chose this music because of my experience with it and how it inspired me in relation to these dancers in this company." [3]

Choreography

As with other ballets at the Unbound Festival, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming was made over the course of three weeks in late 2017, and the creative teams returned three weeks before opening night. [2]

The choreography of Hurry Up made references to the music's theme of people dreaming at different stages of life, as children, teenagers and adults. [3] The ballet is performed by fourteen dancers, [3] including three duets originated by Dores André, Wei Wang, Sarah Van Patten, Luke Ingham, Gabriela Gonzalez and Ulrik Birkkjaer. [n 1] [4] Peck said he "had some in mind from the beginning," like Birkkjaer, who had toured in New York with the Royal Danish Ballet, and Gonzalez, who Peck met at the Miami City Ballet School. [3]

Hurry Up is danced in sneakers. [4] San Francisco Ballet artistic director Helgi Tomasson commented that the choreography of Hurry Up is "largely classical but the sneakers bring an entirely different look to them." He pointed out that choreographer Jerome Robbins had used sneakers in ballets decades ago but he was "very different" and Peck "has his feet firmly in today’s culture." [7]

Costumes

The costumes are designed by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung, and are streetwear made of metallic fabrics. [5] [8]

Critical reception

The ballet received positive reviews. On the premiere, Allan Ulrich of the San Francisco Chronicle called the ballet "a cleverly and congenially constructed romp that evokes a summer of love" but noted the duets "miss a distinctive tone." [1] The New York Times 's Alastair Macaulay called it "the most valuable creation of Unbound so far" but nevertheless noted the ballet is "imperfect." [5] When summarizing the entire festival, Macaulay listed Hurry Up as one of two pieces at the festival he was "eager to revisit." [9] On the company's tour appearance in London in 2019, Lyndsey Winship from The Guardian wrote that Hurry Up "is very balletic, but feels fresh, with a youthful authenticity." [10]

Peck was nominated for the Prix Benois de la Danse for Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. [11] The New York Times included the ballet its "Best Dance of 2018" list. [12]

Notes

  1. ↑ According to the program note, the role of Dores André's partner was created on Joseph Walsh, and according to Bachtrack, he was injured the 2018 season season. He had since performed the ballet. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Ballet</span> American ballet company

New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's first music director. City Ballet grew out of earlier troupes: the Producing Company of the School of American Ballet, 1934; the American Ballet, 1935, and Ballet Caravan, 1936, which merged into American Ballet Caravan, 1941; and directly from the Ballet Society, 1946.

Sarah Van Patten is an American ballet dancer. She began an apprenticeship at the Royal Danish Ballet at age 15. In 2001, at age 17, she became the youngest ever dancer to receive a contract at the company. Later that year, she joined the San Francisco Ballet as a soloist, and was promoted to principal dancer in 2007. She is set to retire from performing in 2022.

Janie Taylor is an American ballet dancer, répétiteur and costume designer. She joined New York City Ballet in 1998, was promoted to principal dancer in 2005 and left in 2014. She then started designing costumes and staging works by Justin Peck and Benjamin Millepied, before performing again as a member of the L.A. Dance Project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiler Peck</span> American ballet dancer (born 1989)

Tiler Kalyn Peck is an American ballet dancer who is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. As well as ballet, she has performed in musical theatre shows and has made cameo appearances in films including Donnie Darko and television series including Tiny Pretty Things.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Mearns</span> American ballet dancer

Sara Ann Mearns is an American ballet dancer. She is a principal dancer at New York City Ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Bouder</span> American ballet dancer

Ashley Bouder is an American ballet dancer who is currently a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet. She also founded and currently runs her own project, The Ashley Bouder Project.

<i>Dances at a Gathering</i> Ballet by Jerome Robbins

Dances at a Gathering is a ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins to music by Frédéric Chopin, with costumes designed by Joe Eula. The ballet premiered on May 22, 1969, at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet.

Glass Pieces is a ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins to music by Philip Glass, costumes designed by Ben Benson, lighting designed by Ronald Bates and production designed by Robbins and Bates. The ballet was premiered on May 12, 1983, at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella Boylston</span> American ballet dancer

Hildur Isabella Boylston is an American ballet dancer who is currently a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexei Ratmansky</span> Russian ballet dancer and choreographer

Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky is a Russian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Bolshoi Ballet. He left Russia in 2008. As of April 2014 he was the artist in residence at the American Ballet Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Peck</span> American choreographer, director, and dancer

Justin Peck 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. 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.

Dores André Rodríguez is a Spanish ballet dancer. She is currently a principal dancer at the San Francisco Ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herman Cornejo</span>

Herman Cornejo is an Argentine-born ballet dancer and a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. He has had leading roles created for him by Alexei Ratmansky and Twyla Tharp; his signature roles include Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and the leading male role in Ratmansky's Symphony No. 9.

The Times Are Racing is a one-act ballet by Justin Peck, to "USA I-IV" from Dan Deacon's album America, and costumes designed by Humberto Leon from the fashion label Opening Ceremony. It premiered on January 26, 2017 at the David H. Koch Theater, danced by the New York City Ballet.

Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes is a one-act ballet choreographed by Justin Peck to "Four Dance Episodes" from Copland's Rodeo. The ballet premiered on February 4, 2015, at the David H. Koch Theater, danced by the New York City Ballet.

Year of the Rabbit is a ballet choreographed by Justin Peck to music from Sufjan Stevens's album, Enjoy Your Rabbit. The ballet premiered on October 5, 2012, at the David H. Koch Theater, danced by the New York City Ballet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unity Phelan</span> American ballet dancer

Unity Sickles Phelan is an American ballet dancer. She joined the New York City Ballet in 2013 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2021. Outside of the company, she had also danced in films John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and I'm Thinking of Ending Things.

In the Countenance of Kings is a ballet choreographed by Justin Peck to music from Sufjan Stevens's The BQE. The ballet was Peck's first ballet made for the San Francisco Ballet, and premiered in 2016 at the War Memorial Opera House.

Indiana Woodward is a French ballet dancer. She joined the New York City Ballet in 2012, and was promoted to principal dancer in 2021.

Everywhere We Go is a ballet choreographed by Justin Peck and scored by Sufjan Stevens. The ballet is plotless, danced by a cast of 25 and features nine sections. This is the second collaboration between Peck and Stevens, following Year of the Rabbit (2012). Everywhere We Go was created for the New York City Ballet (NYCB), and premiered on May 8, 2014, at the David H. Koch Theater, during NYCB's spring gala. The success of the ballet led to Peck's appointment as resident choreographer of NYCB, as the second person to hold the position.

References

  1. 1 2 Ulrich, Allan (April 22, 2018). "Almost boundless creativity as SF Ballet's new-works festival opens". San Francisco Chronicle.
  2. 1 2 "Meet the San Francisco Ballet dozen of 'Unbound: A Festival of New Works'". San Francisco Chronicles. April 6, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ulrich, Allan (January 17, 2018). "Choreographer Justin Peck brings his old and his new works to SF Ballet". San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. 1 2 3 Bauer, Claudia (April 22, 2018). "San Francisco Ballet – Unbound Festival Program A: works by Alonzo King, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck – San Francisco". DanceTabs.
  5. 1 2 3 Macaulay, Alastair (April 22, 2018). "Review: San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival Plunges Into the New". New York Times.
  6. ↑ Rose, Terez (February 14, 2019). "SF Ballet's Program 2 is a Kaleidoscope of Vibrant Works". Bachtrack.
  7. ↑ Gilbert, Jenny (May 28, 2019). "'I wrote a letter to Björk in Icelandic and it did the trick': Helgi Tomasson on an intervention that saved a ballet". The Art Desk.
  8. ↑ Desaulniers, Heather (February 14, 2019). "San Francisco Ballet – Divertimento No. 15, Appassionata, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming – San Francisco". Dancetabs.
  9. ↑ Macaulay, Alastair (April 27, 2018). "San Francisco Ballet's Limpid Sophistication Shines in 'Unbound'". New York Times.
  10. ↑ Winship, Lyndsey (June 7, 2019). "San Francisco Ballet: scorching dancers leave their hearts in London". The Guardian.
  11. ↑ "The 27th Festival Benois de la Danse". Prix Benois de la Danse.
  12. ↑ "Best Dance of 2018". New York Times. December 7, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.