Justin Peck is NYCB's New Resident Choreographer

Peck rehearses NYCB’s Lydia Wellington (photo by Paul Kolnik)

If you’ve been reading my blogs (or if you’ve been within 20 feet of me at any point during the past couple of years), you know how revved up I am about choreographer Justin Peck. The New York City Ballet soloist has been turning out ballet after endlessly inventive ballet recently—pieces that make you think, pieces that make you admire the particular strengths of the dancers he uses (many of which are his good friends) and pieces that, above all, make you excited for the future of ballet.

Well, it looks like NYCB is pretty excited about Peck, too: The 26-year-old just became the company’s resident choreographer. He’s only the second person ever to hold that title. (Who was the first? Oh, you know—that guy Christopher Wheeldon. He’s done OK for himself, I guess.)

What the title effectively means is that NYCB will be getting two new ballets a year from Peck for the next three years. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what he comes up with. Congrats, Justin!