Ballet Now

A tip and a tap, the spin and pirouette, live orchestra melodies ebb and flow with the bodies of the stage performers, thus a dance performance made up of several individual pieces and moving parts comes together as a symbiotic whole. This was "Ballet Now" at the Los Angeles Music Center last summer. Dozens of dancers from ballet, hip-hop, and tap from around the world came together for a weekend-long program, the kind of project typically curated by, well, a curator. Lead dancer Tiler Peck, principal performer of the New York City Ballet, spearheaded the immense project on her own. Steven Cantor's graceful documentary follows Peck on her journey in this all-encompassing role as director and lead performer. From recruiting dancers to discussing the finer points of musical cohesion with the Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor, her task is typically undertaken by several people, but out of sheer talent and determination, she proves it more than possible. Her modern program runs the gamut of contemporary dance and even clownship in a duet with famed Emmy-winning actor, clown, and Sesame Street regular Bill Irwin. Ballet Now is a pure tribute to the raw talent, ingenuity, and passion of artists from so many disciplines working together to create a profound act of harmony. (Seattle International Film Festival)