Justin Peck to Choreograph New West Side Story Movie

October 1, 2018

Justin Peck has been tapped to choreograph Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Hollywood reboot of West Side Story. And we ask, Can you think of anyone better suited for that job than the dancemaker who’s been following in many of Jerome Robbins’ footsteps?

Let’s review:

  • Choreograph for New York City Ballet: check.
  • Choreograph for Broadway: check.
  • Snag a Tony
    for Best Choreography: check.
  • Oh, and choreograph a film version of West Side Story: on it.

Peck, sir, you are well on your way. While we realize that Robbins’ and Peck’s choreographic styles are nowhere near carbon copies (nor do we want them to be), we love that someone with such a fresh balletic-meets-theatrical bent will be responsible for WSS‘ latest iteration. (This film version is not to be confused with the upcoming Broadway revival, which will by choreographed by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker.)

And while Peck’s works are now a “new norm” in ballet programming across the country, it’s worth remembering that his first work debuted less than a decade ago in 2009. Talk about a dream-come-true trajectory. In a press release, Peck said, “Getting a chance to work alongside such an illustrious and inspiring team to present a West Side Story for today’s audience is something I never imagined I would experience. The original West Side Story was one of the guiding forces that led me to dance in the first place, so I feel very honored on a deeply personal level.”


A very early Robbins’ sneaker ballet scene from the 1961 movie

The film doesn’t yet have a release date, so that means there’s plenty of time to speculate exactly what a WSS for today’s audience will look like. We’re looking forward to Peck’s 21st-century sneaker-ballet style, but we’re also hoping for some major nods to Robbins’ original iconic choreography á la big numbers like “Cool” and “Dance at the Gym.”