Year of the Rabbit

(2012)

Choreography

Justin Peck

Music

Sufjan Stevens

30 minutes

A bold and exhilarating ballet bursting with energy, Year of the Rabbit brings Justin Peck’s signature style to the stage—playful, precise, and wildly inventive. Set to a lush orchestral arrangement of Sufjan Stevens’ electronic album Enjoy Your Rabbit, the ballet explores themes of community and movement with infectious spirit and cinematic sweep. Though abstract in form, the work pulses with life, rhythm, and connection.

The South Florida premiere of Year of the Rabbit was underwritten by the Ansin Foundation in honor of Toby Lerner Ansin's 75th birthday.

Choreography

Justin Peck

Composer

Sufjan Stevens, and orchestration by Michael P. Atkins

Company Premiere

2016

Costume Design

Justin Peck, supervised by Marc Happel

Lighting Design

Brandon Stirling Baker

Justin Peck is a three-time Tony Award-winning choreographer, filmmaker, and dancer, and currently serves as Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet—the second person in the company’s 75-year history to hold this title. He danced with New York City Ballet from 2006 to 2019, rising to soloist in 2013, performing a wide-ranging repertoire from Balanchine and Robbins to Tharp and Wheeldon.

Since turning his focus to choreography, Peck has created over 50 works presented worldwide, including at Lincoln Center, the Palais Garnier, Sydney Opera House, and Broadway. His pieces have been performed by leading companies such as Miami City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Australian Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Boston Ballet, Juilliard, and many more.

Peck has choreographed for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and the film Maestro with Bradley Cooper, and conceived, directed, and choreographed the Tony-winning Broadway productions of Carousel, Illinoise, and Buena Vista Social Club. His work has earned numerous honors, including three Tony Awards for Best Choreography, the Bessie Award for Outstanding Production, the National Arts Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Lucille Lortel Award, and the Chita Rivera Award.

Celebrated for his collaborations across dance, film, and theater, Peck has worked with artists including Sufjan Stevens, Shepard Fairey, Sofia Coppola, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Renee Fleming. Known for his energy, precision, and innovative storytelling, he continues to redefine what ballet can be.

Renowned for his lush, inventive soundscapes, Sufjan Stevens is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music. His genre-defying work spans indie folk, classical, and electronic. A Grammy- and Academy Award–nominated artist, Stevens has earned international recognition for his artistry, including his recent collaboration with Peck on the Tony Award–winning Illinoise.

For Year of the Rabbit, Peck transforms Stevens’ 2001 electronica album Enjoy Your Rabbit into a sweeping, full-scale ballet.