MODERN MASTERS

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER POLICIES AND INFORMATION

(Subject to change)

MEET THE MAKERS

Choreographer of Pulcinella Variations

JUSTIN PECK is a Tony Award-winning choreographer, director, filmmaker, and dancer based in New York City. He is currently the acting Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet.

Peck began choreographing in 2009 at the New York Choreographic Institute. In 2014, after the creation of his acclaimed ballet Everywhere We Go, he was appointed as Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet. He is the second person in the institution’s history to hold this title.

After attending the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center from 2003-2006, Peck was invited to join the New York City Ballet as a dancer in 2006. As a performer, Peck has danced a vast repertoire of works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Benjamin Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon, and many others. In 2013, Peck was promoted to the rank of Soloist, performing full-time through 2019 with the
company.

Peck has created over 50 dances—more than 20 for New York City Ballet. His works have been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Boston Ballet, Juilliard, National Ballet of Canada, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, LA Dance Project, Dutch National Ballet, the School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Bordeaux, Finnish National Ballet, Ballet MET, Cincinnati Ballet, and Ballet Arizona.

Working on a wide array of projects, Peck’s collaborators include composers Sufjan Stevens, The National, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, Dan Deacon, Caroline Shaw, Chris Thile, Stephen Sondheim, M83, Dolly Parton; visual artists Shepard Fairey, Marcel Dzama, Shantell Martin, John Baldessari, Karl Jensen, George Condo, Steve Powers, Jules de Balincourt; fashion designers Raf Simons, Mary Katrantzou, Humberto Leon (Kenzo, Opening Ceremony), Tsumori Chisato, Dries Van Noten; and filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Sofia Coppola, Damien Chazelle, Elisabeth Moss, Frances Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Jody Lee Lipes.

In 2014, Peck was the subject of the documentary Ballet 422, which presents Peck’s craft and creative process as a choreographer in great detail, as he creates New York City Ballet’s 422nd commissioned dance.

Peck has worked extensively as a filmmaker. In particular, his focus has been exploring new innovative ways of presenting dance on film. Peck choreographed the feature films Red Sparrow (2016) starring Jennifer Lawrence and directed by Francis Lawrence; and West Side Story (2021) in collaboration with director Steven Spielberg. Peck’s work as a director-choreographer for music videos include: The Dark Side of the Gym (2017) for The National; Thank You, New York (2020) for Chris Thile; and The Times Are Racing (2017) for Dan Deacon. In 2018, Peck directed the New York Times Great Performers Series (starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Lakeith Stanfield, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Yoo Ah-in, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Regina Hall, Yalitzia Aparicio, Elsie Fischer, and Rachel Weisz).

Peck choreographed the 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel. The production was directed by Jack O’Brien and stars Jessie Meuller, Joshua Henry, & Renée Fleming.

Peck has been awarded the National Arts Award (2018), the Golden Plate Honor from the Academy of Achievement (2019), the Bessie Award for his ballet Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes (2015), the Gross Family Prize for his ballet Everywhere We Go (2014), and the Tony Award for his choreography on Broadway’s Carousel (2018).

Choreographer of Swivet

Andrea (Andi) Giselle Schermoly was born in South Africa.  She trained at the National School of the Arts, Johannesburg and on full scholarship at Rambert Ballet and Contemporary School, and full scholarship at The Royal Ballet School, London.  She competed internationally as a member of The South African National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team.  She danced professionally for Boston Ballet Company and the Netherlands Dance Theater (1&2).  

She is the resident choreographer at Louisville Ballet Company.

She has choreographed for Ballet Met, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Cape Dance Company, Kansas City Ballet Company, State Street Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet Company, Louisville Ballet Company, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Festival Ballet Theater, Ballet Theatre Afrikan, Quixotic Cirque Noveau, Boston Ballet 2, Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, The Juilliard School solos evening and directed and choreographed a dance narrative film for The Ashley Bouder Project presented at The Joyce Theater, NYC, which went on to be presented by San Francisco Dance Film Festival.  She was awarded the “Outstanding Choreographer” award in 2012, 2013, and 2017 at Youth America Grand Prix.  In 2014 she choreographed at Lincoln Center for YAGP’s 15th anniversary gala evening on dancers Maria Kochetkova (principal San Francisco Ballet) and Joaquin de Luz (principal New York City Ballet). The piece has since been re-staged at "Buenos Aires International Dance Gala" Argentina and "Stars of the 21st Century Gala" in the Champs Élysées, Paris. Andi has choreographed for feature films, commercials, and music videos including A Beautiful Now, Bunheads, a Justin Bieber/Poo Bear, and Deorro music video, and choreographically assisted on projects such as a Budweiser Superbowl Commercial and Star Trek Into Darkness.  She's created work for principal dancers attending international galas, most recently for Sarah Van Patten/Wei Wang of San Francisco Ballet for Tahoe Dance Camp.  

Andrea has created 7 original works for Louisville Ballet, including having the honor of recreating two iconic Martha Graham works in collaboration with Louisville Ballet and Louisville Orchestra.  Appalachian Spring and Judith.  Appalachian Spring will be performed at Carnegie Hall in an upcoming season.  She has upcoming work with Royal New Zealand Ballet and Compania Nationala de Danca, Spain, amongst others.  Her most recent dance film, Rite of Spring for Louisville Ballet, received outstanding reviews including “the best pandemic film produced in the US”  by ARTS AIR.  

Choreographer of ə{Schwa}

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Kiyon Ross trained at the Baltimore School for the Arts, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He joined PNB as a new dancer in 2001. His favorite roles included Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Symphony in Three Movements by George Balanchine; Waiting at the Station, In the Upper Room, and Opus 111 by Twyla Tharp; and Emergence by Crystal Pite. While dancing, he earned his BA in Non-Profit Leadership from Seattle University through the Second Stage program. Kiyon retired as a Soloist in 2015. After retirement, he served on the PNB School faculty, where he taught in the DanceChance program and coordinated the Next Step program. In 2019, he became Director of Company Operations, and in 2022, he was appointed Associate Artistic Director. He has choreographed works for PNB, PNB School, Ballet Arkansas, and Atlanta Ballet and staged works by Twyla Tharp.

Ballet Tucson Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer
Choreographer of Hibiki

Chieko Imada is a native of Japan where she danced professionally as a Soloist with Inoue Ballet of Tokyo and also served as Ballet Mistress there. She has worked closely with many of the past and current noted figures of classical ballet, having performed in Europe, Korea, the Philippines, Australia and the South Pacific. Since coming to the United States, she has been a member of Arizona Dance Theatre, Ballet Arizona, and a former Principal Dancer for Ballet Tucson. She also appeared regularly with Orts Theatre of Dance and Tenth St. Danceworks modern troupes in Tucson.

Over the years, she has been responsible for staging many classical ballets and has also created numerous original contemporary works on Ballet Tucson, enriching the company’s repertoire. A talented choreographer, Ms. Imada has been nominated for the Buffalo Exchange Arts Award and the Governor’s Art Award. In 2021, she received the OnMedia Arts Hero Award for her impact on the arts in Tucson. She continues to be sought after as a guest teacher and choreographer. For the company’s 30th anniversary season, she created an original steampunk version of Jekyll & Hyde and in 2018 a world premiere Dia de Los Muertos ballet Spirit Garden in collaboration with renowned artist Lawrence Lee. In addition, she is the Director of Educational Outreach for Ballet Tucson implementing “Best Foot Forward” in Tucson Title 1 schools.

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