How choreographer Justin Peck helped reimagine 'West Side Story' for the 21st century

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How choreographer¹ Justin Peck helped reimagine 'West Side Story' for the 21st century

Transcript²

It takes some nerve to tackle a beloved artistic³ creation and make changes for new audiences. It's kind of like painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa (which was in fact done, by dada-ist Marcel Duchamp in 1919, to much public amazement). But that's exactly what's been done with West Side Story: 64 years after its Broadway opening, and 60 years after its film version, some of the brightest lights in show business — including director Stephen Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner — have re-imagined the legendary⁴ musical. They're following in the footsteps of the original work's creators: composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephan Sondheim, book author Arthur Laurents and stage director and choreographer Jerome Robbins.

If you're a fan of the original 1961 film, you may ask: How dare they tinker with such a classic? But, as Spielberg's choreographer Justin Peck says, "they approached this with a sense of reverence⁶ and admiration⁷ for the original." As did Peck, the resident choreographer for the distinguished⁸ New York City Ballet, who has designed 35 dances for stage.

As is the case with Spielberg, this is Peck's first movie musical — and his first movie, period. Luckily, he had Spielberg to guide him; the two worked closely together. And Peck was fascinated, watching the director read pages of words on the screenplay, "and immediately transpos[ing] that into visual language." Spielberg made quick, crude sketches⁹ like storyboards to show what he wanted the camera to see. Peck adjusted his dancers accordingly. That was the most exciting part for Peck — discovering "how visual [Spielberg] was as an artist."

There were times it wasn't easy. 100-degree days filming on killer¹⁰ hot New York city streets. The dancers and crew of West Side Story often had to perform on broiling¹¹ cement, concrete, bricks and stairs. Peck says everybody pushed along together, in sweaty chaos¹². Meanwhile, Spielberg was in heaven. "I remember Stephen turning to me at one point and saying, 'there's nowhere else I'd rather be than here right now, working on this,'" Peck says.

Onstage in 1957 and in the 1961 film, Jerome Robbins' dances for the rival gangs and their girls were all attitude: snapping fingers, flashing teeth, flicking¹³ of skirts, tossing of heads. Justin Peck knows that original choreography cold; he danced the role of Sharks leader Bernardo when he was younger. But for this updated version, he makes the dances more menacing.

Each gang has its own movements. The newly arrived Puerto Rican Sharks swagger, scorning the Jets. But instead of swagger, the Jets are more complicated. Dancing close together, they move as one. "There's a kind of explosiveness," Peck says. "And a danger, and a unity¹⁴."

The Jets' steps show their bond, which gives them security, and you can see it in how they move. "They're being pushed out of this neighborhood," Peck says. "They don't have jobs, they don't have a sense of what the future holds. All they have is one another and the kind of 'family' they consider their gang to be."

Like the choreography, West Side Story's musical creators, composer Leonard Bernstein and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, reflect all this tension in their songs. In "America," — a spirited, hilarious¹⁵ fight song — the Sharks argue the merits of their new home, versus¹⁶ the tropical island they left behind. One lyric⁵: I'll get a washing machine. What have they got there to keep clean!?

The argument becomes the dance. "As the tension rises, " says Justin Peck, "and the pressure between them gets higher, when words fail and there needs to be steam let off, it lifts off into dance." The movement continues the story. And it all comes together, sweeping¹⁷ the original tale, based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, into a new century.

1 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

4 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

5 lyric   

n.抒情诗，歌词；adj.抒情的

参考例句：

• This is a good example of Shelley's lyric poetry.这首诗是雪莱抒情诗的范例。
• His earlier work announced a lyric talent of the first order.他的早期作品显露了一流的抒情才华。

6 reverence   

n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。

7 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

8 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

9 sketches   

n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概

参考例句：

• The artist is making sketches for his next painting. 画家正为他的下一幅作品画素描。
• You have to admit that these sketches are true to life. 你得承认这些素描很逼真。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

11 broiling   

adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙）

参考例句：

• They lay broiling in the sun. 他们躺在太阳底下几乎要晒熟了。
• I'm broiling in this hot sun. 在太阳底下，我感到热极了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

13 flicking   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• He helped her up before flicking the reins. 他帮她上马，之后挥动了缰绳。
• There's something flicking around my toes. 有什么东西老在叮我的脚指头。

14 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

15 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。

16 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

17 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？