Balletomanes and behind-the-scenes aficionados will revel in director Jody Lee Lipes’s visual diary of the creation of the New York City Ballet’s 422nd original ballet. Justin Peck, an up-and-coming dancer with NYCB, is commissioned to choreograph a new work, given two months of studio time and access to all the venerable company’s resources. For only his third work for NYCB, the 25-year-old begins by using his camera phone to record himself trying out steps, and eventually collaborates with his fellow dancers, the musicians of the NYCB Orchestra, and scenic designers to present the world premiere of Paz de la Jolla at the David H. Koch Theater in January 2013. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Ballet 422 recalls Frederick Wiseman’s La Danse both in subject matter and vérité treatment, and offers the dual wish fulfillments of exploring the backstage world of the New York City Ballet and seeing a young artist living his dream. A Magnolia Pictures release.

Tribeca Film Festival 2014

“Vigorous and charming.” —A.O. Scott, The New York Times

“Consistently inventive… It’s rare that movies capture the cumulative toil of the creative process as profoundly as Ballet 422.” —Keith Uhlich, A.V. Club

“Truly extraordinary… Essential viewing for any artist. An intimate window into a seemingly unobtainable world, a journey that ends up being just as exhilarating as it is elegant.” —Regina Mogilevskaya, Art Info