Project 1.1 reminds me of choreography in how it asks us to translate sound into another mode of expression. The New York City Ballet’s campaign video for its upcoming season does an impressive job of translating music into movement and visuals. Spiraling sounds are complemented by the dancers’ swirling hand movements and turns, and moments of pause are accentuated by their grand, linear poses. The airiness created by reverberations in the music are expressed with suspended leaps and the light, flowing costumes worn by the dancers. Moreover, the non-classical music, bare visuals, dynamic camerawork, and non-traditional choreography work to highlight the company’s modernity, defying the antiquated stigma surrounding ballet.
