New York City Ballet dancers use a NYC subway station as a stage: video

We all need a little bit of levity today, yes? Thank your deity of choice, then, for the New York City Ballet: The company released a trailer for Justin Peck’s upcoming ballet, The Times Are Racing (which premieres January 26), and it’s as much an ode to the surprising beauty of the subway as a preview of the sure-to-be-delightful performance itself.

As the New York Times notes, the ballet is unusual in that it’ll be performed in sneakers (rather than the oh-so-traditional pointe shoes); it’s a callback to legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins, whose NY Export: Opus Jazz featured dancers in a similar sartorial guise. Peck’s choreography will be accompanied by a score by electronic musician Dan Deacon; the all-important sneakers, along with the rest of the costumes, are by Humberto Lin of Opening Ceremony.

The dancers in the trailer—including Peck himself—exit the 7 train at 34th Street-Hudson Yards, and proceed to use the station’s mezzanine and staircases as a stage for a kinetic mix of ballet, tap, and modern dance moves.

The urban setting, another Robbins throwback, was intentional, according to Peck: he told the Times that, “To me, it was very important to capture the dance in one single take—in the same vein as how those classic Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly dance numbers were filmed”—and the subway allowed him to do just that. Check it out below:

• Watch Ballet Dancers Take Over a Subway Station [NYT]