The Australian Ballet is the first company to present Justin Peck’s 2023 dance work since its world premiere in New York. Three of its four source works were originally choreographed by titans of 20th-century dance – Billy the Kid by Eugene Loring, Rodeo by Agnes de Mille and Appalachian Spring by Martha Graham – and helped shape the identity of American dance through their stories of outlaws, cowboys and pioneers. Peck strips away those narratives, abstracting Copland’s music into 22 episodes for 30 dancers.

Limelight Editor’s Choice

In a stunning explosion of colour and music, New York City Ballet Resident Choreographer Justin Peck’s Copland Dance Episodes arrives in Australia.

Featuring Choctaw/Cherokee painter and sculptor Jeffrey Gibson’s set designs, former New York City Ballet dancer Ellen Warren’s costumes and lighting design by Brandon Stirling Baker, Copland Dance Episodes is a joyful celebration of art and artistry.

Thirty dancers perform across 22 episodes set to Aaron Copland’s vivid music in this unmissable modern ballet that honours the art form while exploring its exciting new frontiers. A remarkable technical feat and challenge for the artists, Copland Dance Episodes embraces the uninhibited freedom of dance to leave you amazed, inspired and with a heart full of joy.