Diving into the Wreck emerged from a need to create ballet that speaks to the moment we're living through. Rather than prioritizing grace and masking struggle, the work uses the classical form in a confrontational manner, a response to the threat and frustration American artists face under an administration that doesn't value them. 

Brett was one of three choreographers invited to participate in the New York Choreographic Institute's Fall 2025 session, creating work with dancers from New York City Ballet. Set to Iannis Xenakis's percussive Rebonds B and incorporating excerpts from Adrienne Rich's poem.

Sometimes beauty offers escape, but sometimes we need art that validates the upheaval we're feeling. This piece chooses the latter, a refusal of ballet's effortlessness and a reflection of what it means to stay charged and reactive in a country one feels fed-up with. The work touches on a sense of power and defiance that continues to fuel Brett's choreographic exploration, and is a piece she hopes to expand in the future.

Created with the support of the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet.