Stepping up to the stage
NYC Ballet dancer Tiler Peck missed performing, so she found a way
When Tiler Peck started giving Instagramballet classes fromher mom’s kitchen in California this spring— away of staying in shape and keeping in touch with dance fans— she initially thoughtmaybe 20 peoplewould tune in.
Shewas startled to discover that thousands of peoplewere joining, from as far away as Iran and India, to take class with one of theworld’s top ballerinas. Itwas that obvious hunger out there for dance, says Peck, a principal dancer atNewYork City Ballet, that inspired her to go farther.
Dance troupeswere putting out great digital content, but itwasn’t new work. And theaterswere dark, their stages unused. “I was getting so many messages, saying ‘I miss going to the theater so much,’ ” Peck says. “Therewas this void there. And I started thinking all of our theaters are dark, the stages are empty. Why can’twe put on a performance?”
So Peck gathered together some of her favorite artists, found a theater and a partner in CLI Studios, which specializes in dance education, and launched “A NewStage,” which began streaming recently. The first installment stars Peck along with famedMemphis “jookin” dancer Lil Buck, Broadway singer Sierra Boggess, ballet dancer BrooklynMack, and the female tap-dancing band Syncopated Ladies.
Noted ballet and Broadway choreographer Chris
topher Wheeldon contributes aworld premiere, choreographed via Zoom, with Peck dancing to vocals by Boggess. Otherworks are by Chloe Arnold and JenniferWeber.
Peck, 31, talked about the project, the challenges of putting it together during a pandemic, and the joy she felt in performing on a stage — even without an audience. (The interview has been condensed for length.)
Q: It must have been frustrating to not dance for so many months.
A: I’m not the kind of person that likes to sit around. As a dancer, these are some pivotal years for me. We don’t get these back. So I, I thought, I’m going to use this time to work with people that I reallywant towork with. Even if it is over Zoom, you can create Iwas just so grateful to be back in a rehearsal room. Then when wewere all on stage, all of us couldn’t believe thatwe were in a theater. I remember the first time Iwent center stage ... I got chills all overmy body.
Q: People knowyou for ballet, but you actually
love the other dance forms you’re using here.
A: I grewup doing every style of dance. Actually balletwasmy least favorite because I thought, “Oh, it’s the most boring.” And so my whole thing of being a ballerina is to kind of break the barrier down. Iwanted to have something for everybody in these shows and to get rid of the stigma that every single form has to have its own lane. Because I really don’t believe that.
Q: You filmed in a theater, when most are dark. Whatwas that like?
A: Safetywas literallymy first priority becausemy family really hadn’t left our house in about four or five months, we havemy 85year-old grandmother staying with us. Iwas not about to take any chances. So everybodywas tested. Wewore masks. We cleaned every surface. It was crazy, but it made me feel safe. And Iwanted to make sure that everybody had that experience.
Q: The dance community has been especially hard hit. Somany dancers live paycheck to paycheck.
A: Yes. I always say I’m so grateful to have such a big organization likeNew York City Ballet behind me so that it’s not self-employmentwork. And I never would have thought I would be in this position. But I feel like because our company is so big andwe are at Lincoln Center, it’s going to be one of the hardest things to bring back because it isn’t a little company. So for me, Iwas like, there’s noway I canwait until the next timewe get to perform in the company because I don’t knowwhen that’s going to be. So I’m just going to use this time. I need to stay creative. Iwant to be inventive. Iwant to challengemyself.
Q: Somehave said the danceworldmay never be the same.
A: So much of our audience is an older audience. So even whenwe do go back, I don’t knowif those peoplewould feel comfortable being in seats. I think the last few yearswe’ve been trying to kind of get that new audience and bringworks thatwould appeal to a younger generation to get that new audience. But I do think it’s going to be hard. It might be different for a very long time, unfortunately.
Q: Your Instagram classes really seemed to take off.
A: The most amazing thingwas seeing howmany different types of people were taking this class. People in Africa, Iran, a full family in India. And itwas reallymoving because it was a family effort. My mom(a dance teacher) would help me the night before, andmy sisterwould help me pick out the music. So it became this thing in my household that lifted us up every day.
I think people (also) really took to them because they got to seemy personality. Imean, I’m very normal. I think sometimes ballerinas, we get this untouchable or diva-like rep, you know? And that’s so not likeme. Iwould make mistakes. And then I’d say, “Oh, gosh, guys, I knowI told you this and I just did this, really sorry, but I’m human too. Giveme a little slack.” Iwant them to know this is the real me. In dance, you don’t really get to use your voice.