The Jookin' Ballerina

August 5, 2013

You guys already know how much we love Lil Buck. (Our friends at Dance Magazine love him so much they put him on their August cover.) And one of the reasons the jookin’ sensation is so awesome is that his super-smooth, super-musical style incorporates an incredible be-sneakered version of pointework. Nobody can match Lil Buck’s moves.

Nobody, that is…except New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck? In actual pointe shoes?

Yup. Last weekend at the Vail International Dance Festival, Peck and Lil Buck danced a duet that had the ballerina riffing on the jookin’ star’s style—and pretty much pulling it off. The result is crazy and silly and totally joyful. Team Puck FTW!

Here’s some adorable (and impressive) footage from a rehearsal for the piece…

And here are clips of the finished product—coupled with, as a little bonus, video of Peck fouettéing her way through the Corsaire pas de deux with ballet bad boy Sergei Polunin. Enjoy!