The Dirt: Tiler Peck

With her lightning-fast attack and vivacious onstage (and offstage!) wit, Tiler Peck is one of New York City Ballet’s most electrifying young stars. The 21-year-old soloist has been earning raves from critics and audiences alike since 2005. Known especially for her character roles, like Coppelia’s Swanilda, Peck has acting talent, a keen sense of comedic timing and stellar presence.

 

Fittingly, Peck was a professional actor before she was a professional dancer: At just 12, the California native and former comp kid left Bakersfield, CA, to perform in The Music Man on Broadway (and as Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular). During her run in The Music Man, she began taking classes at the School of American Ballet and eventually decided to devote herself to ballet full-time.

 

Now in her fifth season with NYCB, Peck has become a favorite of contemporary choreographers. (Her feisty duet with Amar Ramasar in Benjamin Millipied’s abstract Quasi una Fantasia this past spring brought down the house.) She’s a smarty, too: Peck takes classes part-time at Fordham University, and is thinking about pursuing a business degree. Read on for The Dirt! –Margaret Fuhrer

 

 

One thing most people don’t know about you:
I am a sports freak and love watching football.

 

If you weren’t a dancer, what would you be?
A movie star. 🙂

 

If you could work with any performers, past or present, who would it be?
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

 

Favorite dessert:
Definitely cheesecake.

 

 

 

Photo by Paul Kolnik