IT TAKES SUPERNOVAS LIKE PECK TO MAKE PEOPLE INTERESTED AND ENGAGED IN DANCE IN A BRAND NEW WAY

By Sophie Clark | Muck Rack Portfolio ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

It’s incredible that amid her perfect technique, extraordinary athleticism, and endless grace, the first thing you notice about Tiler Peck is her mega-watt smile. 

Peck dances with a passion and love that can only come from when movement and music are the reason she breathes. It turns out she choreographs like it too. 

Her style is so inviting and loving that by the end of the night, she made all of us feel like “& Friend.” 

This night of modern ballet at Sadler’s Wells was split into four dances. 

The first, The Barre Project, Blake Works II, choreographed by William Forsythe and scored by James Blake, was completely joyous, at times bizarre, energetic and alive. 

It took the most routine tool in ballet: the barre — something that is present from a child’s very first ballet class to a professional’s daily routine of perfecting skills — and turned it into a driver of constant motion and connection. Dancing often on her own in a Barbarella-esque silver leotard, Peck immediately made her mark on the Sadler’s Wells stage in this piece with her dynamism and boundless energy.

The second, Thousandth Orange, was Peck’s own creation. Made out of a time when she was injured and could not dance herself, this piece was her first solo creation. 

Peck has been a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet since 2009, but watching her choreography, I sensed that her career is only just beginning. 

The third, Swift Arrow, was a pas de deux between Peck and her dance and life partner, Roman Mejia, choreographed by Alonzo King. 

It says a lot about Peck and Mejia’s dancing that I was more captivated by their connection than by the costume choices…all I have to say is I have nothing but respect for Peck choosing to programme 10 minutes of “look how hot my husband is.” You’ll have to go to the show to find out just how hot. 

The last, Time Spell, created by Peck, Michelle Dorrance, and Jillian Meyers, was another burst of sheer joy from start to finish. An exhilarating blend of tap, ballet, and improvised singing, this piece is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It had my audience at Sadler’s Wells cheering and whooping halfway through, and everyone was on their feet immediately when it was over. 

What really stood out is the “& Friends” of “Tiler Peck & Friends.” In an art form that can so often rest on prima ballerinas, Peck has a talented eye for creating pieces with artists — both dancers and musicians — who are clearly deeply engaged in the creation of beauty and the collaboration that goes into that. Even though Peck was the driving force and the name on the poster, the night felt like a celebration of the collective.  

Hear me out before I get burned at the stake…but as a ballet lover, Timothée Chalamet had a point when discussing how art forms like ballet and opera are often backed into a corner, begging people to pay attention. 

It takes supernovas like Peck to make people interested and engaged in dance in a brand new way – stepping away from the opera houses into synth tracks, jazz, improvisation, to light up a path for new audiences and appreciation of the art. 

Turn It Out With Tiler Peck & Friends is running at Sadler’s Wells until Saturday 14 March.

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