Courtesy photo.
SUMMARY
- Wed, Oct 25 | 8:00 p.m. | The Granada Theatre
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- West Coast Premiere
- Star-studded cast includes tap wonder Michelle Dorrance, plus Lex Ishimoto (So You Think You Can Dance), New York City Ballet dancer Roman Mejia, American Ballet Theatre’s Brooklyn Mack, and more
- This program features live music composed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw, plus original compositions by James Blake and 2010 MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran
- Program highlight The Barre Project features choreography by ballet legend William Forsythe
- $51 – $106 / UCSB students $20 (Current student ID required)
- Tickets & Info: www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu or The Granada Theatre, www.granadasb.org, (805) 899-2222
“The most magical dancer of our time.” Vanity Fair
“5 stars for the pyrotechnic Tiler Peck & Friends.” Financial Times
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Turn it Out with Tiler Peck & Friends on Wednesday, October 25 at 8:00 p.m. at The Granada Theatre. Award-winning New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck embraces the role of director for Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends, turning up the heat with an innovative, handpicked repertoire by some of today’s most exciting choreographers. The virtuosic program includes Thousandth Orange, set to live music composed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw; an electric pas de deux choreographed by Alonzo King; a collaboration with tap star and Santa Barbara favorite Michelle Dorrance; and a dynamic finale reflecting Peck’s creative partnership with choreographer William Forsythe, set to music by James Blake.
Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends (Selby / Artists MGMT)
ABOUT TURN IT OUT WITH TILER PECK & FRIENDS
The Program
Thousandth Orange by Tiler Peck, music by Caroline Shaw
Swift Arrow by Alonzo King, music by Jason Moran
Time Spell by Michelle Dorrance, Jillian Meyers and Tiler Peck, music by Aaron Marcellus and Penelope Wendtlandt
The Barre Project, Blake Works II by Wiliam Forsythe, music by James Blake
After a sold-out world premiere in New York City and a European debut in London, award-winning American ballerina Tiler Peck brings her critically acclaimed show, Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends, to her home state of California this fall.
As dancer, choreographer, and making her directorial debut, New York City Ballet’s award-winning principal dancer has gone above and beyond to craft an exquisite evening of exceptional performances, with pieces that blend styles and invite imaginative musical collaboration. Described by the New York Times as “the ballerina who can stop time (and restart it, too),” Peck’s integration of disciplines is part of what makes this innovative program so entertaining and accessible.
Though Peck’s storied career was already studded with pinnacle moments, Tiler’s audience has expanded exponentially over the past few years due to her viral “Turn It Out with Tiler” classes. The class, which Peck started on Instagram Live to provide community during the pandemic, reached up to 15,000 participants daily, and served in part as an inspiration for the Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends tour. The opportunity to collaborate with fellow top-tier artists, celebrate the joy of live performance and continue to showcase the wide tapestry of art through dance has informed this electric production.
In addition to Peck, the cast also includes tap superstar and founder of Dorrance Dance, Michelle Dorrance, So You Think You Can DanceSeason 14 winner, Lex Ishmoto, and LA native Jillian Meyers whose work includes La La Land, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and Babylon. Tiler also recruited fellow New York City Ballet dancers India Bradley, Chun Wai Chan, Jovani Furlan, Christopher Grant, Roman Mejia, Mira Nadon and Quinn Starner. Rounding out the cast includes American Ballet Theatre’s Brooklyn Mack and Dorrance Dance company member, Byron Tittle.
Lyndsey Winship in The Guardian said of this program, “Tiler Peck is a stupendous mover. In her London debut, the New York City Ballet principal shows off the effervescent speed and musicality she’s known for, along with an eagerness for collaboration built around the joy of music, rhythm, athleticism and pure dance. There’s a great sense of artistic exchange and shared pleasure that’s a delight to be part of.”
Siobhan Murphy said in The Stage, “There’s something utterly exhilarating about watching Tiler Peck in full flight. Many know her as the ballerina the world tuned into for her live-streamed ballet classes during lockdown. Live on stage, rather than in her mum’s kitchen, the award-winning New York City Ballet principal is commanding, her laser-like precision matched with an extraordinary sense of corporeal power. And for this collection of four works, which she has curated, she surrounds herself with dancers who share that power.”
Tiler Peck shared, “This program is a love letter to my craft as a dancer and the manifestation of my total freedom as an artist. I grew up doing all styles of dance and am grateful that I get to incorporate all of them alongside best-in-class multidisciplinary dancers in a show that will undeniably be more than what people are used to seeing at the ballet with tutus and tiaras!”
ABOUT TILER PECK
A Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet, an actress, choreographer, author and designer, Tiler Peck continues to evolve as an artist and add to her extensive repertoire. Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends represents her debut as director of an evening-length touring production. She added the title of curator when she launched and starred in the Los Angeles Music Center’s presentation of BalletNOW, a part of the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center program. Peck was the subject of the Hulu feature documentary, Ballet Now from Paul Allen’s Vulcan Productions with executive producer Elisabeth Moss and director Steven Cantor. She also had the honor of choreographing the box office smash action movie, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
As a guest star, she was the first ballerina ever to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she guested on Dancing with The Stars for three seasons, the Bravo TV show Rocco’s Dinner Party and on Julie Andrews’ Netflix series, Julie’s Greenroom. She also starred in the film Ballet 422.
Peck most recently starred in CLI Studios’ A New Stage and the World Premiere of William Forsythe’s The Barre Project, Blakeworks II, both of which she executive produced. As an actor, she appeared in Season 7 of Ray Donovan opposite Liev Shreiber and in the Netflix series Tiny Pretty Things.
Peck was born in Bakersfield, California where she began her dance training at the age of two at her mom’s dance studio. At the age of 14, she entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, full time. The same year, she became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet and in a few short months was asked to join the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. Peck was promoted to Soloist in 2006 and to Principal Dancer in 2009 where she remains to this day.
Tiler made her Broadway debut as Gracie Shinn in Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man at the age of 11 and also appeared on Broadway as Ivy Smith in the Tony-nominated musical On The Town. ???????????
She portrayed the role of Louise in the Emmy-nominated production of New York Philharmonic’s Live From Lincoln Center production of Carousel and recently played the title role in Susan Stroman’s newest musical, Little Dancer, at the Kennedy Center. She is attached to star in the production, now titled Marie, for its Broadway run.
She was the 2004 Mae L. Wien Award winner, the Janice Levin Honoree for 2006-2007, winner of the Leonide Massine’s Positano Premia La Danza for International Emerging Artists and a 2004 recipient of a Princess Grace Foundation – USA Dance Fellowship. In 2013, she was named to Forbes 30 under 30 in Hollywood Entertainment and won the Princess Grace Statue Award. She also received the 2016 Dance Magazine Award.
Peck developed and produces a daily ballet class, #TurnItOutWithTiler, initially aimed at helping people stay connected and moving during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The show’s down to earth tone coupled with its very necessary purpose attracted the attention of A-list ballet enthusiasts like Jennifer Garner, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Ripa, Jennifer Nettles, Leslie Odom Jr., Josh Groban and more, all of whom have guested on the show.
With a passion and keen eye for fashion, Peck is the designer of Tiler Peck Designs for Body Wrappers, a studio-to-streetwear clothing line that includes bodysuits, dresses, leggings, shorts, skirts, rompers and bra tops in addition to leotards and tutus. She designed a capsule collection for STATESIDE apparel called Tiler Peck x STATESIDE that launched at Holiday 2021. Her children’s book series Katarina Ballerinafrom Simon & Schuster had its first release in May 2020 with a second book debuting in September 2021. With the universal language of dance as a backdrop, the title character, Katarina, learns that with hard work and determination everything is possible and the qualities that make us different can often be our biggest strengths. Peck and her beloved pup Cali live between NYC and her native California.
ABOUT UCSB ARTS & LECTURES
Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A&L annually presents more than a hundred public events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and the general public.
Turn it Out with Tiler Peck & Friends is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures in association with the UCSB Department of Theater and Dance.
Lead sponsor: Jody and John Arnhold
Dance Series Sponsors: Margo Cohen-Feinberg and Bob Feinberg, Donna Fellows and Dave Johnson, Barbara Stupay and Sheila Wald
Tickets are $51 – $106: General Public / UCSB Students $20 (Current student ID required)
For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at (805) 893-3535 or purchase online at www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu,or call the Granada Theatre box office (805) 899-2222 or online at granadasb.org.
UCSB Arts & Lectures gratefully acknowledges our Community Partners the Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli for their generous support of the 2023-2024 season.