VUE

f you're from the New York metropolitan area, you know that almost nothing in the world can duplicate Christmas in Manhattan. Most of us grow up with memories of visiting the tree in Rockefeller Center or seeing a Broadway show during the holidays. For New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Tiler Peck, it was the experience of seeing "e Nutcracker" for the first time as a kid that ultimately gave her the final push to pursue the stage. Today, Peck stars as the Sugar Plum Fairy in George Balanchine's "e Nutcracker" just as she'd proclaimed to her father years ago. Having danced since the age of two, the Bakersfield, CA native landed the role of principal dancer at New York City Ballet by the time she was 20. ough her background is perhaps a bit more diverse than your average ballerina, it's the culmination of her varied skill set that makes her truly unique in the dance world. It's not just her dancing ability that makes her diverse, though. Since making principal dancer in 2009, she's explored all manners of creativity— including acting, publishing and even designing her own dancewear collection. Aer being shot for the cover of "e Style of Movement: Fashion and Dance" by Ken Browar and Deborah Ory (NYC Dance Project) earlier this year, I caught up with Peck to talk performance, inspiration and of course, Christmas. You've practiced dance from an early age, debut- ing on Broadway by age 11. Who would you say was your greatest inspiration during your early years? My mom. She was my first dance teacher; I grew up dancing in her studios. I think that played a really big role in my life because she started me on my way. At six years old, I was dancing four days a week. My training had everything from hip-hop to jazz—I did it all. She was the one who saw my talent at a really young age and challenged me. She didn't think Bakersfield, CA had quite enough for me to fulfill my potential. I don't think most ballerinas come from that background, but I wouldn't change that for anything. Had she not seen and pushed me, I wouldn't be here [in New York City] today. DRESS BY VALENTINO. HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ANGELA BOSWELL V U E N J . C O M 105

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