Turn It Out With Tiler Peck and Friends is a visual and musical feast of modern dance, ballet, and tap. The dances are set to amazing live and recorded original music by artists who have collaborated with Peck over the past decade. The program continues the Auditorium's season of Celebrating Women Leaders in Dance with New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck, who brings serious heat to the series with some mega-talented friends.
The Barre Project, Blake Works II, opens the show, choreographed by Peck and William Forsythe. It was a chiaroscuro procession of dancers at the barre on the stage. Each performs a solo to music composed by James Blake. It was like watching a surreal black-and-white movie, with sinuous, graceful movements that seem to defy gravity. The music was a melodic techno blend that recalled Roger Troutman and Zapp from back in the day. The talk box effect and the beats contrasted with the dancer's movements, making everything seem more expansive and elastic. A video of hands slowly moving on the barre ended the segment. I like the high-contrast spy-film effect of the video. It's an original addition that I have not seen in any other performance.
Thousandth Orange followed the intermission with live original music by composer Caroline Shaw. It is an ensemble piece choreographed by Peck herself. The intimacy is heightened by the music, performed live by the Bergamot Quartet and solo piano by Joel Wernhardt. Shaw's music features a one-note piano motif with counterpoint strings, underscoring Peck's intimate yet spatial choreography. The Auditorium stage comes alive with the dancers dressed in leotards, the colors of Jordan almonds. Peck does an avant-garde approach to this piece as the solo choreographer. It fit very well with Shaw as her musical collaborator.
Turn It Out With Tiler Peck and Friends is a beautifully curated program with a range of musical styles. This show was originally produced in 2024 and was nominated for a prestigious Olivier Award in the dance category. The dance category requires a combined effort of choreography, dance, costumes, and tech. The third segment is a beautiful pas de deux titled Swift Arrow, choreographed by Peck's fellow NYCB dancer, Roman Mejia, and Alonzo King, founder of Lines Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco. Swift Arrow is the closest to traditional ballet but heightened by modern-dance additions.
After a second intermission, the finale tore the roof off. Time Spell is an exhilarating melange of tap, modern, and ballet. Time Spell is choreographed by Peck, tap star Michell Dorrance, and award-winning West Coast choreographer Jillian Meyer. Musician Aaron Marcellus provided soul vocals and also participated in Time Spell. He was joined by Brinae Ali, an amazing singer and tap dancer. Ali used her gospel-tinged alto to reach the rafters and a looper technique. The dancing and the music are a heady mix that sent a buzz through the audience. The entire ensemble hit the stage with Meyer in the group. Her flaming red hair and tornado energy must have sent a frisson through the audience because there were shouts from the crowd. Marcellus and Ali moved about the stage, appearing in subdued light, singing and dancing. I loved to see the tap dancing. This program reassured me that tap is a vibrant art form that lives alongside ballet, modern, and jazz.
I highly recommend catching a performance of Tiler Peck and any of her friends. If you subscribe to streaming services, you can check out the musicians. Peck is definitely worth celebrating as a woman in the arts. Her collaborative skills uplift and give new life to the dance and music communities. If you see her name, buy some tickets and take some friends.
Turn It Out With Tiler Peck and Friends performed March 7 and 8 at the Auditorium. For more information, please visit www.auditoriumtheatre.org or www.tilerpeck.com.
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