Dancing with the Stars Season 10 – Interview with Tiler Peck

Tiler is the principal dancer with the NYC Ballet that danced in the Macy’s Stars of Dance segment on last tuesday’s show. She gave an interview to the New York Times about her experience on the show. Sounds like it was fun for everyone. Excerpts below – follow the link for the whole interview. See video of the Macy’s Stars of Dance from a previous post on the subject.

Q. What was performing like, were you nervous?

A. I was a little nervous because it was on national TV. It’s a lot different from just regular performance. You can see the audience very close to you and you can feel the energy. It’s not like in a [City Ballet] show, where they don’t start clapping or cheering in the middle of it. It’s different in that sense. Also that the [City Ballet] had never been on a show like that, I thought it was cool and the crowd loved it. They had never experienced anything like it and it’s great for them to see our side too. To get a little glimpse of the ballet world that they might not be exposed to.

Is she correct about this? I would swear that DWTS had ballerina’s on before. Am I mis-remembering?

Q. How long were you in rehearsal?

A. I flew out [to the Los Angeles studio] on Saturday. We had two hours and then blocking with the camera and that’s it. We’re all young, the people who were in it, so we were just excited to be doing it. And the show loved it and respected it. They never had a ballerina, so I was treated like royalty.

Q. What was it like being backstage?

A. I got my makeup done in between Nicole and Pamela Anderson and they were just talking and that was cool, and to meet the ballroom dancers. Other people were like wow, we’ve never seen anything like that, when can we come see you? And that’s exactly what I thought would be great for the company.