While Tiler Peck is no doubt thrilled to bring her touring show to California this fall, the New York City Ballet principal dancer also admits a small ulterior motive. “Every time I come back home, my first stop is In-N-Out,” says the Bakersfield native. “We don’t have it on the East Coast, and it is the best.”
Happily, all four Golden State cities that are hosting Turn It Out with Tiler & Friends have a wealth of In-N-Out locations.
The “homecoming” leg of Peck’s tour begins at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara (Oct. 25) then heads to The Soraya in Los Angeles County (Oct. 28–29), the San Diego Civic Theatre (Nov. 1), and Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa (Nov. 4–5). When the world tour debuted in London, The Guardian called Peck “a stupendous mover” with “effervescent speed and musicality built around the joy of music, rhythm, athleticism, and pure dance.”
The show features a range of dance and music styles—some pieces choreographed by Peck herself, and others featuring the choreography, compositions, and performances of artists including renowned San Francisco choreographer Alonzo King, Pulitzer-prize winning composer Caroline Shaw, and acclaimed tap dancer Michelle Dorrance.
“This program is a love letter to my craft as a dancer,” Peck has said. “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.” The result, she says, is “more than what people are used to seeing at the ballet with tutus and tiaras.”
Born in a Bakersfield Kitchen
The show takes its name and inspiration from the free classes Peck started hosting on Instagram during the early days of the pandemic, using her parents’ Bakersfield kitchen counter as a barre. “These classes are keeping me sane, and are giving me something to look forward to,” she told Pointe magazine during the quarantine era. “And the reaction has been overwhelming,” as homebound dancers around the world started posting their own progress with the hashtag #turnitoutwithtiler.
Peck has always embraced her hometown roots. She first took lessons as a small child in Bakersfield—with her mom as her teacher—then studied in Los Angeles before joining the New York City Ballet at age 15. “My grandmother would drive me to Downey, three hours there and back, for lessons,” she says. “But I have had the same best friend from Bakersfield since the 1st grade,” she says. “Bakersfield grows really warm, authentic, and loyal people—and our Basque food is delicious too.”
Plan a SoCal Cultural Getaway
Peck says she and her fellow dancers will enjoy plenty of Golden State moments during the show (tour dancers Lex Ishimoto and Mira Nadon are also California natives, originally from Irvine and San Bernardino County, respectively). “Santa Barbara is by the beach so we can take a walk and get that ocean air,” Peck says, “while Northridge allows us to experience L.A. life—and I love Le Petit Four on Sunset Blvd.” San Diego and Costa Mesa, she adds, “will give us beautiful weather and amazing Mexican food.”
Fans can easily make a full cultural California getaway out of going to the shows too. The Granada in downtown Santa Barbara is just a couple blocks from the tasting rooms and art galleries of the Funk Zone, while The Soraya at California State University, Northridge, is close to the studio tours in Burbank. The Civic Theatre in downtown San Diego is a short hop from the museums of Balboa Park, and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts sits along a 20-piece public art walk—and is also across the street from the luxury shopping at South Coast Plaza.
You don’t have to be a serious dance expert to enjoy the show, either, Peck says. “You don’t get these kinds of dancers on stage at once very often,” she says. “And you don’t have to be either a ballet or tap lover to love this show—there’s something for everyone.”
