NYCB promotes Tiler Peck, Ana Sophia Scheller to soloist

[Dale]

From a company press release:

December 29, 2006

New York City Ballet Promotes Tiler Peck And Ana Sophia Scheller To Soloist

New York City Ballet announced today that Tiler Peck and Ana Sophia Scheller have been promoted to the rank of soloist with the Company. The promotions are effective immediately.

Tiler Peck was born in Bakersfield, California. She began her dance training at the age of seven. At the age of 11, Ms. Peck began studying with former New York City Ballet dancers Colleen Neary and Patricia Neary. During this time she also studied with former NYCB principal Yvonne Mounsey at Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica. Ms. Peck entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, in the fall of 2003. In September 2004, Ms. Peck became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and in February 2005 she joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet.

Since joining New York City Ballet, Ms. Peck has performed featured roles in George Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Butterfly), George Balanchine's The NutcrackerTM (Dewdrop, Marzipan, Dolls), and Symphony in C (Fourth Movement). Ms. Peck has also performed in Jerome Robbins' Mother Goose (Princess Florine) and Peter Martins' Swan Lake ("Pas de Quartre"). Ms. Peck has also originated featured roles in Peter Martins' Friandises and The Red Violin.

Ms. Peck was the 2004 recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation - USA Dance Fellowship and a Mae L. Wien Award.

Ana Sophia Scheller was born in Buenos Aires, and began her dance training when she was six years old. She received a scholarship as part of Argentina's National Presidential Prize for Cultural Excellence in Classical Dance for three consecutive years before moving to New York at age 13 to enroll as a full-time student at the School of American Ballet, in January 2000. Ms. Scheller joined American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company in August 2003, and joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2004.

Since joining New York City Ballet, Ms. Scheller has performed featured roles in George Balanchine's Ballo della Regina, Divertimento No. 15, George Balanchine's The NutcrackerTM (Sugarplum, Dewdrop, Marzipan), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hippolyta), and Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux. She also originated a featured role in Jorma Elo's Slice to Sharp, as part of the 2006 Diamond Project.

New York City Ballet's 2007 winter season begins Wednesday, January 3, and runs through Sunday, February 25. For general information on tickets for any New York City Ballet performance, call 212-870-5570, or visit www.nycballet.com.

[Leigh Witchel]

Congrats to both. Can't say I'm surprised.

When a friend called to tell me "Tiler" and Ana Sophia had been promoted, I assumed "Tyler" - Tyler Angle. I have a feeling that may not be long off either.

[Helene]

Congratulations to both!

I have not had the pleasure of seeing Scheller yet, but I was lucky to have seen some snippets Peck as a student. I'm looking forward to seeing both of them one of these seasons.

[mom2]

How old is Tiler Peck, isn't she still quite young?

[vipa]

Isn't it interesting that neither came up throught the ranks of SAB.

[Leigh Witchel]

It's not that much of a surprise. If SAB ever was a school that got the majority of its most promising students from the inception of their training, it hasn't been for a long time. The U.S. isn't a centralized nation, and isn't set up to help a parent send a child to New York for instruction, or to help the parent relocate with the dancer. SAB tends to have a more local student body until the advanced grades when students come for their final years of training.

[Marga]

How old is Tiler Peck, isn't she still quite young?

She was born January 12, 1989.

[Helene]

Isn't it interesting that neither came up throught the ranks of SAB.

I can only think of a handful of Principal Dancers that came through the SAB ranks from the start: Fugate, Boal, and Somogyi. I believe that Leclerq started when she was 12. Michael Byars is a former Soloist that I can think of.

[uli]

Isn't it interesting that neither came up throught the ranks of SAB.

Do you think it is because SAB's selection process for younger dancers seems to focus too much on body type? Perhaps the physical attributes they look for, while aesthetically pleasing at the time, do not necessarily develop into a body that can meet the rigorous demands of professional dance. By the time most dancers are older (think 15-17), they have a certain degree of talent and good work ethic, which may take the place of, or be in addition to, the ideal body.

[Klavier]

Both young women are very impressive, to my mind Scheller especially. Her dynamic Hippolyta at a Saturday matinee of MND this past May was one of the few elements that woke up an otherwise sleepy performance.

NYCB has however promoted more than two soloists a year in past seasons. Are there likely to be more promotions in the near future, or is this it? And for whom would you vote if you could promote someone else?

Speaking for myself, my votes would go to Sean Suozzi and Georgina Pazgoquin.

[carbro]

I don't know if Georgina has enough solo experience to justify a promotion just yet, so I was dismayed not to see her name on the cast list for Sleeping Beauty. I'd love to see more of her.

My nominations for the guys are Craig Hall and Tyler Angle, both eminently deserving, although (as bobbi and sz pointed out on the Nutcracker thread) Tyler may have to build stamina.

[ViolinConcerto]

Isn't it interesting that neither came up throught the ranks of SAB.

I can only think of a handful of Principal Dancers that came through the SAB ranks from the start: Fugate, Boal, and Somogyi. I believe that Leclerq started when she was 12. Michael Byars is a former Soloist that I can think of.

I think that Jean-Pierre Frohlich, now Ballet Master for most of the Jerome Robbins repertory, also came up through the SAB ranks. I seem to recall a photo of him as a child with Balanchine.

I would support Suozzi, Hall and Angle for soloist.

[Juliet]

Craig Hall is already a soloist.

[nysusan]

Craig Hall is already a soloist.

Hi Juliet! Where did you hear that? As of the 2007 winter brochure Hall was still listed in the Corps, and he hasn't been mentioned in any of the promotion press releases that I've seen. Hard to believe, I know...

Susan

[sz]

If you check the NYCB website, Scheller's profile/bio shows she's been promoted to Soloist. Ditto, Tiler Peck's. But when I checked Craig Hall's, he's still listed as Corps, and I haven't heard otherwise.

[Juliet]

Sincere apologies. I don't know what I was thinking.....I did check before I posted, to make sure, but obviously, I am sleepwalking in the middle of the afternoon!

Good gracious....I'm sorry, everyone----

[zerbinetta]

Clearly many of us here wish you had been right.

[Quiggin]

Chipiniana

Here's Tiler Peck's bio from a Bakersfield California link:

http://www.dancersturnout.com/staff.php

Disclaimer: I grew up in a tiny town near Bakerfield. Bakersfield is the source of the Bay Area's oil (you could see it travel alongside the railway tracks to San Francisco in pipelines that made fascinating loops and twists as the train raced alongside it), cowboy songs, wonderful Basque cooking, and now NYCB ballerinas.