Digital Cover Star

Quickfire Questions for September/October Digital Cover Star Tyler Donatelli

September 8, 2026

To get to know Tyler Donatelli a little bit better, we asked her a series of quickfire questions. Read on to hear more about the Houston Ballet principal’s dream roles, favorite snacks, pre-performance routine, and more.

What is your favorite part of class?

Going across the floor with a turn or a jump!

What is your least favorite part of class?

Center tendus or fondus.

Do you have a favorite spot in barre?

I stood facing the mirror, close up, for over 11 years. This year I switched to a side profile.

Tyler aDonatelli, wearing a long pink dress, tiara and pointe shoes, does a grand jeté with her back leg in attitude during a performance onstage. Her arms are in high third, and she looks out towards the audience with a big smile. A crowd of dancers in various artistocratic costumes stands in the background, watching.
Donatelli with artists of Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch’s Raymonda. Photo by Amitava Sarkar, courtesy Houston Ballet.

What are your pointe shoe specs?

I recently switched to a stock Bloch Flexus. I wanted a shorter wait time on shoes, so I just half-shank them myself!

Ballet slippers: leather or canvas?

Canvas, for sure.

Coffee or tea (and how do you take it)?

Matcha lattes all the way. I actually don’t like coffee at all.

What is your go-to snack?

MadeGood Granola Bites. For a brutal day (often), I always have Honey Stingers to keep my energy up.

Tyler Donatelli does a penché on pointe while holding the hands of two dancers. The women are in a line of the corps, balancing in sus-sous. Donatelli wears a white and gold tutu and tiara, while the corps wear white tutus with blue bodices.
Donatelli with artists of Houston Ballet in George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations. Photo by Alana Campbell, courtesy Houston Ballet.

What is your pre-performance routine?

I’m very regimented: Make a sandwich and sit on my balcony with my dogs; get to the theater 90 minutes before the show; do my hair first, then makeup; pick a pair of pointe shoes; put my costume on; and warm up for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Who are you listening to now?

Jungle and Tame Impala.

What are you watching right now?

“The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” and “Hacks.”

What book are you reading right now?

Iron Flame, in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros.

What is your favorite ballet to watch?

I rarely get to watch ballets from the front, so it’s a treat whenever I get to, no matter the rep.

Tyler Donatelli poses in fourth position croisé on pointe with her arms in high fifth. She wears her hair pulled back in a bun and a white tutu, and poses in front of a beige backdrop.
Photo by Gilded Sun Photography.

What is your favorite ballet to dance?

Anything that takes me out of my mind and connects me to the music.

What’s a fun fact that we don’t know about you?

I was in a Florence + the Machine music video when I was young.

What’s your superpower?

Being organized, maybe too much sometimes.

What’s your dream mixed rep?

This is the hardest question ever. I know I would need a Justin Peck ballet, a Stanton Welch ballet, and some Forsythe or Ratmansky. But then I need some Balanchine in there, too. So hard!

What’s your go-to cross-training activity?

Gyrotonic is my go-to, but I love hitting the gym every day to refine things I feel I need to work on.

The three words that best describe you are…?

“Thoughtful,” “disciplined,” and “playful.”

houston ballet pointe digital cover star tyler donatelli