Ballet’s “It” Couple: Behind the Scenes With Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild

July 29, 2014

This story originally appeared in the August/September 2014 issue of
Pointe.

Growing up together, first as students at the School of American Ballet and then as young dancers on the rise at New York City Ballet, Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild dated off and on. With their lives on the same track for nearly a decade, it’s no wonder they felt a special bond. Their relationship became serious several years ago. “I feel so lucky to have Tiler in the same industry,” says Fairchild. “We understand the struggles and the achievements that come along with this career, and it’s so meaningful to share those moments with someone who truly gets it.” The couple, who live in a one-bedroom apartment five blocks from the theater, married in June at the end of NYCB’s spring season. A few weeks before, Pointe followed them through a typical day.

Kyle Froman

Peck and Fairchild having egg sandwiches for breakfast before leaving for the theater. The dogs always get healthy treats. “They’re called Greenies,” says Fairchild. “The dogs are obsessed with them.”

Kyle Froman

Peck with Cali before class.

Kyle Froman

“You have to be strong, but letting your partner lead is where the freedom comes from,” says Peck, pictured here in rehearsal for Richard Tanner’s Sonatas and Interludes with Amar Ramasar.

Kyle Froman

Fairchild rehearsing Year of the Rabbit. “I think it’s normal to have pre-performance jitters,” he says. “I’ve always told myself the show is going to go on matter what I do, so I might as well enjoy it.”

Kyle Froman

Warming up backstage before a show. “You never hear her shoes when she dances,” says Fairchild. “She bangs them against he wall harder than I can.”

Kyle Froman

“We always wish each other luck before going on,” says Fairchild. “And I never go onstage without having an Altoid.”

Kyle Froman

Peck running through choreographer Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit.