‘The Producer’ of Dancers

Choreographer Susan Stroman has had a major impact on Broadway, with hits including “The Producers” and “Contact.” But she has also had an influence on the careers of individual dancers. And New York City Ballet’s rising star Tiler Peck is evidence. At age 11, Ms. Peck was picked to dance the role of Gracie Shinn in Ms. Stroman’s production of “The Music Man.” The dancer, now 20 years old, credits the choreographer with giving her the push needed to get into the professional ballet world.“When ‘The Music Man”s run ended, she said, ‘Your technique is amazing. It’s easy to lose it doing the same show every night. You should find a place to really work on your technique,'” Ms. Peck recalled. “And that’s the first time I went to the School of American Ballet. I probably wouldn’t have ever come without her.”The two were reunited recently when Ms. Stroman came to NYCB to revive “Double Feature: A Ballet in Two Acts,” her evening-length work originally created in 2004. “Double Feature,” which returns to the stage tonight, is composed of “The Blue Necklace” and “Makin’ Whoopee.” For this cast, Ms. Stroman chose Ms. Peck for the role of Anne Windsor, the love interest in “Makin’ Whoopee.”“It’s actually quite emotional,” Ms. Stroman said of reuniting with Ms. Peck. “To see someone I knew as a child, who I felt had such potential. It’s like dreams realized. And that she would be in a ballet that I choreographed? What are the chances of that?”Ms. Stroman’s surprise was greatest during the casting process. “Someone suggested Tiler Peck, and I said, ‘You’re kidding!’ I couldn’t believe it. And then I saw her in class, and I knew she’d be right.”Ms. Stroman not only has creative connections to this young star, but also to soloist Tom Gold. And that history extends across even more years. The two met in 1996, when Mr. Gold danced in Ms. Stroman’s “Blossom Got Kissed.”“She came to class one day, and Peter Martins gave us a simple combination but said, ‘Make it jazzy because Susan’s here!'” Mr. Gold recalled. “Afterwards, he said, ‘Oh, Tom, I want you to meet Susan.’ We walked across the plaza together and just sort of hit it off. We clicked.”Though the two were out of touch for some time, Ms. Stroman dropped him a cryptic, yet encouraging, message when she came back to direct a full-length ballet. “Don’t worry, I have something for you,” she said. Weeks later, she left another voicemail saying she’d created a whole ballet just for him: “Makin’ Whoopee.”Its lead character, Jimmie Shannon, is indeed tailor-made for Mr. Gold’s talent. A Buster Keatonesque character who must find a bride by 7 p.m. in order to receive his inheritance, Jimmie is a hapless silent-film hero — perfect for Mr. Gold’s comic timing and humorous movement.“He understands the acting beats behind the choreography,” Ms. Stroman explained. “A lot of the steps I do are motivated by either an acting beat or a visual. He’s able to process that. And he’s fearless.”It’s a word she also applies to Ms. Peck, whose perky charm and comic style are right for Jimmie Shannon’s wife-to-be, Anne Windsor. That Ms. Peck and Mr. Gold have such strong chemistry speaks to their common inspiration from Ms. Stroman. And her direction. Said Mr. Gold: “I’ve done this ballet about 30 times. Now I have this new partner who’s amazing and so much fun to react off of. It’s looking at things in a new way so it doesn’t look stale, but not changing the authenticity of it.”Ms. Stroman has shown these dancers — and NYCB’s audiences — the possibilities for theater and dance to coexist seamlessly. Which is especially encouraging for dancers so devoted to ballet. “Everyone would love to be on Broadway,” Mr. Gold said. “But what’s great is, we sort of have our own Broadway show here now.” For the moment, Ms. Stroman is giving him, and her formerly “little, little girl,” a taste of the white lights.Tonight until February 6 (New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, 212-870-5570).

‘The Producer’ of Dancers

‘The Producer’ of Dancers

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