“Beyond the Spotlight: Supporting Every Student Athlete and Artist”
Dates: October 20-21st
Headlined by NYCB Principal Dancer, Tiler Peck – October 20th @ 3PM
It is well recognized that student-athletes have unique needs that require specialized support services, including tailored mental health counseling, performance consulting, physical therapy, nutrition guidance, and academic assistance. Yet, what is often overlooked is how narrowly the term student-athlete is traditionally defined.
On college campuses, there are far more athletes than those who compete in varsity sports—such as spirit squads and performing athletes. Likewise, creative artists face distinctive challenges that also call for specialized resources and care.
To highlight this important issue, TCU is proud to host a free, virtual symposium open to the public. The program will feature leading experts from 15 universities, renowned physicians in performing arts medicine, colleagues from professional sports leagues, community leaders, and, headlining the event, Tiler Peck—Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet since 2009 and one of America’s most celebrated and versatile ballerinas.
TILER PECK (Dancer, Choreographer, Actress) Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet since 2009, Tiler Peck stands among America’s most versatile and celebrated ballerinas. Her artistic journey spans from Broadway—debuting at age 11 in The Music Man and later starring in the Tony-nominated On The Town—to creating the title role in Susan Stroman’s Little Dancer, which recently had a sold out one-night only performance at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the UK.
Since her 2018 choreographic debut at the Vail Dance Festival, Peck has created works for major ballet companies including Boston Ballet, Northern Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet and BalletX. Most recently, she choreographed her first ballet for New York City Ballet, Concerto for Two Pianos, which was met with rave reviews and an encore performance at their annual gala. Tiler has been asked to choreograph a second work for New York City Ballet, premiering spring of 2026. Her choreography extends to television (Tiny Pretty Things, Ray Donovan) and film (John Wick 3).
Peck’s curatorial vision was showcased as she directed the inaugural Artists at the Center for New York City Center, which evolved into the acclaimed Turn it Out with Tiler Peck & Friends earning an Oliver Award nomination and 2 National UK Dance Awards. She has collaborated with musical luminaries Hilary Hahn, Yuja Wang, and more through the New York Philharmonic’s 4-part Nightcap series and made television history as the first ballerina to guest star on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Currently, she appears in Amazon Prime’s series Étoile.
Her documentary presence includes Hulu’s “Ballet Now,” chronicling her groundbreaking role as the first woman to curate The Los Angeles Music Center’s BalletNOW. Her achievements have earned her the Princess Grace Statue Award, The Dance Magazine Award, and recognition on Forbes’ 30 Under 30. During the pandemic, Peck launched #TurnItOutWithTiler, free Instagram ballet classes that united dancers worldwide. Beyond performance, she created the Love, Tiler collection for Só Dança and authored children’s books including the Katarina Ballerina series, with XO Ballerina Big Sis forthcoming from Penguin Random House in October 2025.
More on Tiler at www.tilerpeck.com. Tiler can be found on Instagram & TikTok via @TilerPeck.