Opening Night
Friday Jul 31, 2026 7:00 pm
The Vail Dance Festival is a place where artists venture into new creative territory with endless possibilities. Here in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, dancers, musicians, composers and choreographers take adventurous steps on a path of discovery through collaboration that often lead to exciting outcomes here in Vail and elsewhere around the world. That is especially true for Tiler Peck, the famed New York City Ballet principal dancer who launched her choreographic career in Vail during the 2018 Festival at the invitation and encouragement of Artistic Director, Damian Woetzel.
Her most recent Vail Dance Festival premiere was Piano Songs, a thrilling new solo for American Ballet Theatre star Aran Bell debuted in Vail on August 5, 2024. For this new solo, Woetzel introduced Peck to the music of pioneering composer Meredith Monk. The piece will make its New York premiere September 18 at the opening of the Fall For Dance Festival at New York City Center, which co-commissioned the new work. To celebrate we are looking back on all of Tiler's development career as a choreographer and the Vail Dance Festival commissions that have led up to this special moment.
2018 VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL WORLD PREMIERE
LINCOLN SQUARE
Music by Adam Wachter
Choreography by Tiler Peck
Costumes by Martha Bromelmeier
Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker
CHRISTOPHER GRANT TILER PECK ROMAN MEJIA
New York City Ballet
Violin: JOHNNY GANDELSMAN
Piano: KURT CROWLEY
Generous support provided by Donna & Donald Baumgartner.
2019 VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL WORLD PREMIERE
THOUSANDTH ORANGE
Music by Caroline Shaw
Choreography by Tiler Peck
Costumes by Tiler Peck, courtesy of BodyWrappers
Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker
ISABELLA BOYLSTON HERMAN CORNEJO
American Ballet Theatre
INDIA BRADLEY CHRISTOPHER GRANT
LAUREN LOVETTE ROMAN MEJIA
New York City Ballet
Piano: KURT CROWLEY Violin: COLIN JACOBSEN
Viola: NICHOLAS CORDS Cello: MICHAEL NICOLAS
Generous support provided by Donna & Donald Baumgartner.
2021 VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL WORLD PREMIERE
AND SO
Music by Caroline Shaw
Choreography by Tiler Peck
Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker
CALVIN ROYAL III
2021 Artist-In-Residence
American Ballet Theatre
CHRISTOPHER GRANT ROMAN MEJIA MIRA NADON
New York City Ballet
Generous support provided by Donna & Donald Baumgartner.
2022 VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL WORLD PREMIERE
VARIATIONS ON A THEME
Music by Arcangelo Corelli
Choreography by Tiler Peck
Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker
POLINA CHEPYK EVA HRYTSAK YEVA-MARIIA SKORENKA
2022 Vail Dance Festival Scholars-In-Residence
Violin: JOHNNY GANDELSMAN
Piano: CAMERON GRANT
Generous support provided by Donna & Donald Baumgartner.
Special thanks to our dedicated supporters who contributed to our 2022 Vail Dance Festival Scholars-In-Residence.
2024 VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL WORLD PREMIERE
PIANO SONGS
Music: Ellis Island, Paris, and Folkdance by Meredith Monk By arrangement with Boosey and Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner
Choreography by Tiler Peck
Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker
ARAN BELL
American Ballet Theatre
Piano: DEREK WANG & JOEL WENHARDT
Generous support provided by Donna & Donald Baumgartner,
co-commissioned by New York City Center Fall for Dance Festival.