Ballet Meets Pop: Tiler Peck on Rodrigo's Music Video

New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck recently lent her talents to choreograph and star in Olivia Rodrigo's music video for "stupid song." This collaboration, featured on Rodrigo's album "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love," was a deeply fulfilling experience for Peck.

Peck expressed excitement about the opportunity to work with Rodrigo, whose music she admires. She noted that the initial calls with director Mitch Ryan indicated a strong potential for an accurate and realistic portrayal of ballet. Peck commended Rodrigo's team for enlisting a professional ballerina for the project.

Working alongside the Grammy-winning artist was a highlight for Peck, who stated that Rodrigo's kindness matched her immense talent. Rodrigo demonstrated remarkable generosity by sending individual bouquets to all the dancers after a demanding overnight shoot, ensuring they had flowers in time for their evening ballet performance.

Rodrigo's dedication was evident on set; she encouraged the dancers to perform movements with full intensity to achieve a realistic look. Peck found Rodrigo to be exceptionally down-to-earth throughout the day-long shoot. This project resonated with Peck, as pop music was instrumental in her early passion for dance, making this a perfect fusion of her worlds.

The experience also felt like a homecoming for Peck, who did not exclusively train as a ballerina in her youth. She found joy in dancing to pop music with lyrics, which she feels enhances emotional expression compared to classical music. This project allowed her to reconnect with her roots while showcasing ballet authentically to a new audience.

Peck also reflected on the collaborative atmosphere on set, highlighting the director Mitch Ryan's open-mindedness and freedom given to her as a first-time music video choreographer. She described the day as highly collaborative and a truly fortunate experience.