Since joining New York City Ballet, at age 15, Tiler Peck has pirouetted in nearly 20 productions of The Nutcracker. As a principal dancer, she makes fouettés, those whipping turns, look effortless. In 2019, a herniated disc in her neck threatened to end her career—and even her ability to walk again. Seven months of discipline and grueling physical therapy later, Peck was back onstage. Now, after earning rave reviews in London, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara for her choreography in Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends, she’s preparing for the February 1 premiere of her first commissioned work for New York City Ballet. Here, Peck maps out how she recuperates every evening so she’s ready to spend the next day en pointe.
When do you start getting ready for bed?
We don’t get offstage until 10:00 or 10:30, so that’s when I go home and eat dinner. I don’t like to dance on a full stomach. I just eat whatever it is I want that night. I’m not a picky eater. My guilty pleasure that is an absolute must: peppermint patties! I love them.
I normally don’t go to bed before midnight, just because it’s really hard to unwind quickly from being super up and performing.
Take us through your skin-care routine.
I always have Neutrogena face wipes in my dressing room. Those get off the stage makeup the best for me. Once I get home, that’s when I wash my face with CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser. I have a lot of Youth Corridor products by Dr. Gerald Imber. I use the Ultimate Nourishing Crème at night—I just love that so much.
Do you take supplements?
Normally, turmeric, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, as opposed to taking Advil, which is hard on the stomach. I put Arnica topical cream on whatever body part is hurting.
What kind of physical recovery are you doing?
I always do an Epsom-salt bath. If not, I’ll wake up feeling so much worse. If my back needs some decompressing, it’s laying on a heating pad with my feet elevated 90 degrees on a chair. Or if it’s my feet, I put them in ice. In my Epsom-salt bath, I’ll have an ice pack, and I’ll stick my foot out, sit for five minutes, and put it back in the bath. That helps with the circulation. Really, my whole evening is spent recovering so that I can be at the highest level the next day.
What do you watch or listen to before bed?
I’m very much into suspenseful Homeland-type shows. Right now I’ve been into this Viking show called The Last Kingdom. Sometimes I’ll watch three episodes a night. Normally, when I’m eating dinner, I’ll turn on an episode. [My] physical therapist tells us not to watch TV where you’re going to sleep, in order to train the mind and the body that when you’re in the bedroom, that’s where you sleep.
What’s one thing you have to do before getting into bed?
There’s an Indian healing clay that I get at Whole Foods. [The box] says, “World’s most powerful facial,” but I don’t put it on as a facial. I put it on whatever part of my body needs the swelling to come down. You mix the clay with a little bit of apple-cider vinegar and stir it around to make a paste. You have to stir it with a wooden spoon—it can’t be metal, because that messes up the pH balance. Then you put it on your body, wrap it with Saran wrap, tape it, and sleep with it. In the morning, you just take it off with water. The swelling is down so much. I can’t tell you how many times that has saved my life.
How do you calm down after a show?
I always have a cup of tea. A lot of times it’s Sleepytime tea. Maybe it’s just mental, but that’s my little ritual.
Tell us about your pajamas.
I have matching sets that sometimes I wear during the holidays, but I also just love a big old T-shirt.
how particular are you about your sleeping conditions?
I’m very particular. I like it to be very dark, and I don’t like to hear any sounds. I have a blackout shade in my bedroom. I shut the bathroom door because I don’t like to hear the toilet running. And I never like to be cold. I’m not much of an A/C user—maybe that’s the Californian in me. I have a sheet and a comforter all the way up to my head.
I have specific ways I sleep because of certain injuries that I’ve had. When my neck is bad, I sleep on my back, and I put a little pillow under my knees. It’s not great to have your legs completely straight, because it puts pressure on your lower back. I put pillows under my elbows so that they’re a little lifted. If I’m on my side, I double up my pillow and put a pillow between my knees.
are you particular about your mattress as well?
I have a Sleep Number mattress and a Tempur-Pedic top. I don’t like a soft bed, because my back doesn’t feel very good when I wake up.
what’s your most bizarre nighttime habit?
I always try to go to the bathroom a lot of times so I don’t have to wake up during the middle of the night. It’s weird. I go to the bathroom, get back in bed, then, like two seconds later, go try again, even though I know there’s nothing there. In my head, I think this will let me sleep through the night.
where is your favorite place to sleep?
Oh, my bed, for sure.
What’s the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had?
The day I get back from traveling, when I’m in my apartment for the first time again, and I’m in my own bed. The sheets always feel extra-good. I think it’s just because I’m so happy to be back home.
Jensen Davis is a Senior Editor at Air Mail