People across the world are coming together to honor essential workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Citizens lean out of windows every night to clap for healthcare workers. Actors who play doctors on TV turned the applause to the heroes in real hospitals, and athletes rewrote the names on their jerseys to celebrate nurses and doctors. Tiler Peck, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, was inspired by these tributes to create one of her own.
Gathering the global ballet community and vocalist Sierra Boggess, Peck and fellow ballerinas — including Misty Copeland, Isabella Boylston, and Ashley Bouder — came together virtually to dance and applaud workers on the frontlines. Healthcare workers "are the true heroes of this pandemic, putting their own lives at risk as they fight for ours," Peck wrote in the caption. "We can never thank them enough! I wanted to unify ballet dancers from across the world to show our appreciation and give the front-line workers our infinite applause." In the video, you'll see ballerinas pirouetting, clapping, and showing their support while Boggess sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musical Carousel. It's a simple and beautiful way to give thanks, and you can watch the tribute for yourself above.
And in case you missed it, this isn't first time ballerinas have united for a good cause during the pandemic: check out this mesmerizing virtual performance of a variation from Le Cygne (The Swan), co-organized by Misty Copeland to raise money for struggling dance companies.