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As Netflix’s The Body approaches, Phallon and Kyra Pierce are bringing years of dance, discipline, and purpose to a new chapter together.
The first time Phallon and Kyra Pierce arrived on the set of Netflix’s The Body, their plans changed quickly. The identical twins had just started college at the University of Michigan when they booked the series and needed to leave for Toronto by the end of the week.
“It was scary to make a decision that would completely change our lives,” they say. “We grappled with whether to stay in college and do what we thought we were supposed to do as good students, or step away from a traditional engineering path and chase our dreams.” After their first day of dance training with the cast, they called their parents from their apartment. “This was what we were meant to do.”
That decision drew on a partnership built long before either sister stepped onto a television set. Between the ages of eight and 18, Phallon and Kyra traveled to dance conventions and competitions in matching outfits and tried to absorb everything they could. “In those spaces, you had to learn quickly, and ‘what makes you different is what makes you stand out’ is what teachers would often say. For us, being exactly the same is what makes us unique.” During the pandemic, they kept training through online classes. One teacher told them that moving as identically as they looked would strengthen their identity as twins. The advice stayed with them.
Working together has never meant avoiding competition. Twin roles are rare, so Phallon and Kyra often audition for the same acting opportunities. In dance, they competed in groups, as a duet, and directly against each other in solos. Phallon performed jazz and Kyra contemporary. The top score moved back and forth between them, but the support underneath it never changed. “We are happy for each other no matter what,” they say.
The Body premieres on Netflix on November 11. Netflix has announced Phallon as Brit Bradley and Kyra as Bailey Bradley in the eight-episode series. The Netflix End of Summer Bash gave them a public first: their first red carpet, where they reconnected with cast members and met performers from other Netflix projects.
Off set, Phallon and Kyra study Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Memorizing routines and scripts trained them to retain information, while years of rehearsal taught them how to stay focused when the schedule becomes demanding.
They are also rookies with the Detroit Pistons Dancers, returning to dance at a professional level after choosing cheer their first year in college. “Joining the Detroit Pistons Dancers has meant the world to each of us. Going into college, we had to choose between dance and cheer. We had really been missing dance, so coming back at a professional level has been a surreal experience. We are excited to perform with our amazing team and every day we can feel ourselves becoming the dancers we dreamed of being when we were little.”
The nonprofit work they built away from entertainment began when they were in eighth grade. After noticing how few books by or about people of color appeared on local school reading lists, the sisters created their own age-appropriate list and later founded Positive Change Charities. The nonprofit helps young readers see more of themselves in the books available to them. “We want to share diverse stories with kids from all backgrounds that they can relate to, connect with and enjoy!”
For now, The Body is the next introduction. Phallon and Kyra want to keep acting together and continue building The Pierce Twins into a name audiences recognize. Their goal is simple: to become the next iconic twins for their generation.
Photo credit: Justin Pulley (@duhmarr)
For more on The Pierce Twins, visit thepiercetwins.com or follow @thepiercetwins on Instagram.
Watch the official trailer for The Body on Netflix.
