Peter was deeply loved by his students, friends, and fellow dancers. He was known for his kindness, sensitivity, and generosity of spirit. Friends described him as caring and sweet. Several recalled that he always made time for conversation with them when they ran into him on the Upper West Side. He was very aware and sensitive to people's feelings. The daily life of a ballet dancer is extremely challenging and demanding. Peter demonstrated a deep empathy for his dancers.

Cheerful and optimistic, he enjoyed an impressive forty year association with the prestigious New York City Ballet. He studied at the School of American Ballet, and became a company member under the direction of George Balanchine. He was promoted to principal status. It was an exciting and productive time.

Originally from Paris, Liliane Montevecchi danced for Roland Petit as a young ballet dancer. In the 1950's she signed with MGM studios. Her credits with them include Daddy Long Legs and King Creole (starring Elvis Presley.) In 1958 she performed in the Broadway musical revue La Plume de Ma Tante. She went on to star in the famous Les Folies Bergeres. She was spectacular in the show with her gorgeous body, Italian passion and French glamour.

Liliane was also an elegant, classy and dynamic actress. She looked like a cover girl, and possessed the lean, long physique of a ballerina her entire life. She was on a carefully planned schedule with her eating, always aware that she had to fit into those revealing costumes. When it came to wearing the designers' pieces, she was in a class of her own. Her mother designed for French royalty, and it showed. Liliane recalls in an interview that she never saw her mother look bad. She was raised to be conscious of the image she presented to the public, and it paid off in her extensive career.