Christmas Came Early, with Precision and Elegance Transcending Time

photo credit: Dakota O’Brien

 

By Dakota O’Brien

 

More than a month before the Radio City Christmas Spectacular begins, and blocks away from the venue itself, the Radio City Rockettes ran through their routines over and over again. Sweat coated their arms and their breath was heavy, their smiles, framed by a bright red lipstick, were tireless.

On Thursday morning, the 80 Rockettes, 40 in each cast, filled the basement floors of The Church of St. Paul the Apostle to host a sneak peak of their new finale scene “Christmas Lights,” for the show’s 86^th year.

Every year, the precision dance company begins it practice schedule in September, dancing six days a week, seven hours a day – months before the dancers take the stage and do up to four performances a day for almost two months. While this may seem rigorous, it isn’t anything overwhelming for a Rockette. To even audition, the women must be proficient in jazz, tap, and ballet, and they must have the capacity to sing and dance simultaneously. All of this is done in heels, by the way.

For the practice, the Rockettes were led by former Rockette, now Creative Director, Karen Keeler. While most directors lead their dance teams with a stern attitude, Keeler commands respect with her kindness and gentle style of correction. “Open your chest, and let all that sunshine come out from your heart,” she instructed one of the dancers as they all held a pose.

A decent part of the rehearsal was spent holding poses, while the director scanned the room for anything that might have been sticking out. The dancers resembled dolls during these moments, unfazed by the difficulty of holding their legs in a passé or both of their arms above their heads for minutes. “The moments when you’re not moving are almost as important as when you are,” Keeler reminded the dancers.

Keeler was a Rockette for 14 years, allowing her to lend her experience to the company, as well as her eye for precision, which quite literally is what the Rockettes strive for. The Rockettes, originally known as the “Missouri Rockets” before the company was moved to New York, were inspired by a 1922 production by a British dance troupe, “Tiller Girls.”

Instructions may be as simple as “Lift your chin, Jess,” or “Center your face forward,” but these are the details that make up the spectacular synchronism the Rockettes have been associated with for decades.

Classic numbers like “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “Living Nativity” have been performed since the show’s inception, but no other moment wows the audience like The Rockettes’ kick line numbers. Even as they perform in their simple black tank tops and shorts in the basement of a church, the magic of the show is felt when their long legs are kicking to the melody of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

While their impeccable struts can be mostly contributed to their intense routines and professional dance experience, their height helps – all Rockettes are between 5’6” and 5’10,” not an inch above or below. Taller girls are placed in the center and shorter girls at the end, creating the illusion that they are all exactly the same height.

After a seemingly perfect number, the girls applauded each other, and Keeler offered jokes throughout the practice, lightening the mood with a bit of laughter when necessary. It’s moments like these that show the culture of the company, a family working hard towards a common goal – a spectacular Christmas show. Their light-hearted moments were accompanied by focus on detail and correction.

“All those details, every single time, is what separates you as the dance company that you are – precision,” Keeler told the ladies before they ran through their routine for the last time.