Day #6 January 14th, 2012 -…More on the Rockettes

The John Tiller girls of the 1922 Ziefeld Follies were the inspiration for Russell Markert  dance company first called the Missouri Rockets.  By 1934, the dance company name changed to the Radio City Rockettees.  The Rockettes are the world’s most famous dance company. 

The Rockettes have performed 5 shows a day, 7 days a week during the Christmas season for 77 years.  They are best known for their eye high kicks done in unison.  They have over 2 million viewers a year and in addition to performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, they perform in 60 cities all over North America.  They have performed for presidents, at the Tony Awards, Super Bowl half time shows and have co-starred in commercials. 

Since their origin, there have been over 3,000 women who have performed as Rockettes with thousand more auditioning each year.  My dream of trying out to be a Rockette may be cut short, a little play on words here.  To audition to be a Rockette you must be between 5’6” tall and 5’10 1/2”tall.  I am currently 5’2”, maybe.  You must also be 18 years of age and be proficient in tap, jazz and ballet.  A lot of the women who are Rockettes are college students who take the fall semester off because of the demanding schedule that they have during the fall.

The Rockettes offer two classes to young girls.  One is the Rockette Experience, this is a 3 hour class and taught by a legendary dancer.  You learn an actual dance that the real Rockettes have performed in the past, you also learn the world famous kick line.  During the class you have a mock audition and are offered a back stage tour.  To take this class, you must be taking jazz, ballet and tap.

The Rockettes also offer a Summer Intensive.  This is a weeklong class and you must be 14 to audition.  You must also have 5 years of tap, jazz and ballet under your belt.  The summer intensive has been around for 11 years and 47 of its attendees have actually become a Rockette.

When I was 10, I attended the Rockette Experience and I hope to audition for the summer intensive next year.  You have to be 14 by August 30^th of the year you are auditioning.

This is a picture of the Rockette Experience!