Christmas in New York City has always been a time of wonder that attracts people from all over the world. The city offers some of the most iconic holiday activities and sights, such as the christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, the light display at Saks Fifth Avenue, ice skating in Central Park, and Bryant Park’s Winter Village. One of the most festive things to kick off the holiday season is the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular.
Filled with singing, dancing, and a joyful story-line with Santa, the Christmas Spectacular is a showcase of the talents of the amazing Radio City Rockettes. The skilled dancers consisting of women from across the nation began rehearsal for this season’s performances in mid-October at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York City. However, if you see them perform their famous kickline and synchronized choreography, you would have believed that they had been practicing for years.
The talent brought to the Radio City Rockettes was scouted from nearby colleges and dance companies or selected in an audition process. This long-standing tradition has been a staple of the Radio City Music Hall since the 1920’s, granting the Rockettes status and fame.
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to see The Rockettes on a school-sponsored trip for the first time. I went on the trip with many friends who had already seen the Rockettes perform once before, and they spoke incredibly highly of the show. Seeing the Rockettes seemed to have stuck with them and definitely seemed like a holiday season staple. Because of this, I was even more excited to experience the Rockettes for the first time.
Our journey began by taking the train into Grand Central Station and walking to Rockefeller Center, which prefaced our trip with a cold winter chill in the air. Walking into the Music Hall, the size of the grand arch of the stage took my breath away. Projected along the walls were images and patterns of red and green snowflakes and Christmas ornaments. These immersive lights flowed into the performance as the Rockettes took the stage. The show consisted of performances by the Rockettes, scenes of Santa in his workshop, a rendition of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker, a scene of “regular” New Yorkers in Central Park and a nativity scene.
These scenes were paired with both digital images on an immense screen behind the stage displaying images of Santa’s workshop and Christmas trees. The show’s use of digital media was shocking to me, especially when we were given 3-Dimensional glasses to view a portion of the show in 3D. But what truly stole the show was the famous Rockettes kickline which wrapped up the show in the grand finale. The synchronicity of the dancers is what makes the Rockettes so unique and renowned, and now I finally understand why it is so special to see the Rockettes at least once during the holidays.
