Rocking down memory lane to Radio City

Winter is upon us, and perhaps the quintessential event of the holiday season in New York is the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I cannot say that I’ve seen it, but I have fond memories of watching the commercials advertising the show during whatever program I was watching as a seven year old, which was most likely a marathon of “I Love Lucy.” Just the mention of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular triggers my memories of wearing pajamas during a cold night, when it gets dark out by 5:30 and everyone is preparing endlessly for the holidays. What comes to mind when you think “the Rockettes”? Legs. Indeed, the troupe’s creator, Russell Markert, was inspired by the Ziegfeld Follies of the early 20th century, and wanted to dazzle audiences with tall, leggy female performers. What else do you think of? Precision. The kick line. Uniformity. In fact, the Rockettes have so emphasized the visual uniformity of the dancers—in the hopes that they would all appear as one (Caucasian) unit—that it wasn’t until 1987 that the troupe accepted black dancers. Interestingly, it was in this same year that the first class that included women graduated from Columbia University. The iconic Rockettes essentially are the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The troupe is composed of 36 women between the heights of five-foot-six and five-foot-ten-and-a-half, all of whom are trained in jazz and tap dance. Beyond their visually captivating dance style, the Rockettes seem to carry a certain mystique. In the perpetually fun flick “Dirty Dancing,” Baby is in awe of Penny, one of the dancers at the Catskills resort who is rumored to have been a Rockette. Baby is mesmerized by Penny’s skilled dancing, blond hair, and lithe body, and she can’t help but ask Penny about her experience as a member of one of the most legendary groups in popular American dance culture. Radio City Music Hall is the world’s largest indoor theater. It stands in the Rockefeller Center complex, along with the famous skating rink and the enormous, glorious Christmas tree during the winter season. The Music Hall used to have living quarters for the Rockettes as well. I’ve included some valuable trivia about the Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular: 1,400 to 2,000 pairs of pantyhose will be worn out during the seven-week run of the show. Each costume costs about $4,000. Three thousand Swarovski crystals adorn each of the costumes in one scene. Twelve live animals are used in the nativity scene, the closing image for the show for over 75 years. And, yes, that includes a camel. In October 2008, Jeanette Heller passed away. At 97, she was the oldest living Rockette, and at five-foot-four, perhaps the most petite. Her obituary quotes her nephew, who remarks that Heller was a bit of a ground-breaker as a Jewish member of the troupe who maintained her identity amid her years of performance in the Christmas Spectacular.