One of my favorite parts of my job is when I get the opportunity to go backstage at shows and see how magic happens. It was once again a thrill to go behind the scenes at Radio City Music Hall.
I think every girl in my dance class growing up dreamed of being a Rockette. The idea of performing on stage at Radio City in all of those beautiful costumes just seemed like the most glamorous and fun job in the world. And hey, sharing a stage with Santa wasn’t too shabby either. I learned early on from my dance teacher Miss Cheryl (who was formerly a Rockette) that it sure would be tough for me to make that 5′6 t height requirement! But for one Long Island girl from Lindenhurst who took dance class at June Claire in Babylon–her dream of being a Rockette at the magical Radio City Music Hall came true this year. Synthia Link perfectly fits what I think a Rockette should be. She’s beautiful, smart, funny and has one of those million dollar smiles. But most of all she is full of holiday spirit. You can tell she loves being a Rockette. She’s so full of enthusiasm. The Holy Trinity High School grad took me into the large rehearsal room back stage at Radio City. She explained all of the lines and numbers on the floor and how the Rockettes use them to make those complicated formations. They have so much to remember! Synthia said she performs in up to 4 shows a day with 35 other Rockettes. She changes 8 times in a show, sometimes having only 78 seconds to change costumes. She explained how backstage was really organized with a huge crew to keep everything in order. She said that the key is to put each costume on the same exact way every single show. (For example, leotard first, then hat, gloves, shoes, etc. Maybe I should come up with a method to help me get ready that fast every morning!) Costumes are actually specifically made for each individual Rockette–that’s why they never shift and always look perfect. No magic tape needed!
Of course, I had to ask about those world famous kicks. Synthia was kind enough to give me a little lesson. I never realized that although their arms are hooked behind each other’s back, they are actually never touching. It’s tough to kick without holding on!(I tried…. not too successfully!) They make it look so easy! Having nice long legs doesn’t hurt either… When you see them kick, it appears that they are all the same height, but they’re not. To be a Rockette, Miss Cheryl was correct, you do have to be between 5′6 and 5′10 and a half. To create the illusion that they are all the same height on stage, they place the tallest women in the center with Rockettes on each side becoming progressively shorter. Then they all kick eye high. They kick hundreds of times in every show! No wonder why they are all in such good shape! I was winded after 6!
If you’ve never seen the show, it’s really special. Santa really gets everyone in the spirit. There are a lot of modern things like a huge LED screen, sparkly new costumes, a bus on stage that takes you on a tour of NYC, and even some 3-D fun. But Synthia said her favorite part is the classic Parade of the Wooden Soldiers because she said, “It has been around since 1933, since the beginning of the Rockettes, and its the exact same choreography that they did back then so when your doing it you really feel like your part of that legacy and part of the history of the Radio City Rockettes.”
That’s one of my favorites too! I also love the Living Nativity and was lucky to meet Sally, Ted, and Sarah the camels! They get walked (with a pooper scooper of course) around Radio City. They are huge stars–everyone wanted to take their photo! They actually have their own air conditioned dressing room inside of Radio City.
Next year, I’d like to get a tour of that!
