Monday, December 4, 2017
Associated Press
NEW YORK
One of the biggest draws in New York this time of year is the “Christmas Spectacular” featuring the iconic Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Two veterans – Bailey Callahan of Melbourne, Fla., and Alissa LaVergne of Houston – reveal all the backstage secrets.
BY THE NUMBERS
There are 80 Rockettes, split into two teams of 36 dancers and four standbys. The 36 women can fit shoulder-to-shoulder along the 66-foot stage. They perform eight dance numbers per show, up to four shows daily, 200 shows a season. The show produces 350 laundry loads weekly.
HEIGHT AND CALORIES
Rockettes must stand between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-10 Ω and be proficient at tap, jazz and ballet. Candidates must be ready to do 300 eye-high kicks a show. One Rockette used a fitness tracker and discovered that she burned 1,000 calories every show. “When we do four shows a day, that’s a lot of pizza that we get to eat,” says Callahan.
WHERE ARE THEY FROM?
Rockettes this year come from 26 states, plus Canada and Australia. New Jersey sent the most dancers, 12. Ohio is next with six.
HOW DO THEY LOOK THE SAME HEIGHT?
“The way we line up is we put the taller girls in the center and gradually go down to the shorter girls on the end,” says LaVergne. The costumes are made proportionately, helping the illusion.
QUICKEST COSTUME CHANGE?
Between the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “New York at Christmas,” the Rockettes have just 78 seconds to change outfits.
HOW TIGHTLY DO THEY HOLD EACH OTHER?
Prepare to be astonished: “We actually don’t touch each other,” says LaVergne. The dancers just lightly brush the women beside them with outstretched arms. They call it “feeling the fabric.”
WHAT DO ROCKETTES EAT?
Everything. Catered foods include proteins, veggies, salads, carbs, desserts. Bottles of sports drink Powerade are everywhere. In her dressing room, LaVergne has chips, popcorn, yogurt and apples. Callahan’s go-to snack is a peanut butter and banana sandwich. She also has a stash of M&Ms.
COOL DOWN LIKE A ROCKETTE
Many dancers take an ice bath before heading home. Callahan sits in a tub in 45-degree water to reduce inflammation.
IS THAT TAPPING REAL OR RECORDED?
Oh, it’s real. For the tap-dancing numbers “Rag Dolls” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” wireless microphones are hidden in their tap shoes’ arches.