By Maeve Tuma, Staff Writer
The Radio City Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular, often considered the pinnacle of NYC’s holiday celebrations, are returning for the 2021 holiday season. For almost a century, the Rockettes have been known for their intricate dance routines and famous high kicks. They perform the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall two to four times everyday during the holiday season. The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission. You can get tickets on their website for less than $100.
It takes more than 250 people to stage the Christmas Spectacular. Between the morning and afternoon cast there are a total of 80 Rockettes, 40 in each cast. These dancers can kick up to 650 times in one day. They do more than 160 kicks per show and perform in up to 4 shows a day during busy periods.
Not only are the Rockettes famous for their high kicks, but they’re also known for their uniform heights. Each Rockette has to be between 5’6″ and 5’10½”. During kicklines the taller dancers are placed in the center of the line with dancers of gradually decreasing height on either side. This maintains the illusion that they are all the same height.
After watching the Christmas Spectacular, HHS Junior Nandana Rajesh said, “It was a very exciting and surreal experience and I am so glad I was able to go.” Between the dancing, music, and costuming, the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular is a show you won’t want to miss.