Rockettes come to town

WASHINGTON - The Radio City Rockettes are coming to town, bringing their Christmas Spectacular to the D.C. area for the first time.

They will perform at the Patriot Center Tuesday and Wednesday, and they'll kick at the Verizon Center Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

This is the largest tour in the group's history, starting in Canada and ending in Florida.

The Rockettes were formed in 1933 and still dance some of the same numbers they performed during the Great Depression. "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and the Living Nativity are two of the show's perennial presentations.

The Rockettes are known for their high kicks and perfectly in-sync dance moves. There are about 200 active Rockettes today.

"There's no room for error. We all have to be exactly the same and it takes lots of practice. It's really difficult to re-create a show that's perfect every time, and I think we do a really good of doing that," Rockette Synthia Link says.

Auditions to become a Rockette are very competitive. Women must be no shorter than 5-foot-6, and no taller than 5-foot-10 1/2. To top it off, they must be proficient in ballet, tap and jazz dancing.

When a young woman is accepted as a Rockette, she soon learns that the job isn't easy. Rehearsals stress precision and stamina.

"We definitely work on every single detail in rehearsal," Rockette Sierra Ring says.

Even their pinky fingers must be perfectly in line with each other.

Once rehearsals start in September, Rockettes work eight hours a day, six days a week. When they are ready to perform, they sometimes do four shows a day. Their season runs from September to January.

"Basically, they want to make sure that not only are we precise, but that we are ready stamina-wise," says Christina Hedrick, another Rockette.

To create the illusion that Rockettes come in one-size-only, they are lined up from tallest to shortest, across the stage.

Rockettes may take a break when the season is over, but they can't rest for long. To stay in shape, most dancers try out for parts in Broadway shows and ballet companies.

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