Spring has sprung and the weather may be warming up, but we already have Christmas on the mind! And so do 937 other dancers who lined up outside Radio City Music Hall last week in hopes of being cast in our 2017 Christmas Spectacular. 937! To break it down, that’s 102 male ensemble hopefuls, 340 female ensemble hopefuls, 77 Clara hopefuls and a whopping 418 Rockette hopefuls. Here’s a play-by-play of how the week went:
Monday, April 24th: Male Ensemble Open Call Auditions
Monday was dedicated to male dancers as more than 100 talented men made their way to Radio City Music Hall for a 2 p.m. call time. After rockettes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/RCCS_042417_058W.jpg”>
rockettes.com/blog/what-to-expect-your-first-jazz-class/”>jazz routines and even choreography that is performed under the Russian Bear suits during rockettes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/RCCS_042517_134W.jpg”>
rockettes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/RCCS_042517_006W.jpg”> then said goodbye to their parents and departed for the Large Rehearsal Hall to learn a ballet combination from Julie’s dance assistants. After <a
href=https://www.rockettes.com/blog/ways-to-improve-your-arabesque/ >arabesques</a>, jetés, bourrées, échappés, passés, piqué turns and a few rounds of cuts, the remaining girls tried out “finger turns.” This entails Julie’s assistant Dylan pointing his index finger vertically towards the ground and the ballerina holding his finger as they execute an arabesque-passé turn en pointe—a move that is showcased on the <span
class=notranslate>Great Stage</span> in our <em><span
class=notranslate>Christmas</span> <span
class=notranslate>Spectacular</span></em>!</p><hr><h4><strong>Wednesday, April 26<sup>th</sup>: Male and Female Ensemble Callbacks</strong></h4><p>The lucky male and female dancers who made it through Monday and Tuesday’s rounds of auditions returned to <span
class=notranslate>Radio City</span> <span
class=notranslate>Music Hall</span> on Wednesday for callback day.</p><p>Male ensemble started the morning in the <span
class=notranslate>Christmas</span> spirit, pairing their stellar vocals with <span
class=notranslate>Christmas</span> choreography for a festive routine straight from the <em><span
class=notranslate>Christmas</span> <span
class=notranslate>Spectacular</span></em>. But that wasn’t the only thing from the show they learned. They also tackled the incredible high-kicks, Russian jumps and toe touches that showcases the male dancers during “The Nutcracker” scene.</p><p>Female ensemble followed in the morning’s footsteps, learning the lyrics to a <em><span
class=notranslate>Christmas</span> <span
class=notranslate>Spectacular</span></em> song and perfecting their dance moves under Julie’s direction: “The more energy you put into your singing, the better your dancing will be.”</p><p>Both groups practiced and perfected routines they learned earlier in the week, eventually departing the Hall with hopeful expressions and excitement to hear if they will be cast in the show!</p><hr><h4><strong>Thursday, April 27<sup>th</sup>: <span
class=notranslate>Rockettes</span> Open Call Auditions</strong></h4><p><span
class=notranslate>Rockettes</span> auditions always draw a line outside our very own <span
class=notranslate>Radio City</span> <span
class=notranslate>Music Hall</span>, but even we were shocked to see how many dancers showed up this year! With colorful leotards and french twists down the line, dancers from all over the world waited with anticipation and excitement to enter the building and take the next step towards their dreams.</p><p><a
href=https://assets.rockettes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/05/RCCS_042717_006W.jpg><img
loading=lazy class=)
Not just any female dancer over the age of 18 can audition. Julie looks for dancers who are in great physical shape and have the stamina to perform in up to five 90-minute shows in one day (which we do often during the Christmas Spectacular season!). And don’t forget about the height requirement: you must be between 5’6″ and 5’10½” tall.
The dancers were split into five groups to enter the Large Rehearsal Hall and show off the range of their dance talent in the forms of ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical and kicks! With more than 400 girls and a limited amount of spots, many cuts were made throughout the day, but that didn’t put a stop to the amazing energy of the room.
Even Julie couldn’t help herself: “We are strong powerful women, hear us roar!”
Friday, April 28th: Rockettes Callbacks
Dancers who made it through the cuts of Thursday’s Rockettes auditions started their weekend at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, improving upon their choreography, precision and eye-high kicks in front of Julie, in hopes of joining the iconic kick line that so many dancers dream of being a part of.
We can’t wait to see who joins our Christmas Spectacular cast this year. Merry Christmas to all and to all, good luck!