In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Radio City Rockette Svetha shares how she achieved her dreams of dancing on the Great Stage and what it feels like to represent her South Indian heritage on the iconic Rockettes line.
My parents are both of Indian descent – my mom was born and raised in Ohio, and my father was born and raised in India. I grew up in Canfield, Ohio and as soon as I began dancing around the house, my mom decided to enroll me in dance classes. My home studio, Krystie’s Dance Academy, was where I danced competitively and trained for dance conventions. After graduating high school, I continued my dance education at Pace University’s Commercial Dance Program. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with my BFA in Commercial Dance and received the departmental award for leadership.
My first memory of the Rockettes was when my mom took me and my sister to see the Christmas Spectacular in Nashville, Tennessee when the dance company was on tour. I also saw the New York Spring Spectacular in 2015 at Radio City Music Hall with Derek Hough, which was such a cool experience. The immense joy I felt watching the line of women was something I had never felt before. I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of. My 13-year-old self would be speechless knowing she made it to the Great Stage at Radio City Music Hall. I feel incredibly fortunate to be on the line as we’re embarking on the 100th anniversary of the Rockettes. To be a piece of a century-long legacy is something so special. The Radio City Rockettes meant so much to me as a little girl, as they’ve always represented strength, unity, and hope.
I first auditioned for the Rockettes when I was 17 years old and was fortunate enough to attend one of their dancer development programs in 2019, where I was introduced to the Rockettes Precision Dance Technique™. After I graduated from college, I decided to audition again. I was invited to and participated in the prestigious Rockettes Conservatory program in both 2023 and 2024, where I learned so much about what it means to be a Rockette. It was the best experience getting to learn choreography from the show and from the Rockettes creative team. Conservatory also allowed me to connect with so many women who shared the same dream as me. The Conservatory program confirmed and grew my love for this style of dance and made me work even harder to achieve this dream!
This past Christmas Spectacular was my first season as a Radio City Rockette, and it was truly everything I could have hoped for! I couldn’t believe how many people from my small town in Ohio made the trek to the Big Apple to watch me fulfill my dream! My eyes welled up with tears of joy the first time the curtain came up and I heard the roar of the audience. Grateful is an understatement. Getting to dance on the Great Stage alongside so many of the women I have admired in my dance career is a feeling like no other. I am so honored to represent the AAPI community, especially the South Indian community on the line. It’s truly an indescribable feeling. Growing up I rarely saw AAPI dancers, let alone South Indian dancers, so getting to be the person now that little me would have loved to see, makes this journey full circle. At one of my first shows at Radio City, two little Indian girls were pointing at me and tapping their parents to look. They remind me of myself and my sister; that’s a moment I’ll never forget. Representation is so important, and we want every child to look at our line and be able to identify with someone.
