By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on September 18, 2014 6:51 PM
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Will Begin On November 7, 2014 At Radio City Music Hall, Running Until December 31, 2014.
Radio City Christmas Spectacular An Age-Old Holiday Treat
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is gearing up to begin their seasonal show, to play from November 7th to December 31st. With performances taking place at Radio City Music Hall on 6th Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets, this is sure to be a dynamic and magical experience.
Led by the world-renowned Rockettes, the show features dancing and immersive entertainment that is fun for the whole family. Every year, the Rockettes train harder and the show design is more innovative, aiming to up the ante from the many years before.
(Insanely) Busy Schedule For Performers
This year, the Rockettes will be kept very busy. On Saturdays in December, they will play an extraordinary six shows per day. Furthermore, during the five day Christmas period between December 19th and 23rd, they will do 26 shows. Fortunately, the dancers rotate so that they do not all do all the shows.
In New York, there are two casts each of about 36 women. The dancers divide their performances by morning/afternoon and evening casts, so that each cast can get a break each day. In past years, it was reported that each cast would perform about 108 shows over the course of the season. They are fortunate the show is only seasonal, because it is actually so tiring that many are so fatigued that they need the 10 months off!
What Do The Rockettes Do For The Rest Of The Year?
Rockettes are professional athletes who train rigorously not only in dance, but in other forms of fitness to keep them athletic year round. Furthermore, many of them are students, or pursuing careers in other areas of the entertainment field. It is common for them to be models or actors, and many of them work year round in musical theatre.
Still, for many Rockettes, this is their only time dancing on stage in a given year. The Rockettes tend to be hired year after year, which allows the team to remain strong while the dancers retain a sense of seasonal stability. This is only one of the many reasons it is such a competitive gig, as year after year countless women compete for the opportunity to dance onstage in the timeless role of a Rockette.
Spring Production In The Works
In 2014 Radio City was set to launch the Heart and Lights show that was planned to run from the spring to early summer of 2014. The show would have included many of the Rockettes, given that the style of show was similar to The Radio City Christmas Spectacular which runs in the winter in the prelude to the Christmas holiday.
The 2014 Heart and Lights show was canceled prior to opening, but 2015 will see a new version of this show, with a new name, get launched for the Spring 2015 season at Radio City.
