Rockette Cadet
December 10, 2019 12:45 AM Subscribe
How can my daughter become a Radio City Rockette?
I was talking to my 11-year-old daughter yesterday and she said, somewhat out of the blue, that she wants to become a Rockette. Um...OK...well, uh, let's go for it.
Apparently she must have done some research on the topic because she claims there's a required height range, and she is projected by her pediatrician to be solidly within that range.
Currently some "related" activities she does are dance, musical theater, and vocal lessons. I wouldn't say she does any of these things super intensely, as in pre-professional training intensity or as a competitive pursuit, but she does spend a lot of hours each week in some of these activities and has done many performances. More specifically, she's been doing musical theater for about four years and has been in over a dozen productions. She has a lot of passion for dance in particular. She dances about 10 hours per week and does a wide variety of types of dance. Her favorite, and the one she's probably most advanced at, is tap, but she also likes jazz, hip hop, and others. She's not a big ballet fan.
I wouldn't call her naturally athletic in the way one can see athleticism in a ball sport athlete, but she looks graceful and has what I would consider to be somewhat of a traditional ballerina presentation. So becoming a rockette doesn't seem like a totally crazy aspiration (emphasis on aspiration though of course).
She's seen a huge amount of professional musical theater, so I think she has a pretty good sense for an 11-year-old of what happens on the stage during professional performances (but of course not all the preparation and backstage stuff).
My parenting philosophy has been for her to have a broad range of experiences and to let her just enjoy doing what she's doing and not try to nudge her to get involved in any kind of competitive or professional dance or musical theater. I haven't seen any point in turning what she enjoys doing into such a pursuit since it seems unneeded and also risks taking the joy out of things and thus sapping her interest and enthusiasm. It could also over tax her body as well.
However, she's at an age where she thinks a little bit more about what's next, so I don't think she'd be opposed to stepping up the training intensity level if she enjoys it and if it's part of the process of helping her reach a goal.
Obviously it's not my own goal for her to specifically be a Rockette. However, if she wants to pursue an education and a career in that general area, such as musical theater, I'm fine with that. I want to support her in what she wants to pursue, and if she has fun pursuing this goal, then I think there's no harm in enjoying that journey regardless of what destination she arrives at. Needless to say, her education, in a broad sense rather than just a narrow academic sense, is very important to me, so I wouldn't be in favor of doing anything in this pursuit that is an unfavorable trade-off vis-a-vis her education.
Based on what I've described, are there any suggestions you have for her to do anything beyond what she's already doing, whether it be about intensity, or types of activities or training, or types of teachers or people to try to work with, and anything else she should be thinking about or doing? In case it's relevant information, we are located in Southern California (where there is obviously a big pool of amazingly talented professionals who are potential teachers and mentors).
Obviously I know everything in life these days is super competitive, and kids start specializing in things at a young age, so I'm under no illusion that she has much chance of actually becoming a Rockette. But that's not the point! The point is for her to follow her dream and enjoy and benefit from the process of doing so.
Thank you.
I was talking to my 11-year-old daughter yesterday and she said, somewhat out of the blue, that she wants to become a Rockette. Um...OK...well, uh, let's go for it.
Apparently she must have done some research on the topic because she claims there's a required height range, and she is projected by her pediatrician to be solidly within that range.
Currently some "related" activities she does are dance, musical theater, and vocal lessons. I wouldn't say she does any of these things super intensely, as in pre-professional training intensity or as a competitive pursuit, but she does spend a lot of hours each week in some of these activities and has done many performances. More specifically, she's been doing musical theater for about four years and has been in over a dozen productions. She has a lot of passion for dance in particular. She dances about 10 hours per week and does a wide variety of types of dance. Her favorite, and the one she's probably most advanced at, is tap, but she also likes jazz, hip hop, and others. She's not a big ballet fan.
I wouldn't call her naturally athletic in the way one can see athleticism in a ball sport athlete, but she looks graceful and has what I would consider to be somewhat of a traditional ballerina presentation. So becoming a rockette doesn't seem like a totally crazy aspiration (emphasis on aspiration though of course).
She's seen a huge amount of professional musical theater, so I think she has a pretty good sense for an 11-year-old of what happens on the stage during professional performances (but of course not all the preparation and backstage stuff).
My parenting philosophy has been for her to have a broad range of experiences and to let her just enjoy doing what she's doing and not try to nudge her to get involved in any kind of competitive or professional dance or musical theater. I haven't seen any point in turning what she enjoys doing into such a pursuit since it seems unneeded and also risks taking the joy out of things and thus sapping her interest and enthusiasm. It could also over tax her body as well.
However, she's at an age where she thinks a little bit more about what's next, so I don't think she'd be opposed to stepping up the training intensity level if she enjoys it and if it's part of the process of helping her reach a goal.
Obviously it's not my own goal for her to specifically be a Rockette. However, if she wants to pursue an education and a career in that general area, such as musical theater, I'm fine with that. I want to support her in what she wants to pursue, and if she has fun pursuing this goal, then I think there's no harm in enjoying that journey regardless of what destination she arrives at. Needless to say, her education, in a broad sense rather than just a narrow academic sense, is very important to me, so I wouldn't be in favor of doing anything in this pursuit that is an unfavorable trade-off vis-a-vis her education.
Based on what I've described, are there any suggestions you have for her to do anything beyond what she's already doing, whether it be about intensity, or types of activities or training, or types of teachers or people to try to work with, and anything else she should be thinking about or doing? In case it's relevant information, we are located in Southern California (where there is obviously a big pool of amazingly talented professionals who are potential teachers and mentors).
Obviously I know everything in life these days is super competitive, and kids start specializing in things at a young age, so I'm under no illusion that she has much chance of actually becoming a Rockette. But that's not the point! The point is for her to follow her dream and enjoy and benefit from the process of doing so.
Thank you.
Between now and then, her interests could change, as kids change. But if she wants to keep going on that track, I'd say, she needs to continue dance training with an eye toward the sharp precision that the Rockette style demands. Her dance teachers need to be aware that she has this dream, so that they can help her maintain that focus and encourage her. Seek out performing opportunities and see if the Rockette organization itself put out any "how-to" courses or programs online or via satellite groups near you, that offer sample routines so she can start to embody that crisp, precise style. Often, ex-Rockettes offer training and coaching themselves. Do any live near you?
Can you take time to travel to NYC at all? These may be options:
Train like a Rockette! Rockettes Dance Education programs provide dancers and non-dancers alike the opportunity to train with and learn from the legendary Rockettes themselves, in their own rehearsal space. Find the program that’s the best match for you!
ROCKETTES EXPERIENCE - Dance with the legendary Rockettes!
Are you a dancer who has dreamed of becoming a Radio City Rockette? Join us for a Rockettes Experience class taught by one of the iconic Rockettes, and learn actual Rockettes tap and jazz choreography as well as our world-famous kick line.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 2:27 AM on December 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
Can you take time to travel to NYC at all? These may be options:
Train like a Rockette! Rockettes Dance Education programs provide dancers and non-dancers alike the opportunity to train with and learn from the legendary Rockettes themselves, in their own rehearsal space. Find the program that’s the best match for you!
ROCKETTES EXPERIENCE - Dance with the legendary Rockettes!
Are you a dancer who has dreamed of becoming a Radio City Rockette? Join us for a Rockettes Experience class taught by one of the iconic Rockettes, and learn actual Rockettes tap and jazz choreography as well as our world-famous kick line.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 2:27 AM on December 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
How about a summer camp? (I do not know of any specific ones, but I attended many camps with a specific sports focus so I imagine they exist...)
Also, I know that there are many choreographers and teachers who do special dance clinics, conventions, competitions, etc. that she might like to participate in or attend.
Both of these are ways to let her explore that passion and meet likeminded friends, but also as one time, yearly, etc events, they probably wouldn't get in the way of school or her other activities so much
posted by nzydarkxj at 2:39 AM on December 10, 2019
Also, I know that there are many choreographers and teachers who do special dance clinics, conventions, competitions, etc. that she might like to participate in or attend.
Both of these are ways to let her explore that passion and meet likeminded friends, but also as one time, yearly, etc events, they probably wouldn't get in the way of school or her other activities so much
posted by nzydarkxj at 2:39 AM on December 10, 2019
Welcome to your "Care and Feeding Of A Theater Kid" starter kit! Speaking as a former theater kid, I have some perspective on this, even though with me it was acting and with your daughter it's dance (similar things).
Your kid is devoted to the dream and the fun right now. Dancing is fun. Performing is fun. And that can be super-addictive, and the community of people in theater and dance and performance can be super-friendly and super-supportive, so she's with a good group of people as well. What she may not know about right now, and may not be thinking about, is that there is a difference between the discipline you need to devote to the craft in order to do it professionally, and the discipline you need to devote to the craft in order to do it for fun. She can dance good enough for community theater, but the calibre she may need to reach in order to do this professionally is entirely different, and she may not realize this yet.
However - I strongly encourage you to support your kid nevertheless. The MOST I would do is encourage her (very gently) to read up on how professional dancers train; how many hours, what they do, how many days they are on the road, etc. If there's a chance for her to take some kind of "train like a rockette" dance class, let her take it (if you can afford it). It may very well be that kind of discovery herself that makes her realize "yeah, this would be too much of a sacrifice for me".
But unless and until she gets to that point, continue to support her. Because your kid will be getting enough people telling her that she's never going to make it, and she is going to remember whether or not you were among them. There are many parents who get nervous and tell their theater-loving kids to be ready with some kind of a backup job, like teaching or something; the parents are doing it out of love, but for some theater kids, that is going to translate as "my parents don't believe in me". And even if your kid ultimately decides "yeah, professional dance isn't for me", you still want them to think "and yet my parents still believed in me and that's good". It took me a while to process my parents' own "be ready with a backup job" as loving concern as opposed to being a lack of support, and in fact, their gentle persuasions to "have a backup" only made me double down past the point that I maybe would have taken a different path sooner; and it took me a while to be able to see the places where they did try to support me as they could. (We're all good now, but it took me a little while to get my head wrapped around that, and it would have been easy enough to avoid.)
Remind yourself that your child is eleven and could change her mind. Until then, support her. Because you never know - she could be right. But if she's not right, she'll remember your own support and be grateful for it.
Good luck.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:57 AM on December 10, 2019 [17 favorites]
Your kid is devoted to the dream and the fun right now. Dancing is fun. Performing is fun. And that can be super-addictive, and the community of people in theater and dance and performance can be super-friendly and super-supportive, so she's with a good group of people as well. What she may not know about right now, and may not be thinking about, is that there is a difference between the discipline you need to devote to the craft in order to do it professionally, and the discipline you need to devote to the craft in order to do it for fun. She can dance good enough for community theater, but the calibre she may need to reach in order to do this professionally is entirely different, and she may not realize this yet.
However - I strongly encourage you to support your kid nevertheless. The MOST I would do is encourage her (very gently) to read up on how professional dancers train; how many hours, what they do, how many days they are on the road, etc. If there's a chance for her to take some kind of "train like a rockette" dance class, let her take it (if you can afford it). It may very well be that kind of discovery herself that makes her realize "yeah, this would be too much of a sacrifice for me".
But unless and until she gets to that point, continue to support her. Because your kid will be getting enough people telling her that she's never going to make it, and she is going to remember whether or not you were among them. There are many parents who get nervous and tell their theater-loving kids to be ready with some kind of a backup job, like teaching or something; the parents are doing it out of love, but for some theater kids, that is going to translate as "my parents don't believe in me". And even if your kid ultimately decides "yeah, professional dance isn't for me", you still want them to think "and yet my parents still believed in me and that's good". It took me a while to process my parents' own "be ready with a backup job" as loving concern as opposed to being a lack of support, and in fact, their gentle persuasions to "have a backup" only made me double down past the point that I maybe would have taken a different path sooner; and it took me a while to be able to see the places where they did try to support me as they could. (We're all good now, but it took me a little while to get my head wrapped around that, and it would have been easy enough to avoid.)
Remind yourself that your child is eleven and could change her mind. Until then, support her. Because you never know - she could be right. But if she's not right, she'll remember your own support and be grateful for it.
Good luck.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:57 AM on December 10, 2019 [17 favorites]
I had one teacher that was a rockette, her audition anecdote was that she was worried she had no tap training but she got the port de bras perfect (arm movements) perfectly. That was a while ago. Watching them it's clear they all have strong ballet training. The faq says point is not required but every other dancer will have it. Find a serious school and get the best training available. Dance is insanely competitive.
posted by sammyo at 5:12 AM on December 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 5:12 AM on December 10, 2019 [4 favorites]
I believe I read some article or blog years ago that detailed how you don’t really get paid much and that most (all) are working additional jobs even while performing during the holiday season.
It may be helpful for your kid to realize that a part of being a rocket te is also other employment as well
posted by raccoon409 at 8:50 AM on December 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
It may be helpful for your kid to realize that a part of being a rocket te is also other employment as well
posted by raccoon409 at 8:50 AM on December 10, 2019 [1 favorite]
They have a youtube channel with lots of background info
posted by delezzo at 9:07 AM on December 10, 2019
posted by delezzo at 9:07 AM on December 10, 2019
This is an old article - 2005 - that I remember appreciating for its matter-of-fact backstage look at the troupe.
posted by jocelmeow at 10:32 AM on December 10, 2019
posted by jocelmeow at 10:32 AM on December 10, 2019
If you are serious about supporting her, look to see if there is a high school dedicated to the performing arts. Find out what it takes to attend that school.
posted by CathyG at 10:53 AM on December 10, 2019
posted by CathyG at 10:53 AM on December 10, 2019
Take the Radio City tour; when I did that 5 years ago, we got to talk to a Rockette about the life (and get a picture with her if you wanted one). Double-check that they still do that first though. It was actually a lot of fun to see behind the scenes and you'll get to talk to a Rockette directly. We asked a lot of questions and I remember she said that they do a lot of touring too. She was pretty honest about the good and bad and it was very interesting.
posted by ceejaytee at 10:54 AM on December 10, 2019
posted by ceejaytee at 10:54 AM on December 10, 2019
If she just wants to pursue the dream “for fun,” just keep doing what she’s doing, and maybe do some sort of summer or spring break program geared towards that style of broadway/cabaret/classic musical theatre dance-style performance. The Rockettes offer mini-intensives and they are (despite the marketing loftily pitching it as “a taste of what the pros do”) really aimed at the recreational dancer who wants to dabble a bit. For more advanced dancers, they have a summer intensive that is audition-based. Your daughter is too young for this, but it sounds like a good medium-term goal for her to works towards in the coming years. Other, more local (and less expensive!) dance schools/programs may offer intensives and summer programs in this style that would be excellent experiences for her, and might scratch that precision-kick-line itch!!
If she wants to pursue it “for real”:
More ballet. Like, ballet should be the foundation of her training, and jazz/tap/musical theatre should be extra supplements. At her age, I would think she needs to be in the dance studio more like 15 hours a week, and with ballet making up at least 3 of her classes each week.
She needs to be training somewhere that has experience producing professional dancers. If her current studio is focused mainly on recreational dancers, she should consider doing her training (or at least her ballet training) somewhere more “serious”. Rec studios can be awesome, and the teachers might be fantastic, but if her goal is to pursue a professional career in dance, she needs to be training somewhere specifically that can support and guide her through the unique demands and particularities of working towards that goal. The earlier she gets into that kind of program, the better. Schools with reputable pre-professional divisions are where you want to be looking.
If she doesn’t like ballet, the Rockettes may not be for her: even though they perform in a variety of styles, excellent ballet technique is their foundation (as it is for most western theatrical dance styles), and it doesn’t matter how good her tap is if the ballet base is not superb. Good ballet dancers can muddle their way through tap well enough to get by, but the inverse isn’t true.
This may seem like a lot for an 11-year-old, but that’s just the reality of this profession. Her “competition” has probably been in a serious ballet program for years already. If that’s not the level of commitment she wants (and there’s no reason she should! It’s bonkers!!), then she should adjust her expectations accordingly, and continue dancing for fun, admiring the Rockettes, and enjoying the benefits of being a well-rounded theatre kid!
posted by Dorinda at 1:14 PM on December 10, 2019 [2 favorites]
If she wants to pursue it “for real”:
More ballet. Like, ballet should be the foundation of her training, and jazz/tap/musical theatre should be extra supplements. At her age, I would think she needs to be in the dance studio more like 15 hours a week, and with ballet making up at least 3 of her classes each week.
She needs to be training somewhere that has experience producing professional dancers. If her current studio is focused mainly on recreational dancers, she should consider doing her training (or at least her ballet training) somewhere more “serious”. Rec studios can be awesome, and the teachers might be fantastic, but if her goal is to pursue a professional career in dance, she needs to be training somewhere specifically that can support and guide her through the unique demands and particularities of working towards that goal. The earlier she gets into that kind of program, the better. Schools with reputable pre-professional divisions are where you want to be looking.
If she doesn’t like ballet, the Rockettes may not be for her: even though they perform in a variety of styles, excellent ballet technique is their foundation (as it is for most western theatrical dance styles), and it doesn’t matter how good her tap is if the ballet base is not superb. Good ballet dancers can muddle their way through tap well enough to get by, but the inverse isn’t true.
This may seem like a lot for an 11-year-old, but that’s just the reality of this profession. Her “competition” has probably been in a serious ballet program for years already. If that’s not the level of commitment she wants (and there’s no reason she should! It’s bonkers!!), then she should adjust her expectations accordingly, and continue dancing for fun, admiring the Rockettes, and enjoying the benefits of being a well-rounded theatre kid!
posted by Dorinda at 1:14 PM on December 10, 2019 [2 favorites]
This video of a day in the life of a Rockette who has been doing it for eight years is interesting.
posted by Fukiyama at 12:00 PM on December 12, 2019
posted by Fukiyama at 12:00 PM on December 12, 2019
« Older Need a plan to safely deal with dirty plastic... | Ideas and suggestions for setting up a... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
HOW TALL DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO BE A ROCKETTE?
Rockettes must be between 5’6″ and 5’10 ½” (measurements are taken in stocking feet) and proficient in ballet, tap and jazz.
HOW CAN I AUDITION TO BE A ROCKETTE?
Auditions for the Christmas Spectacular are held each summer in New York City. Please check here for updates.
They also seem to have several levels of dance education (classes, summer camps, etc.).
posted by at at 12:58 AM on December 10, 2019 [1 favorite]