My mother's Christmas gift and Marlie's birthday present this year was to attend the Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular with me....and 6 of our closest friends. It was a fun show! I was happy to see Marlie clapping and being excited even though she was so tired.
Alleson and I wondered a little about the Rockettes' careers so I did a little research. It's estimated they make about $135.00 per show. They wear heavy costumes and do approximately 1500 kicks during a day of shows. Usually, their costumes are still soaked in sweat when they have to put them back on for the next show. The seven numbers they perform require six costume changes. The girls range in age from their early twenties to their mid-thirties. During the off-season, they may perform in musical theater, model, dance, improv comedy, audition for television and movies, or just take the time off. One girl failed the auditions three times. So she got married and had a baby. She auditioned again just after having her baby and was accepted as a rookie Rockette.
I imagined many of the dancers were either in dance school or just coming out of dance school. I am surprised by the variety of ages, training, and career paths. Apparently, they lead regular lives until they are called back each year to begin the Rockette season again.
Frankly, I don't understand dance as a career. But I have the dance style akin to the Gobble Dance in the Old Navy ad in the Thanksgiving day paper. Those girls are athletic and tough. Many of them suffer injuries, mostly knee, lower back, and neck injuries. They can hardly get home at the end of the night, only to return for 3-5 shows the next day. They have to splurge if they want to take a cab instead of the subway home. Whoa.
