Legendary dance force: 100 years of show dance group “Rockettes” – still up to date?

The first young women come at sunrise, and then the snake in front of the famous New York Radio City Music Hall seems not to be shorter all day. “Audition Today to Join the Rockettes” stands on the sign above her heads – dance today to become part of the “rockettes”.

The annual dancing is firmly in the calendar of prospective dancers worldwide. In 2024 more than 800 came from 24 countries, this year even more than 1,000. They all hope for one of the approximately a dozen places in the legendary and exclusively female dance troop, which is celebrating their 100th birthday this year.

Founded in 1925 as “Missouri Rockets”

At some point in 1925 the ensemble was founded, according to the speaker team, at that time still in St. Louis as “Missouri Rockets”. Since the 1930s, the group has been performing in the Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, especially with a Christmas show that has been seen by more than 70 million viewers so far – and is still very popular with tourists. The “rockettes” are particularly famous for the so -called kickline to swing their legs in sync for minutes again and again.

“It’s so crazy to be here,” says 21-year-old Madelynn, who, like almost everyone in a tight dance outfit, is made up with great make-up and with hair bound backwards. The American only moved to New York a few months ago. “I grew up to see the rockettes dancing on TV – and now be able to be here and for dancing for something you have always looked up, that’s crazy.”

“Everything pretty exciting”

She has been dancing for 13 years, says 20-year-old Laura from the US state of West Virginia, who moved to New York a few months ago. “I am here for the experience. So many family members and friends have always told me that I should be a rockette – and at some point I thought: why not? I don’t put myself under pressure, but to know that it is 100 years, that’s all pretty exciting.”

Pre -dancing demands a lot: within a very short time the women have to stretch and warm up, then rehearse a short choreography – of course with their legs – and then dance them before a jury. For most preliminary dancers it is over again. Many of the rejected, however, will try again in the coming year.

From the Friedrichstadtpalast to the Radio City Music Hall

She had danced in the Friedrichstadtpalast in Berlin for five years, says a young woman born in London who wants to remain anonymous. “I loved dancing there, because women are really celebrated there and it was very moving to be part of it. I now see the rockettes as the next step – in another legendary theater and another legendary ensemble.”

How do you keep Kicklines through? “You always have to think: high, high, high! Hold your eyes up so that your feet go higher. And you get so much strength by being with other women and friends and holding on. This is a wonderful metaphor for so many things in life – together you are stronger and better.”

Tradition and “Sisterhood”

This is also an explanation for the continued attraction of the “rockettes”, the dancer suspects. After all, culture, entertainment and gender images worldwide have changed radically in the past century – and briefly dressed legs swinging young women no longer seem to be really contemporary at first glance. “It is great when there are things from the past that we can bring into the future and can let everyone be the way it wants to be.”

Many other preliminary dancers also rave about the tradition and the “Sisterhood”, ie the sisterhood and the permanent women’s association, at the “rockettes”. “All of these women who have been rockettes in 100 years and how different they were – that is just cool and inspiring,” says Laura. “Some people say everything should be a bit more liberal now, but I think it’s cool,” adds her previous dance colleague Madery. “Strong, but also traditional women, together with the rockettes. There is not something like that anymore.”