The stakes are higher for 2025 Radio City Rockettes auditions as the iconic dance troupe celebrates its 100th year: ‘It takes a lot of grit’
NY Post
If you see a swarm of statuesque women high-kicking in front of Radio City this week, no, it’s not Christmas just yet.
The holiday season may be months away, but springtime is when Rockette history is made.
Each April, hundreds of hopeful leotard-clad dancers travel from all over to the Big Apple to audition for a coveted spot on the famous kickline — founded in 1925, halfway across the country in St. Louis, Missouri, by choreographer Russell Markert.
Then called the Missouri Rockets, the famous kickline had only 16 dancers and height requirements were in place, but not the same as today. Originally, Rockettes were required to be 5-foot-2-inches tall and 5-foot-6½-inches, but today, they must be between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-10½.
The precision dancers were a hit locally and embarked on a nationwide tour where they performed in the Broadway show “Rain or Shine.”
During their stop in the Big Apple, Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel, owner of the brand-new Roxy Theater, was dazzled.
