The Radio City Rockettes Turn 100

Known for their "Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes", the Radio City Rockettes will celebrate their 100th Anniversary this year. Founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1925 as "The Missouri Rockets", the Rockettes are a tap dancing troupe that bills themselves as "the longest-running precision dance company in America".

The Radio City Rockettes have been performing in the Radio City Music Hall in New York since 1932, hence their name, and to celebrate their 100th anniversary, they are having open call auditions to be a Rockette for their 2025 Christmas Spectacular on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025. The Christmas Spectacular is a delightful 90-minute show featuring the parade of the wooden soldiers, which was originally choreographed by their founder, Russell Markert, as well as a living nativity scene featuring live animals on stage.

After seeing the popular British dancing troupe, "the Tiller Girls", in 1922, Russell Markert realized that if he "ever got a chance to get a group of American girls who would be taller and have longer legs and could do really complicated tap routines and eye-high kicks, they'd really knock your socks off." And indeed, for years, there was a height requirement to be a Rockette, however, in recent times the minimum height requirement has been lowered to 5'5". Once Markert founded his "The Missouri Rockets" several dancers from "the Tiller Girls" joined up with the Rockettes, as well.

While the Rockettes have performed their Christmas Spectacular in Nashville in past years, this year there are no plans to perform in Nashville, as of yet.

To audition to be a Rockette, dancers must be 18 years of age as of June 23rd, 2025. Rockettes are required to wear eye lashes and red lipstick. Their hair must be worn in a French twist and Rockettes must be able to kick eye height. Rockettes begin rehearsals six weeks before the show season begins in November. For those interested in flying up to New York to audition to be a Rockette for their 100th Anniversary Christmas Spectacular on April 22nd, they can sign up for the audition at https://www/rockettes.com/chirstmas/auditions