Fun Facts About The Radio City Rockettes

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Have you ever seen the members of the New York (U.S.) city dance company perform during the Christmas holidays? Better known as the Radio City Rockettes they have been part of the Holiday Spectacular for near a century. The requirements for this job is not just pretty high kicking legs. It is one of the most demanding physical occupations in show business. I was always impressed by their choreography, grace and style. But I never imagined what went into becoming a member of the Rockettes. The 80 women in the company perform in up to four 90-minute shows a day during the holidays, and each one includes about 300 kicks (that's 1,200 total per day). That's some aeorbic workout! Then there is the hard training they do to be stage ready. Being a Rockette requires some serious strength and stamina. And these woman are not just window dressing wearing diamonds for the crowd to enjoy, but real athletes. Here is some of what goes into the process as revealed by the Rockettes past and present. 1. Leading up to the Christmas Spectacular, they rehearse for six days a week, six hours a day. Preparations actually start months before the November and December shows. For the women who make the cast, the intense work begins about 6 weeks before the show's opening weekend. 2. During the off-season, they do cross-training to stay strong—some even teach classes. When not dancing the Rockettes go through a variety of fitness activities to stay in shape and avoid injuries. Some of these programs include yoga, pilates, running, boxing and high intensity interval training. 3. A Rockette's day often starts with a hearty breakfast. The woman try to combine foods which contain protein, carbs, and fat to get through the long rehearsals and shows. Some of the Rockettes also mentioned the need to eat throughout the day to replenish all the calories they burn off. Cheese stix, peanut filled pretzels, hard boiled eggs, and trail mix were snacks the woman ate between shows. 4. Post-show recovery includes stretching and a 10-minute ice bath. Although very intense, these ice baths are designed to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness. Some Rockettes also enjoy an after show drink of chocolate milk to recover. The milk provides a necessary combo of protein and carbs. Quite a regimine these ladies must go through to stay at the top of their game and perform at their best. Makes me want to go to the gym and sweat off the weight I know I will gain over the holidays. Source- summarized from Self Magazine Photo- Google images/www.rockettes.com