The Radio City Rockettes are getting a “darker, moodier” upgrade on their music and choreography ahead of their 101st birthday.
For the first time since 2018, America’s most famous dance troupe will introduce a new dance routine during this year’s Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.
The new number promises a different vibe than past performances, and aims to merge holiday magic with state-of-the-art technology.
The dance performance will be set to “Carol of the Bells,” a holiday classic based on the Ukrainian folk chant “Shchedryk,” which means “bountiful.”
First arranged by composer Mykola Leontovych, the song made its debut in Kyiv circa 1916 before hitting Carnegie Hall in 1924.
For the piece, the Rockettes will also unveil a brand new costume.
Radio City Music Hall’s Production Executive Vice President, Jessica Tuttle, told The Post that the routine has “classic holiday whimsy while introducing state-of-the-art technology.”
Wireless microphones embedded into the Rockettes’ tap shoes, and used in two other tap numbers in the show, will be paired with Sphere Immersive Sound speakers that surround Radio City, amplifying the dancers’ rhythm throughout the entire theater and syncing their live footsteps to the sound of ringing bells.
While the mic’d-up tap shoes create the sonic sensation, new overhead cameras will focus on the Rockettes’ unbeatable precision, showcasing their world-famous choreography from previously unseen angles.
“These cameras present the Rockettes in a way people have never seen before,” Tuttle explained. “You will see how straight their line is in the ‘Parade of the Wooden Soldiers’ from above, as well as the formation of circle kicks in the ‘New York at Christmas’ scene.”
The innovation extends to costume design, which turns the Rockettes’ shiny showgirl dresses into high-performance athletic wear that’s covered in over 600 Swarovski crystals and designed to withstand up to five high-energy shows a day.
The entire effect will be “more aggressive, moodier and more evocative” than previous Rockettes routines, Tuttle added, describing the piece as a reflection of “female strength.”
That strength was built by Emmy-nominated guest choreographer Chloe Arnold, founder of the all-female tap group Syncopated Ladies. It marks the first new tap number added to the Christmas Spectacular in two decades.
“We threw all the spaghetti at the wall to see what spoke to us,” said director and choreographer Julie Branam, who has choreographed the Rockettes since 2014. “We played ‘Carol of the Bells’ in our backroom and got the idea to make the tapping of dance become the sound of the bells—to make the Rockettes be the bells.”
The Rockettes have performed in New York since 1925. In 1932, they moved to their current home at Radio City Music Hall, where they perfected what is now the Christmas Spectacular.
Today, Rockette dance captain Danelle Morgan told The Post that the new choreography presents a welcome challenge. “The tap we are doing is more intricate footwork than anything currently in the show,” she said. “With the wireless microphones, we had to work to bring extreme clarity and translate that energy.”
Despite the modern addition, the production team reassures longtime fans that traditional favorites remain untouched within the 90-minute show. Still, director Arnold promises that the new number will be a true showstopper.
“When I saw it for the first time, I got chills and cried.”
Read the full article here