Looking To The Future, The Rockettes Organization Further Expands Dancer Development Program, Which Kicks Off With 2025 Open Call Auditions
The Iconic Dance Company Launches "Rockettes Legacy" To Honor And Preserve The History Of The Rockettes
NEW YORK, March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Radio City Rockettes® announced today that the iconic precision dance company is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, with celebrations beginning today and continuing throughout the year, including at the 2025 Christmas Spectacular. Founded in St. Louis, MO in 1925, the Rockettes are the longest-running precision dance company in America and world-renowned for their signature Rockettes Precision Dance Technique™. As part of this milestone anniversary, the Rockettes also announced an expansion of their prestigious dancer development program, which kicks off with the 2025 Rockettes open call auditions on April 22 at Radio City Music Hall. Additionally, to honor the thousands of women who have kicked up their heels on the Rockettes line over the last century, the dance company is launching Rockettes Legacy™ with the mission of fostering lifelong connections for all former Rockettes and preserving the Rockettes extraordinary history through a living archive. To learn more about the Rockettes 100th anniversary, visit rockettes.com/100.
Rockettes 100
"Over the last century, the Rockettes have entertained hundreds of millions of people with their unparalleled athleticism, grace and unity," said Jessica Tuttle, Executive Vice President, Productions for Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., the parent company of the Radio City Rockettes. "This Women's History Month, we celebrate the enduring legacy of the Rockettes and honor the rich history of these trailblazing women who are part of a unique sisterhood. As we look to the future, we commit to the continued evolution of the line and to inspiring generations of women to follow their dreams."
As the stars of the annual Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes®, the Rockettes perform for more than one million people each holiday season at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Dancers hoping to join the Rockettes line in its 100th year can attend open call auditions at Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday, April 22, with callbacks taking place on April 23 and 24. At the audition, dancers will be considered for a coveted spot on the Rockettes line for the 2025 Christmas Spectacular or an invitation to participate in the company's no-fee dancer development program. And, as part of their commitment to ensuring that all dancers see themselves represented on the line, the dance company is again expanding its development programming with the launch of Rockettes Preparatory – a complement to the existing Rockettes Conservatory® offering.
The goal of the Rockettes dancer development program is to provide opportunities for more dancers to receive the unique training needed to learn the Rockettes Precision Dance Technique. The program ensures the dance company continues to evolve by attracting the best dancers from all backgrounds. The new Rockettes Preparatory, which launches for the first time this summer, provides dancers who are less familiar with the Rockettes Precision Dance Technique with a well-rounded curriculum that introduces the dance company's signature style and repertoire. The sister program, Rockettes Conservatory, was launched in 2020 and serves as a training intensive for more advanced, pre-professional dancers who are already familiar with the Rockettes Precision Dance Technique.
The addition of Rockettes Preparatory creates an inclusive, multi-step pipeline that fosters long-term growth for promising dancers to potentially join the Rockettes line one day – there is no fee for invited dancers to attend Preparatory or Conservatory, and participants are provided transportation to/from New York City and lodging, if needed, as well as meals for the duration of their session. Over the past five years, more than 500 dancers have participated in the Rockettes dancer development programming, with 59 of those dancers going on to become Rockettes themselves – joining a sisterhood that transcends generations.
Rockettes Legacy was launched earlier this year as a centralized, inclusive community for all former Rockettes to celebrate what all Rockettes know, whether they were on the line for one year or twenty: once a Rockette, always a Rockette. All former Rockettes are encouraged to join Rockettes Legacy and share their story at rockettes.com/rockettes-legacy to contribute to the ever-growing archive of photos, videos and first-person stories about their time on the line. Rockettes Legacy members recently united with current Rockettes on the Great Stage of Radio City Music Hall to celebrate the 100th anniversary. See the heartwarming moment here.
Initially known as the "Missouri Rockets" at the time of their founding, the dance company relocated to New York City in 1927 before finally settling at their home – Radio City Music Hall – in 1932 and becoming known as the Rockettes. In 1933, the annual Christmas Spectacular began and still features the original, classic number "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers." Beginning in the 1930s and for more than 40 years, the Rockettes performed as the opening act for films at Radio City including "King Kong," "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Mary Poppins" and "White Christmas."
The Rockettes have been part of Americana throughout their history: they were among the first entertainers to volunteer for the USO during WWII, entertaining troops both at home and abroad – a partnership that continued into the 2010s – and they have performed annually in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1957. Over the years, the Rockettes have starred in other original productions at Radio City – including a long running Easter Extravaganza, New York Spring Spectacular, and New York Spectacular. In 1988, the Rockettes performed in the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and the dance company has performed for multiple United States Presidents of both parties, including at two Presidential Inaugurations and other Presidential celebrations. For 20 years beginning in the mid-1990s, the Rockettes performed for more than 12 million people in 80 cities across North America with the touring production of the Christmas Spectacular.
More recently, the Rockettes have appeared at the Tony Awards, the MTV VMAs, the NYC Pride Parade, MLB's Home Run Derby, and the NBA All-Star Game; on programs such as "Saturday Night Live," "America's Got Talent," "Today," "Live with Kelly and Mark," and "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon;" and in the Hallmark film "A Holiday Spectacular." The Rockettes have also rocked social media with their dance videos and fun takes on viral trends, amassing a social media fan base of more than 5.5 million followers. They've danced alongside the likes of the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, Stephen Colbert, James Corden, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Garner, Kevin Hart, Jennifer Lopez, Kacey Musgraves, Leslie Odom Jr., Pitbull, Michael Strahan, Meghan Trainor and more.
To learn more about the Rockettes 100th anniversary, visit rockettes.com/100. Sign up to get the latest Rockettes news, information about events, and Christmas Spectacular ticket updates at rockettes.com.
Additional information about Rockettes auditions: In order to audition for the Rockettes, dancers must be at least 18 years of age and register in advance at RadioCityAuditions.com. In 2024, more than 800 dancers from 47 states and 24 countries attended the Rockettes open call auditions at Radio City. In order to be considered for and invited to participate in the Rockettes dancer development programming, dancers must attend the April auditions or be invited by the Rockettes creative team through talent scouting at colleges, universities, leading dance institutions and partner organizations, such as International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), Harlem School of the Arts and Dance Theatre of Harlem.
For more information about the 2025 Christmas Spectacular, including how to secure advance tickets for groups of 9+, please visit rockettes.com/groups.
Credit for recent assets and social video: MSG Entertainment
Credit for archival assets: Courtesy of MSG Entertainment
Please note, MSG is providing the archival assets on a quitclaim basis.
About Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) is a leader in live entertainment, delivering unforgettable experiences while forging deep connections with diverse and passionate audiences. The Company's portfolio includes a collection of world-renowned venues – New York's Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Beacon Theatre; and The Chicago Theatre – that showcase a broad array of sporting events, concerts, family shows, and special events for millions of guests annually. In addition, the Company features the original production, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, which has been a holiday tradition for more than 90 years. More information is available at www.msgentertainment.com.
