How to Get Your Child Dance Lessons in New York City from a Rockette

I wish I could take credit for the genius of having enrolled my daughter in a dance studio with a Rockette dance captain as an instructor, but if I'm honest I'd have to admit that it was pure luck. When she changed dance studios recently, the primary motivation was getting away from the old one, which put an inordinate amount of emphasis on the costumes worn during the annual recital, and very little on dance instruction. To be honest, any dance studio nearby that hired decent teachers and didn't use the word "costume" thirty seven times in the first conversation I had with them probably would have been fine for us. However, when I talked to the owner of New Jersey Dance Academy (in Roseland, New Jersey) I was thrilled to hear that one of the members of her faculty was a Rockette!

The Rockettes are the most famous dance troupe in the world (people who think Twyla Tharp is a country music singer know exactly who they are). They're also the most exclusive, with only 32 active spots for the shows at Radio City Music Hall (alternates and performers for road shows are also hired). To be a Rockette a dancer must meet certain rigid criteria: she must be between 5'6" and 5' 10" (this is because their dance routines require the illusion of absolute uniformity). She must excel at all forms of dance, including ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance, and she must sparkle with stage presence. When a dancer becomes one of the Rockettes, it's confirmation that she is truly elite. For the child who believes dance is her calling, there can be no better person to teach her.

In fact, since starting at this dance studio my daughter has determined that she wants to be a ballerina when she grows up, and is taking her dance instruction much more seriously. The studio recently organized a trip to Radio City to see the Christmas Spectacular courtesy of Kim Calore (known affectionately as Miss Kim), their resident Rockette, and my child was in awe of their high kicks. It made an impression on her that may truly shape the direction of her career.

New Jersey Dance Academy provides summer workshops with Miss Kim in tap and jazz for students age 7 and up. Prices for these workshops have not been set yet, as Miss Kim is currently busy as a Rockette and will be dancing for the Philadelphia Eagles when she's finished with this year's Christmas Spectacular, but you can receive further information by calling 973-226-1110.

Another option for those who live in the tri-state area or are planning to visit New York City with a child age 10 and up who has already had dance instruction is the "Rockette Experience" program, offered by Radio City Music Hall throughout the year. For $108 (plus $28.95 for a chaperone if your child is a minor), the participants get a 2 hour dance class taught by a Rockette (Miss Kim is one of the instructors in this program as well). The dance class takes place in the Rockettes' actual rehearsal hall in Radio City. The dancers will be taught dance numbers from the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and also the routine that Rockettes must perform at their auditions. They will then get to perform these dances at a mock audition in which several Rockettes will evaluate them.

Next there is a question and answer session with the Rockette instructor, including photo opportunities, and finally the students are treated to a one-hour tour of Radio City Music Hall, including the Great Stage, the star dressing rooms, the costume shop, and production areas. The classes are for students age 10 and up who have already had instruction in tap and jazz, and registration is available online at broadwaydancecenter.com (Broadway Dance Center are co-sponsors of this program along with Radio City).

Sign-ups are possible for groups as well as individuals, so you may want to discuss it with the management of your local dance studio, as it could make an excellent field trip for older dance students, for whom it would be an experience of a lifetime to get to perform at Radio City. Who knows what dreams such an encounter could kindle? Today your daughter may be doing high kicks in your living room, but someday it could be onstage as a Rockette!