The glamorous Radio City Music Hall Rockettes celebrate 100 years of flawless routines, strong technique and elaborate costumes. The sisterhood was founded in 1925 and brought their talent to the Big Apple in 1932 – never looking back.
Whether you have seen the Rockettes perform in person or from home, one thing for certain is that their wardrobe captures the joys of the Christmas season. The longevity of their fashion department is admirable.
There is never a pearl out of place or a wrinkled skirt on stage. Their costumes really set the scene and take the audience to an alternate world of Christmas magic.
What is the secret behind this team that has been dazzling millions of people for so many years? Let’s dive into the history within the fashion that brings it all to life.
Santa’s Favorite Toys
It wouldn’t be a Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular in NYC without the dance of the wooden soldiers. When the crowd hears Santa introduce his favorite toy, they know what to prepare for.
The costume was inspired by a porcelain doll and the labor that went into the creation was not for the weak-minded. It consisted of lined duvetine jackets and cotton duct pants that were stiffened in cold starch at the local laundry for authenticity. The team had to mimic the feeling of being a doll trapped in a box.
Although the material used to make the costume has changed to cotton twill fabric, it still takes 12 hours to make a single costume. Each costume is molded to perfectly fit the body of each Rockette. There are 36 Rockettes involved in the stunt – you do the math.
It takes a lot to be America’s favorite; the tradition of the wooden soldiers is expected to last another 100 years, as long as fans keep coming to the show.
Leglines Throughout the Years
The stylists keep the Rockettes looking beautiful, while also following the changing fashion trends. The biggest difference from costumes made in the 1940s is the length of the leglines. The dancers used to wear trunks instead of bikini line cuts that conforms to the sex appeal.
Thank god for the invention of spandex in the industry, so that those girls can keep kicking up their legs in perfect unison.
Lights, Camera, Perfection
The dazzling red and green bodysuits for the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ routine have come a long way since the initial curtain opening in 1933 at Radio City.
Vincente Minnelli designed the first costumes to hit the stage. They were made out of red cable netting and sheer cotton ruffled sleeves with a sequined trim. While the cuts of these costumes have altered over the years, the designers stay true to the bones.
It’s that time of year again to enjoy the sparkling Rockettes at the theatre or on Channel 4. Being that this is the 100 year anniversary, new routines and costumes might just make an appearance.
Let @VALLEYmag know on X which costume is your favorite when the Rockettes hit the stage.
Today, I went to the beach with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had to tell someone!
I don’t unremarkably comment but I gotta state thanks for the post on this one : D.
Hi there, just turned into aware of your weblog via Google, and located that it is truly informative. I am going to be careful for brussels. I will be grateful for those who continue this in future. Numerous folks will likely be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!
I have recently started a website, the info you offer on this web site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.
I actually wanted to jot down a simple word to appreciate you for some of the fantastic tactics you are posting here. My incredibly long internet look up has now been honored with incredibly good points to go over with my good friends. I ‘d point out that most of us visitors are very much endowed to exist in a remarkable place with so many brilliant people with very helpful plans. I feel truly grateful to have encountered your web pages and look forward to many more amazing moments reading here. Thank you again for all the details.
Great wordpress blog here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate people like you! take care
Do you have a spam problem on this website; I also am a blogger, and I was wondering your situation; we have developed some nice practices and we are looking to trade strategies with other folks, please shoot me an email if interested.
Along with every little thing that appears to be developing inside this particular subject matter, your points of view are actually very radical. However, I appologize, but I can not subscribe to your whole strategy, all be it refreshing none the less. It seems to everybody that your remarks are generally not totally rationalized and in reality you are generally your self not really thoroughly certain of the argument. In any event I did enjoy looking at it.
Hey, you used to write wonderful, but the last several posts have been kinda boring?K I miss your great writings. Past several posts are just a little out of track! come on!
I am really enjoying the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems? A few of my blog audience have complained about my blog not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue?