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.
I just like the helpful information you provide to your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and test again here frequently. I’m somewhat certain I’ll be told lots of new stuff right right here! Best of luck for the following!
Way cool, some valid points! I appreciate you making this article available, the rest of the site is also high quality. Have a fun.
Great V I should definitely pronounce, impressed with your website. I had no trouble navigating through all tabs as well as related information ended up being truly easy to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or anything, website theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Nice task..
Penalty saves, goalkeepers who excel at stopping spot kicks
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more from this post. I am very glad to see such magnificent information being shared freely out there.
Very interesting subject, regards for putting up. “It is much easier to try one’s hand at many things than to concentrate one’s powers on one thing.” by Quintilian.
Hi, I do believe this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may revisit once again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to this outstanding blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this website with my Facebook group. Talk soon!
Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good results. If you know of any please share. Thank you!
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thanks, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your web site?