The Magic of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular
The Radio City Rockettes have become synonymous with the holiday season in New York City, enchanting more than 72 million people over their illustrious 100-year history. While audiences are mesmerized by the Christmas Spectacular’s precision dance numbers and festive cheer, there’s an entire world of carefully orchestrated activity happening behind the curtain. The seamless 90-minute Christmas wonderland that unfolds on stage is the result of months of preparation, beginning with rigorous dancer auditions in April and continuing through an intense rehearsal schedule leading up to opening night in November. What appears effortless to the audience is actually a masterpiece of timing, coordination, and dedication from not just the dancers, but hundreds of supporting team members.
Backstage at Radio City Music Hall, the preparation begins well before the audience takes their seats. The Rockettes—split into two casts of 42 dancers each—arrive 60-90 minutes before showtime and head to their designated dressing rooms. There, they transform into the iconic performers audiences have come to adore. Each dancer meticulously applies her makeup, including the classic red lip (specifically Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in “Always Red”), and styles her hair into the signature French twist that has become part of the Rockettes’ unified look. Meanwhile, they begin warming up their bodies, preparing for the physical demands of the show that includes executing over 200 eye-high kicks across nine different numbers. This pre-show ritual is essential not only for the aesthetic uniformity the Rockettes are known for but also to prevent injuries during the physically demanding performance.
The costume changes during the show are perhaps one of the most impressive feats happening out of the audience’s view. Each Rockette undergoes eight complete costume changes, including different pairs of hand-painted shoes matched precisely to each dancer’s skin tone. The wardrobe team—with one person assigned to assist every three dancers—works with military precision in quick-change booths at the sides of the stage. These changes must happen flawlessly within seconds, with team members helping the dancers swap costumes, adjust hats, fix hair, and touch up makeup without missing a beat. The most astounding transformation occurs after the beloved “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” number, where each Rockette has just 78 seconds to shed their stiff soldier pants and three-foot-tall hats and prepare for the “New York at Christmas” routine, which features a massive, fully-functional double-decker bus weighing eight tons. There’s simply no room for error in this backstage choreography.
The visual splendor of the Christmas Spectacular extends beyond the dancers to include elaborate props and technical marvels that enhance the holiday magic. The “Dance of the Frost Fairies” number, reintroduced four years ago, showcases both the dancers’ talents and technological innovation, featuring six different costume styles in six different colors, complemented by twelve fairy drones that fly gracefully above the captivated audience. Similarly, the “Here Comes Santa Claus” number involves 48 different Santas performing on stage in perfect synchronicity. Every element, from the 1,000 colorful costumes used throughout the show to the more than 500 pairs of shoes worn by the Rockettes, ensemble, and Santa, contributes to the spectacular visual feast. Even seemingly small details, like the more than 30,000 red dots applied to the dancers’ faces during the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “Rag Dolls” performances each season, require careful attention and precision.
The physical demands placed on the Rockettes cannot be overstated. During the Christmas season, these elite performers maintain a grueling schedule, dancing six to seven days a week, with two to four shows per day, for nearly two months straight. This comes after an intensive training period of six hours a day, six days a week, for six weeks leading up to opening night. Mindy Moeller, a 14-year Rockette veteran, reflected on her experience with the company, sharing with The Post how her perspective has evolved since joining in 2012: “I was just so excited to be a part of it. [Since then] I’ve learned so much about the show itself and the inner workings of what it takes to put the show together.” The dancers themselves are sometimes amazed by the pace and precision required of them, a testament to both the rigor of their training and the complexity of the production.
While the 36 Rockettes in each performance line are the faces of the Christmas Spectacular, they represent just part of the collaborative effort that brings the holiday tradition to life. As Moeller noted, “You’ve got 36 women in a line in each show, you’ve got 84 women [in total], but you’ve also got 200 members of crew and wardrobe backstage putting the show together.” This unseen army of professionals—lighting technicians, sound engineers, stage managers, costume designers, makeup artists, and countless others—work in perfect harmony to create the Christmas magic that has captivated generations of New Yorkers and visitors alike. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular truly embodies its opening line: “It takes a Christmas village.” The production is a testament to the power of collaboration, dedication, and artistry, creating moments of wonder and joy that have become an essential part of the holiday season for millions of people over the past century.
