ExposedNYC

If you want to truly feel like the holidays are here in New York, the Radio City Rockette show is one of the best ways to start. I went with a friend and a bunch of her classmates to see the show tonight, and I definitely left grinning. Before we went inside, one of the guys outside asked, “Is it cheesy?” His friend hesitated a minute, and replied, “It’s fun,” and I interjected, “Yes, it’s cheesy, but it’s still fun.”

The Christmas Spectacular is a strange concept, when you think about it. For those who’ve never seen it, it’s full of gorgeous girls (in matching height) in fancy outfits doing kick lines and dance routines, with Santa as a storyteller, and at the end they throw in a somber and pretty preachy nativity scene, that really just seems out of place. It would be one thing if it was advertised as a religious event, (and yes, I understand that Christmas implies Christianity), but the tone seems much more appropriate for a church gathering than naturally following half dressed women and prancing elves.

But hey, whatever my qualms with the tone of the finale (fully equipped with live camels, sheep and donkeys?!), the girls put on a great show. They manage to appeal to children, women who can admire their skills, and men who can admire their long legs. A member of the New York cast is a good friend of mine, and I can’t tell you what a great line she has when meeting a guy in a bar and being able to respond to the question of what she does with, “I’m a Rockette”. There’s an aura of mystique and respect around these girls that is somehow different than a showgirl and distinct from being on Broadway.


Dancing in itself holds such interesting connotations. Just mentioning that you’re a dancer (after you’ve clarified the inevitable distinction between exotic and otherwise) leads people to conclude that you’re incredibly flexible, girly, and love the spotlight. I’ve trained as a dancer my entire life, and I can’t say that any of those three imply explicitly. It does definitely ingrain a certain sense of rhythm, and I guess some sense of femininity due to the fact that you’re likely surrounded by mostly women.

Oh, I got off on a tangent. So, the show completely put me in a holiday mood, and also made me miss taking dance classes, which was a huge part of my life growing up. Sometimes it’s tough to accept that you couldn’t have followed all of your childhood dreams. When I see a show like this, I wish I would have kept up on my dancing. When I talk to a friend who is a lawyer, I regret not applying to law school. As people I grew up with continue to get pregnant everywhere I turn, I long for a family of my own. But, hey, we can’t do it all, right?

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