Becky has danced for the Rockettes, on stage and screen, so it was no surprise to her when we asked her to share her Christmas Spectacular secrets with our Curated Care community! This holiday season, Becky has her own Kickin’ Christmas Experience available to book on Curated Care, where she leads kiddos through a one-hour holiday-themed dance party! If marching like a wooden soldier, prancing like a reindeer, and kicking like a Rockette sound interesting to you, read on to see how Becky landed the coveted spot as a Rockette and how she can share her dance experience (and inside secrets) with your kiddos.

Hi Becky! Before we get to your experience as a Rockette, tell us how your family celebrated the holidays every year growing up.

We used to chop down a live Christmas tree and it was my job to water the tree and decorate it. I loved baking sugar cookies with my mom, dipping them in little bowls filled of colored frosting and matching sprinkles. We made angels, stars, and Christmas-tree-shaped cookies so it was always a lot of fun and definitely a colorful way to celebrate the holidays! On Christmas night, my family would gather around the piano and read through the story of Jesus’ birth, stopping for me to play “Away in a Manger,” “Silent Night,” and “Joy to the World” at the appropriate times. It was such a rich family time and one of my favorite memories.

What are your favorite things to do during the holidays in NYC?

I love to go to Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center to see the tree lit up for the first time. I try to ice-skate at least once a year, and of course, see all the Christmas windows!

Did you always want to be a Rockette?

I remember watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV and seeing the Rockettes perform and I just thought they were so beautiful, talented, and glamorous. I knew I wanted to be a Rockette when I came to NYC for the first time at 17 and saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with my big brother and my dad. We sat close to the front and I sat on the edge of my seat and just cried and said, “That’s it! That’s what I want to do!”

What was the audition process like?

Some people audition and get in right away, and they are so lucky. I wasn’t one of those people. I actually auditioned 14 times before I made it! So, when I got the phone call that I got on the line as a Rockette, it was the best year of my life. The auditions happen once or twice a year, and they limit it to the first 500 women who show up. They line around the block in their rhinestone earrings and red lipstick. When it’s finally your turn to dance in the large hall at Radio City Music Hall, you must learn the jazz, tap and kickline routines very quickly and perform them with confidence in groups of two or three. The numbers whittle down with each cut. At the end of the final round, there may only be 20 women left. You get measured and just wait (and hope) for the phone call that you got chosen.

Can you share any behind the scenes stories of the Christmas Spectacular show?

Rockettes kick about 300 times per show and you do about 16 shows a week, so we are burning a ton of calories! So something you might not expect is that we have to eat a lot. I had one friend who (before a four-day show) would eat an entire ice-cream cake! There are no worries about holiday eating, that’s for sure. Our fastest costume change is 78 seconds, and we change 23 costume pieces, so we are just as choreographed behind the stage as we are on stage.

What can kiddos expect to learn/do in your Kickin’ Christmas Curated Care Experience?

I love to share the fun and joy of the Christmas season through the eyes of a Rockette. With kids, we will explore how to prance like a reindeer (that’s how we open the show,) march like a wooden soldier by keeping our arms and legs very straight, and flop like a rag doll. Of course, we have to incorporate a kick line, so I will teach them how to link up and perform strut kicks, and top it off with an official Rockette pose (called a “bevel.”) I will bring Christmas music to get us into the holiday spirit, and Santa hats personalized with each child’s name that they will get to keep! I’m so excited for this Experience!

Becky has been working with kids for as long as she can remember, more than 20 years! She’s always been babysitting and teaching dance classes, choreographing musical theater camps, and directing children’s musicals. She loves kids of all ages and believes children have a really unique perspective that she always learns from. During Becky’s Experience, your kiddos will create a custom holiday dance routine! Book Becky here.