It's the one moment that New York's Radio City Music Hall audiences wait for. Some 6,200 humans sway lightly forward, expectancy in every eager eye, writes Margaret Christie in "Everywoman's." They know what is coming. The Rockettes! Seventy-two perfectly matched, sweet stepping, dancing feet twinkle across the great stage and into the intricacies of their routine. Every girl in the line tapping, strutting, kicking with rhythm mie precision. ThurWerous. applause. And then the final line-up; always the Rockettes end in a lovely high-stepping line stretched straight as a string from side to side of that immense stage; 144 feet of beautiful young womanhood.
It is an amazing performance. Beautiful, finished work done by 36 jolly, good-looking girls with the loveliest legs in New York. The Rockettes are, girl for girl, as likeable as they are capable. They might be the daughters of any one you know. And they are. Some have college degrees, some do not, but all are and must be trained dancers of experience before they stand a ghost of a chance of getting on the stage of the Music Hall. For the Rockettes are "tops" in their field, Each has had, in addition to training and experience, chorus work on the stage long before she reaches that coveted place in "the line.
"They must know what its all about, terms and background," explained the "General" as he girls call troupe manager E. Sherman. We're not running a school, we've no time to teach anything but the work in hand. Last week's routines must be forgotten—there's a different routine this week. And still another routine to learn for next week. It takes training, and plenty of it, to grasp all that." Once in "the line," the ingenue Rockette enters a completely new world. If she has what it takes—and that's a whole lot more than her dancing ability—she will presently find herself accepted into one of the closest corporations known: life with the Rockettes backstage.
Actually there are 46 beauteous damsels in the troupe; on dancing duty and ten on rotate ing "time off," which is one week in every four. At full pay, one hastens to add. Dancing ig fatiguing business and this week off arrangement helps to keep them fit. Backstage, which at the Music Hall is far upstairs, every care and safeguard is arranged; a roof with thick cork flooring for games and rest; shaded chairs, for they must not get sunburned. The exactitude of their appearance depends for its perfection on attention to every detail.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.