LOCAL DANCER'S DREAMS COME TRUE - MY WEEK AS A ROCKETTE IN TRAINING

Thousands dream of one day  becoming a Radio City Rockette,



Just ask any little girl who goes to the Christmas Show Spectacular!! Costumes sparkling , the beautiful dancers all in a row performing


on that grand stage of Radio City Music Hall....it is but a dream.

Watching the elegance, poise, beauty and the totally


synchronized choreography, the famous Rockettes dance their way into


our dreams.

As a little girl clutching my Rockette teddy bear, I was


captivated when my parents brought me to my first Christmas show. I had


grown up in my moms dance studio, Le Danse in Wayne NJ, and had been


surrounded by the world of dance for as long as I can remember.   I


started dance classes when I was 2 and a half. and later as I got


older and improved, I began training as a competitive dancer in


my dance studio, I  have always known that dance was my passion. 

Last summer 2 senior dancers in my studio (Stephanie and


Sarina) auditioned for the Rockette Summer Intensive and made the cut. I attended the



performance showcase to see them perform along with my mom and Aunt



Patty, co-directors of my studio Le Danse. I knew right there and


then that it was something that I wanted to do.   At the end of the showcase there was a question and answer


opportunity. I asked how old you would need to be to audition??


The answer: 14, so this past January 2 weeks after turning 14,  I



auditioned for the Rockette Summer  IntensiveI in NYC.

The day was very cold . I was nervous and very excited


knowing that I was one step closer to my dreams. The audition was hard, but


also fun and although I was the youngest and smallest one there, and


it was my very first audition,  I did my best. I left feeling on top of the world, but I was nervous, anticipating



the outcome..would  I make it?

Now would come the hard part .. the months of


waiting....Finally in March my dream came true. I finally received an


email accepting me into the program.  I couldn't believe it! This was my first audition ever and I


actually made it!  I also found out that Stephanie and Sarina were also


accepted for a 2nd season in the Intensive and was happy for them too.  I


would actually be following in their footsteps and was beyond excited for the


summer to come..!!

July came quickly and as  I confidently walked down 6th Ave


on my way to my week of RSI training I felt like the luckiest girl in the


world..My hair in a bun lipstick on and rhinestone earrings in


place, dance bag on my shoulder, we waited on the line to go in for


orientation. I couldn't help but feel that behind those golden


doors, special memories were about to be made.

With a hug and kiss from my mom the doors opened and  I


entering Radio City ready for day 1.  What an amazing day it was...we danced, re-auditioned for placement classes and took a tour of  fabulous Radio


City. After that, we started learning choreography for the showcase to be held at


weeks end.  At the end of the first day, I was tired, but more than


tired  I was also happy. We walked back to our car, me with my


taped feet and blisters from my character shoes and it  felt like I


was walking on air.

Back at the parking garage, seeing my taped and bandaged


feet the parking guys asked what happened and when we  explained that I


was a Rockette in training, they smiled and ran quickly to  get our


car.

Each day the parking attendants on 51st St. (now invested in


my journey) wished me good luck and a great day of dancing, and we would


begin our walk to Radio City.  The morning routine was that we


stopped at Magnolia bakery for coffee for my mom and a treat  for


after lunch for me. Seeing my new Rockette dancebag, the woman at the bakery


asked me what it was like to be a Rockette in training? I smiled a big smile


and told her all about it. After that she greeted us with a big smile each


morning.

Each day at the Intensive consisted of classes in jazz and


tap.  We quickly learned choreography and rehearsed  and rehearsed,


trying to perfect the routines and get all the choreography details perfect.


There was also ballet classes and seminars where we had the opportunity


to speak to real Rockettes and hear about their lives and careers.  Each


day I grew more excited knowing that I was improving and because


I was so inspired by my teachers, I wanted to do my absolute best.  I


even made a notebook and took down every correction and every single thing


I needed to practice for the next day.

I quickly met  several great girls and soon became fast


friends with Paige and Tiffany. (My besties).   We became known


throughout the week as the 3 muskateers. We were the youngest


dancers there and bonded  from day one.

The instructors, choreographer, staff, interns, dance captains,


fellow dancers and Rockettes were in a word WONDERFUL!!  The love and



professionalism of these dancers is something to truely be admired and has



genuinely inspired me.  The smile never left my face all week all day every day.

My respect for the dancers who trained us grew each day. I worked



tirelessly to make them proud and to get each tiny detail. I practiced every



night when I got home and soaked my feet in ice water before going to sleep



each night. By the end of the week I felt sharper and more confident in



the Rockette style (which is a lot harder than it looks).  My stamina



increased, my pick up level increased, and my passion and love for



dance grew  even stronger.

On Friday at the end of the week we had the rehearsal and performance



showcase at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts,  My proud and



excited family and dance teacher there to support me and watch me



perform!!  Before the show I had the unique opportunity to be interviewed for



the Rockette website on my weeks experiences and answered


questions about the program.  Seems word got around about my


decorated rockkete notebook and I was asked about that too.  This


was an unexpected surprise and I had to pinch myself to believe it


was really happening!!   Super excited after the interview, I quickly ran down


the stairs to get ready for the performance.

It was here!! Performance!!! time to dance!!  We danced three actual pieces of choreography , Happy


Feet, Irving Berlin and the classic Parade of the Wooden



Soldiers.  It felt amazing to be performing some of the same


dances that  the real Rockettes had performed.  I really


was living my dream performing on stage in NYC.

After the show came the standing ovation from the audience, the


applause and the many pictures taken on stage and in the lobby.. !!


Then sadly it was time for the many hugs and tearful goodbyes


with all of my teachers and friends.  Emails and phone numbers exchanged, we promised to keep in


touch and made plans to come back to see the Christmas show together and


audition again in January...I honestly didn't want the week to end...my heart


felt like it was about to burst. I was so sad to see this all come to


an end.  In the car after the celebration dinner, when I was driving home with my


mom, the tears were falling down my face.  A little bit of sad


tears but they were mixed with tears of happiness too because I know


in my heart that this was the best dance week of my young life and I


am looking forward to auditioning  again for next summer.  I am so


thankful for this opportunity to train with these amazing women and


will forever cherish this exceptional experience and the wonderful



memories and friendships made as well as the positive inpact it has had on me.

Gianna Raimo

Student at Le Danse in Wayne, NJ

Please follow Le Danse on the Wayne Patch

Visit our website at ledansestudio.com

Email us at ledanse@optimum.net

Call Le Danse at 973-305-8401