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Quiz about The Fabulous Rockettes
Quiz about The Fabulous Rockettes

The Fabulous Rockettes Trivia Quiz


The Rockettes are a precision dance troupe who perform in New York every Christmas at Radio City Music Hall, and are known for their eye-high kicks and sparkly costumes. How much do you know about them?

A multiple-choice quiz by Kankurette. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
Kankurette
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
409,694
Updated
Nov 01 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
142
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 128 (7/10), Guest 166 (6/10), jmel2 (3/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The Rockettes were originally formed in St Louis in 1929. When did they perform their first Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which part of the Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular has been a staple feature of the show since the company's beginning? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The Rockettes have a height requirement that stipulates dancers must be between 5ft 5 inches and 5ft 10.5 inches tall. The dancers are not all the same height, but the company uses a trick to make them look the same. How do dancers in the kickline maintain the illusion of uniformity? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Rockette wannabes are expected to be proficient in different types of dance. Which of these styles is NOT one of them? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which of these women is NOT a former Rockette? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The fastest costume change in the Christmas Spectacular takes 78 seconds.


Question 7 of 10
7. What was notable about Jennifer Jones who joined the Rockettes in 1987? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In 2018, what stage props did the Rockettes dance with for the first time in the Christmas Spectacular? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What is the name of the summer dance training programme that members of the Rockettes ran from 2002 to 2019? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The Rockettes have to do their own hair and make-up.



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Most Recent Scores
Sep 25 2024 : Guest 128: 7/10
Sep 22 2024 : Guest 166: 6/10
Sep 12 2024 : jmel2: 3/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The Rockettes were originally formed in St Louis in 1929. When did they perform their first Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall?

Answer: 1933

The Rockettes were inspired by the Tiller Girls, a British precision dance group who performed on Broadway. Choreographer Russell Markert wanted to create an American equivalent, who were taller, had longer legs and could perform eye-high kicks - which are still one of the Rockettes' trademarks today - and tap routines. The Rockettes were originally known as the Missouri Rockets, but changed their name to the Roxyettes when Samuel 'Roxy' Rothafel brought them to the Roxy Theatre in New York. He moved them to Radio City Music Hall in 1932, where they performed at its opening night on 27th December.

The first Christmas Spectacular appeared in 1933, with the Rockettes performing alongside the Radio City Symphony and opera singer Jan Peerce. The Rockettes had been performing routines to accompany weekly movie showings at Radio City Music Hall, and the original Christmas Spectacular was accompanied by the Disney short film 'The Night Before Christmas' and the musical 'Flying Down to Rio'. In 1934, the Roxyettes changed their name to the Rockettes after Rothafel parted company with the Roxy.
2. Which part of the Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular has been a staple feature of the show since the company's beginning?

Answer: Parade of the Wooden Soldiers

The 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers' and the 'Living Nativity' are the only pieces in the Christmas Spectacular that have consistently appeared since 1933. The 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers' has the Rockettes dressed as toy soldiers, complete with felt cheeks stuck to their faces - they get through over 30,000 in a season! - and rather than their usual high kicking, they march in lines.

The climax of the piece is the fall, when the dancers topple down one by one following a shot from a cannon. The fall is rehearsed in sections, before the entire line practices it together.

At the end, they sit up and salute before the curtain falls.
3. The Rockettes have a height requirement that stipulates dancers must be between 5ft 5 inches and 5ft 10.5 inches tall. The dancers are not all the same height, but the company uses a trick to make them look the same. How do dancers in the kickline maintain the illusion of uniformity?

Answer: They put the tallest dancers in the middle.

The original height requirement was between 5ft 6 inches and 5ft 10.5 inches, but director Julie Branam stated in 2022 that they wanted to attract more dancers, so they lowered the height requirement slightly for the first time in 15 years. In order to make the kickline look as uniform as possible, the tallest dancers go in the middle, with the shorter ones further to the sides and the shortest dancers near the ends. Dancers are measured in their stocking feet, i.e. without shoes on.
4. Rockette wannabes are expected to be proficient in different types of dance. Which of these styles is NOT one of them?

Answer: Modern

Rockettes auditionees are expected to be proficient in ballet, tap and jazz, as many of the routines are heavily influenced by all three styles; the 'Ragdolls' and '12 Days of Christmas' routines, for example, are tap routines, where the dancers have microphones attached to their shoes, and auditions customarily feature jazz and tap sections. Choreographer Karen Keeler cited ballet as being important for a strong technical foundation, stating that 'clean lines and technique really translate into choreography'.

While knowing other styles of dance may be helpful, it is not a prerequisite, and according to one dance coach who has trained various Rockettes, contemporary dance styles can even impair dancers' precision and accuracy.
5. Which of these women is NOT a former Rockette?

Answer: Singer Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger, formerly of the Pussycat Dolls, has never been a Rockette, but the other three have.

Amanda Kloots co-presented 'The Talk', a chat show, on CBS and has also launched a digital fitness brand, including exercise instruction videos. As well as the Rockettes, she also performed in 'Follies' and 'Young Frankenstein' on Broadway. After the death of her husband, Nick Cordero, from COVID-19 complications, her fellow Rockettes - who she dubbed her 'Rockette sisters' - came to her house to provide emotional support.

Suzanne Rogers, who took her stage name from Ginger Rogers, played Maggie Horton in the long-running soap 'Days of Our Lives'. At the age of seventeen, she moved to New York to start a dancing career and joined the Rockettes; she also performed in various Broadway shows, such as 'Follies' and 'Coco'.

Kandice Pelletier was Miss New York in 2005, and also appeared on Season 10 of 'The Amazing Race' with fellow beauty queen Dustin-Leigh Fowler. The pair also completed in Season 11, the all-stars' season, where they came second. Pelletier moved from her native Georgia to New York to pursue a dancing career and study at New York University, and danced with the Rockettes during her time there.
6. The fastest costume change in the Christmas Spectacular takes 78 seconds.

Answer: True

Everything in a Rockettes show is done with the utmost precision, to the point where dancers even know when to put their earrings in! Each dancer's position is marked out on a grid, and in rehearsals, the floor is marked with chalk so the dancers know where to stand.

The extreme precision filters down to the costume changes. The 78-second costume change takes place during the falling sequence in the 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers'. Each dancer unbuttons the jacket and trousers of the dancer in front of her to help with taking the costumes off. There are six dressers waiting on each side of the stage to take the soldier outfits while the dancers change into the outfits for the following routine, such as 'Christmas in NYC'. They rehearse the costume changes in ten-day 'rack and shoe' rehearsals after the six-week rehearsal period for the Christmas Spectacular.
7. What was notable about Jennifer Jones who joined the Rockettes in 1987?

Answer: She was the first black Rockette.

The Rockettes were originally whites-only, and choreographer and director Violet Holmes did not want to have darker-skinned women in the line-up, claiming that 'one or two black girls would definitely distract' from the uniform look. Their original manager even forbid one girl from tanning because he did not want her to 'look like a coloured girl'. The policy continued for decades, despite arguably being a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Happily, that all changed in 1987 when Jennifer Jones became the first black Rockette, performing with the company for fifteen years, and other black dancers have performed with the Rockettes since then, as well as appearing in promotional material. One particularly determined black dancer, LaTarika Pierce, auditioned ten times before finally being accepted, because she felt it was 'important to see a group of strong, inspiring, confident women working together, no matter what colour.'

(The first Rockette with a visible disability was Sydney Mesher, who joined in 2019; she has symbrachydactyly, meaning that she was born without a left hand.)
8. In 2018, what stage props did the Rockettes dance with for the first time in the Christmas Spectacular?

Answer: Drones

The 'Christmas Lights' finale routine in 2018 featured a hundred Intel Shooting Star drones with tiny LED lights creating a curtain of light in various shapes, while the Rockettes danced in their sparkly sequinned costumes. The concept of the light show was based around the idea of the North Star breaking into tiny pieces of light that travel into the world and appear on Christmas trees and candles; the drones started off in a star shape before dispersing. Like the dancers themselves, the drones were choreographed. (Live animals, including camels, have traditionally been a part of the 'Living Nativity' routine.)
9. What is the name of the summer dance training programme that members of the Rockettes ran from 2002 to 2019?

Answer: Rockettes Summer Intensive

The Rockettes Summer Intensive was coached by Rockettes members and provided hopefuls with the opportunity to learn some of the signature moves and routines, such as 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers', with a showcase on the Friday. Over 1200 women aged fourteen and up would audition, and up to 640 would attend one of the week-long programmes. While attending the Summer Intensive would not guarantee a place in the company, it was considered to be an opportunity to demonstrate skill and willingness to learn, and the occasional dancer was offered a contract after meeting all the requirements in the Summer Intensive and attending the invitational week.

After the Rockettes' return following the COVID crisis of 2020, the Summer Intensive was replaced with the Rockettes Conservatory, a three-week programme for a small number of invited dancers, and the Rockettes Preparatory, a one-week programme with three sessions. Selected dancers are able to participate in the programmes for free, with meal, accommodation and travel costs covered. To get into the programme, dancers are either invited by the Rockettes' creative team or attend auditions in the spring.
10. The Rockettes have to do their own hair and make-up.

Answer: True

Yes, it's true - the Rockettes don't have their own hair and make-up team, they ARE the hair and make-up team! In fairness, it can get pretty crowded backstage, with both the dancers and their many costumes, so it's easier just to have the dancers do their own hair and make-up.

The preferred hairstyle is a French twist, to keep the dancers' hair out of their faces and accommodate the various hats and headpieces they wear throughout the show, so dancers have to keep their hair long. (According to one Rockette, it helps if your hair's a bit dirty, as it's easier to style.) Make-up has to be fairly conventional - neutral eyeshadow and red lips - and it has to last throughout the day and only require a few touch-ups, as the Rockettes can perform up to four shows a day. Many dancers also wear false eyelashes. Dancers with visible tattoos must cover them with foundation.
Source: Author Kankurette

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LeoDaVinci before going online.
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