On the morning of March 18, 2025, the Rockettes took center stage on The Today Show. They performed a dance number to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).” They looked practically flawless with their perfect synchronization and glittering costumes. For the grand finale of their number, they lined up horizontally and performed one of their world-renowned kicklines.

This performance was to kick off the Radio City Rockettes centennial, or 100th anniversary. The Rockettes have been inspiring generations from about the time of the Great Depression. In fact, on The Today Show performance, lined up along the sides of the mock stage were women of all different ages with posters saying, “I was a Rockette in the 1970s!” or other decades such as the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. But how were the Rockettes created, and how did they evolve into who they are today?

In 1925, choreographer Russell Markert formed the “Missouri Rockettes” in St. Louis.  He loved the look of complete unity and he went on to choreograph for the Rockettes until 1971.  His dancers were inspired by the John Tiller girls of the 1922 Ziegfield Follies.

Around the same time, John D. Rockefeller, an extremely prosperous businessman, decided to buy a complex of buildings in New York City in 1929, which became Radio City. He built the massive theater, which was designed by Donald Deskey (a relatively uncelebrated designer), who won the contest to design the hall. He prioritized elegance and art-deco style, which can still be seen in the hall. Today, the Radio City Music Hall has 5,931 seats, and it is 1.8 million cubic feet, making it one of the world’s largest theaters.

Markert brought the Rockettes to the new theater in NYC along with Samuel Rothafel (famously known as “Roxy”), where they were renamed the Roxyettes. The Roxyettes made their NYC debut on December 27, 1932. Over 100,000 people requested to buy tickets, but only 6,200 could attend. The Roxyettes won over the crowd, as well as Rothafel, who begged Markert to form another dance group similar to them. In 1932, the new Roxyettes found their permanent home at the NYC theater.

The combination of Rockefeller’s financial power, the Radio Corporation of America’s media power, and Rothafel’s skill of reviving theaters, led to perfection. In 1933, an American classic was born when the “Christmas Spectacular” made its debut, and the Roxyettes officially became the Radio City Rockettes in 1934.

Since the beginning, the Rockettes have had world famous numbers, such as “Parade of the Living Soldiers” and “Rag Doll”, which were both in the original show.

Screening movies was initially prioritized at the hall, and since 1933 more than 700 movies have been shown. Some of the most famous movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Mary Poppins, and The Lion King. At the beginning of the hall’s career, there would be a new movie shown every week, and with each movie there was a stage production of the Rockettes.

The Rockettes are athletes at their finest, performing four shows a day, 28 shows a week, for 365 days across 50 years. Due to this, the hall is almost like a city backstage, with a nurse, cafeteria, and more for the restless Rockettes.

One of the most memorable qualities of the Rockettes are their stunning costumes.  They have been designed by some of the most well known designers, and some of their costumes, like their soldier outfits, are famous themselves. There have also been many strange costume concepts over the years, like squirrels, mermaids, and hula dancers. 

The Rockettes were a success from early on, winning the grand prize at “Paris Exposition de Dance” in 1936, and performing at the New York World Fair in 1939.

Additionally, during wartime, the Rockettes were some of the first performers to volunteer with the United Service Organizations (USO), to perform for troops.

One of the most notable appearances of the Rockettes is their annual performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They made their parade debut in 1957.

Despite their success, the Rockettes were almost lost forever when in 1978-79, the Radio City Music Hall was at a high risk of closing due to financial struggles. In response, the Rockettes led a charge to save the hall. They were able to give the hall landmark status, and they saved it from demolition.

With the hall being saved, in 1999, it went under major renovations to restore its former glory. It reopened later that year with a celebration gala, featuring many celebrities, and obviously, the Rockettes. In the next 25 years, the Rockettes continued to thrive and spread joys to countless audiences. In 2008, the spectacular was reimagined for its 75th anniversary, with every element being redesigned in some way, and 10 new costumes debuting. Two new numbers were introduced as well, one of them being the now classic “New York at Christmas” with its iconic double decker bus.

Along with a revamp, the Rockettes have continued to make appearances on shows such as the Tony Awards, and “SNL,” and alongside celebrities such as the Backstreet Boys and Kevin Hart. They have been featured in holiday movies such as the Hallmark movie, “A Holiday Spectacular,” “Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!” and Jimmy Fallon’s “A Holiday Seasoning Spectacular”.

The Rockette’s success is dependent on their ensemble of exceptional dancers. They launched their Dancer Development Program in 2020, with the goal to create “an inclusive talent pipeline to ensure the dance company continues to attract the best dancers from all backgrounds.”

The Rockettes have been role models for girls of all backgrounds. The first African American Rockette was Jennifer Jones in 1987, the first Asian Rockette was Setsuko Maruhashi in 1985, and the first Latina Rockette was Lillian Colón in 1987 as well. Additionally, the first Rockette with a visible disability was Sydney Mesher in 2019, who has an arm disability.

The Rockettes are hard to ignore, as they have performed everywhere from the halftime show at Superbowl XXII, the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting, and presidential inaugurations. More than 71 million people have seen the Christmas Spectacular as of 2024. It’s safe to say that they are some of the world’s most famous dancers, and their talent and glory continues to inspire young girls from all over the world.

To learn more about the celebration of the Rockette’s 100th anniversary, search for #Rockettes100 on social media.