how many rockettes are there
There are currently around 80 to 84 Rockettes in the company.** This iconic dance troupe, famous for their precision high kicks at Radio City Music Hall, maintains two main casts of 36 dancers each, plus additional "swings" who step in as needed.
Company Structure
The Rockettes operate with a rotating lineup to handle their grueling performance schedule, especially during the Christmas Spectacular. Each show features 36 dancers on stage at a time, supported by swings for coverage—totaling up to 84 active members as of recent updates. Older sources sometimes cite exactly 80, reflecting slight fluctuations over time.
Historical Evolution
Starting as the Roxyettes in 1925 with just 16 dancers, the troupe grew to 47 by the time they joined Radio City in the 1930s, with 36 performing per show. Numbers stabilized around 80-84 in modern eras to balance endurance and spectacle. This setup allows for over 300 kicks per dancer per performance, totaling thousands across busy days.
Fun Performance Facts
- Kicks and Stamina : Up to 1,500 high kicks on peak days, reaching eye level with perfect sync.
- Auditions : Nearly 1,000 women vie for spots annually, all between 5'5" and 5'10.5" tall.
- Traditions : They handle their own hair (French twists), makeup, and up to 8 costume changes per show.
TL;DR: 80-84 Rockettes total, with 36 per cast—precision icons who've kicked through a century of holidays. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.