The Radio City Rockettes spill on their Christmas season essentials
In Paste BN’s The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives, whether it's at home, on the set or on the road.
NEW YORK ‒ No one does Christmas quite like Midtown Manhattan.
If you can move beyond a fear of crowds, the busiest district in the country's busiest city is a festive holiday romp. Amid Saks' blinged-out window displays and Rockefeller Center's iconic tree sits Radio City Music Hall − home to the world's most famous kick line: the Rockettes.
Hailee Snyder, a veteran of the dance troupe, and Tamia Strickland, a newbie this year, sat down with Paste BN to spill on all their holiday must-haves."We're completely immersed in Christmas since like September but it goes so fast," Snyder says. "I never get tired of it."
A little under a week before Christmas, the pair enjoy a rare day off (the alternate cast will perform that day's shows). The Rockettes, chatting from a dressing room littered with sequined costumes and well-worn dancing shoes, share their essentials, from super sticky hairspray to Pilates workouts in the off-season.
Christmas music is a staple for the Radio City Rockettes
No, they don't get sick of Christmas music.
"I've always loved the '12 Days of Christmas,'" Snyder says. She lives most of the year in Ohio but comes to New York every year to "kick it up until January." The dance set to "12 Days," a thigh-busting 6-minute tap routine, has the best costume, she admits − plus it's one of her mom's "favorites."
"I was really excited this year when they added 'Need a Little Christmas,'" Snyder adds. The holiday spectacular, which has been playing in New York since 1933, added a new number set to the song this year. Strickland is also fond of it (she sings along backstage during her quick change).
Strickland also listens to holiday tracks even when she's not on stage. "I honestly do listen to Christmas music on my way to the theater. I'll be on the subway with my Christmas playlist jamming in the holiday spirit."
Her mix leans into the classics, featuring the Jackson 5 and Frank Sinatra.
What lipstick do the Rockettes wear?
The Rockettes' signature red lip is cheaper than you might think.
"I love to stick with a lip stain because I feel like it stays on the best," Snyder says, though there's no specific brand she prefers. She's tried all the Sephora options but certainly doesn't shy away from a drugstore shelf.
"Just go to CVS," Strickland jokes. The key is to get one that doesn't need reapplication every time you sweat so it can last a few seasons.
As for the hair, which is pulled back into a tight twist with not a singular fly-away, the secret ingredient is maximum hold hairspray and "all the bobby pins," Snyder says.
Familiar faces in the audience
Snyder, who has been with the Rockettes for seven years, says there are still familiar faces in the audience at least once a week: "My mom's like standing up for every kick line screaming her face off because she loves it."
Even seeing the face of another dancer across the stage can help bring light to what can be a grueling day of up to four performances. This week both women danced in 16 shows. "We get through it," she says. "We have each other’s backs."
Since it's her first year, Strickland says her family will spend Christmas in the city, grabbing meals with her after shows and celebrating a lifelong dream come true. "At least weekly there's someone in the audience that I have a direct connection to."
Rockettes fitness routine: Pilates, yoga and lots of stretching
"A lot of Rockettes cross-train, whether it's pilates, yoga, gym, dance," Strickland says.
The gravity-defying kick lines that have become the show's signature are no joke. "Stamina is an important thing," she adds. Not much of a runner before, she's taken up jogging to make sure the shows, which run for over an hour, don't wind her too much.
Snyder is also a fan of Pilates and makes frequent visits to the athletic trainer on hire. "I feel like it really helps with your mobility and your flexibility."
How the Rockettes make their own Christmas magic
Since Snyder is never home for the holidays, her family mashes them all together. When the Rockettes wrap in earl January, she heads back to Ohio for a big family gathering that sews together both Christmas and Thanksgiving.
"They want it to still feel special even though I'm not there," she says. The Christmas decor stays up and her dad makes a full Thanksgiving spread − as an added bonus, her parents get to hit the post-holiday sales.
Strickland's family has their own traditions as well, opening one present every year before the rest on Christmas Eve. Spoiler: It's matching pajamas.
The secret to being a Rockette on the streets of NYC: A disguise
Outside the theater on Fifth Avenue, Rockettes walk among the regular crowds and you would never know.
"It definitely feels kind of like a Hannah Montana lifestyle," Snyder jokes. Unless you come out of the stage door in full costume, no one will recognize you, she says.
It can feel like a powerful secret, both women say, knowing you're part of such an important cultural institution but not claiming much of the celebrity status that can sometimes accompany it.
"I like walking in and sometimes I can pass the people that are seeing the show in my hoodie and jacket (thinking) 'Do they know I’m about to go on stage with a red lip and twists?'" Strickland says.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.