radio city music hall

Student Spotlight: Anya-Jae Brown

January 7, 2013 by 4dancers

This week’s Student Spotlight features Anya-Jae Brown from the School at Steps…

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

I first became involved with dance when I was about 6 years old. I had seen the Rockettes perform in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular for the first time and I was absolutely mesmerized by how beautiful they were. After the show, I came out of the theater kicking my legs and swore that one day I would be up on that stage!

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?

My favorite part about dance class is the environment. I am able to work with people who share the same passion for dance that I have. I also enjoy learning from other dancers in my classes. Having the opportunity to watch others dance allows me to learn from them and expand my personal style and skill set.

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you?

The hardest part about dance for me is probably adjusting to corrections. I find this most difficult because I sometimes struggle to forget how to do something after I first learn it a specific way. Therefore, when my teacher gives me a correction, it can take a while before I apply it correctly and master it.

4. What advice would you give to other dancers?

The advice I would give to other dancers is to never give up and always try your hardest. Nothing is impossible if you try.

5. How has dance changed your life?

Dance has given me an outlet to better express my feelings. I have gained confidence in the studio, which allows me to perform better in school and better express myself with friends and family. Dance has also changed my life in the sense that it has given me more to do, so I am always busy.

The School at Steps is a training ground for students, ages 2-18, who are interested in exploring various dance styles, as well as for those students already focused on a particular discipline. The school offers an Academic Year and Summer Program, with classes in ballet, modern, tap, jazz, theater dance, hip hop, and Pilates. Students at the school are also given performance opportunities, and workshops on dance and career-related topics. Beginning with the Young Dancers Program and continuing through the most advanced pre-professional classes, The School at Steps provides children with an opportunity to explore the word of dance, to learn and experiment with technique, and to enrich their appreciation for the various forms of the art.

Christmas In August With The Rockettes

August 9, 2011 by 4dancers

If you are going to be in New York on Thursday, August 11th, take a break from the heat of summer and swing by Times Square to see the Rockettes “Christmas in August” performance.

At 11 am, you’ll be able to see the Rockettes as they unveil both new costumes–and new choreography. Join in the fun as they kick off the 2011 Christmas Spectacular season.

Can’t make this? Then why not enter the “I like Christmas” sweepstakes on Facebook and take a shot at winning $2,011 in Christmas cash and other prizes? All you have to do is “like” the Radio City Christmas Spectacular on this social networking site and you are entered. This begins on August 11th and runs until the end of the month.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, runs from November 11, 2011 through January 2, 2012. Prices range from $45 – $125. Tickets are available online at www.radiocitychristmas.com or at the Radio City Box Office (50th Street and Avenue of the Americas). Box Office hours are Monday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the Ticketmaster Christmas Hotline at 1-866-858-0007 or at any Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket prices include a $4.50 facility charge. Tickets purchased via Ticketmaster are subject to service charges. Please call 1-866-858-0007 for more information.

Post Curtain Chat with Karolina Blonski

November 18, 2010 by Matthew Powell

I recently received a text message from my friend, Karolina Blonski: “Which performance do you want to come to? We have shows at 11:00, 2:00, 5:00, and 8:00.” There is only one show in New York City that can pull off that many performances in one day. ‘Tis the season for the high-kicking wonderment of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Though the show (with alternating casts) presents its dancers with a hefty performance schedule, anyone who has ever worked with Karolina knows that this sincere, yet driven dancer is up to the task. In this month’s Post Curtain Chat, Karolina talks of life in “the biz,” and gives aspiring theatre dancers the perfect recipe for finding balance in a career where great rewards go hand-in-hand with occasional disappointments.

With so many shows over a concentrated period of time, in what ways does your life change outside the theatre during the “Radio City” months?

The Radio City schedule is extremely demanding. In order to prevent injuries, stay healthy and be able to perform to my potential, my life changes dramatically outside the theatre. I go to the gym most performance days but I only do half of my normal work out, basically just to warm up for the shows. I run about two miles and stretch, do some balancing and stabiliziation exercise to get centered and “on my leg” There’s not very much going out for me after the shows. There’s a lot of sleep, stretching, and hydration that happens during the holiday season!

What do you crave most after a long performance day?

After the show I crave my couch, HGTV and my favorite sweat pants!

Your husband is also a dancer, and is currently working with The Chase Brock Experience. How did you two meet, and what is it like to have a husband who is so closely involved with your line of work?

It’s amazing! We are so lucky! We both understand the demands associated with our profession. This makes us able to support each other so that we can be the best that we can be. You would think there would be competition or jealousy, but for us that doesn’t exist. His success is my success and vice versa. Drew and I actually met while perfoming in Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out.

Auditioning can be just as much of a full-time job as performing. How do you like to celebrate once you’ve landed a new gig?

I always say that auditioning is the work and performing is the vacation. When I land a new gig, I celebrate by not auditioning anymore! Just to have that peace of mind for a short while is amazing. Doing what we do, it can be difficult because shows are always changing and closing. Planning what comes next can be tricky.

And, since no one gets every job they audition for, what do you do to drown your sorrows after a bad audition?

Well, there are a lot of gigs that I haven’t gotten, but that’s part of the biz. There are ten times more jobs that you don’t get compared to the one you land. I think understanding that rejection is part of the game is so important. It’s not personal, it’s just what the show needs at that time, whether it’s someone blonder, taller, younger etc. Although, if I completely biff an audition, I know that I have more work to do. I’ll get myself into another ballet class, more voice lessons…whatever it takes. You have to take responsibility when it’s due, but you also have to let go and not keep reliving it. That is difficult to do sometimes when you know you could have booked the show.

For many, the Radio City show epitomizes New York City during the holiday season. Do you have a favorite place in New York you like to visit during this time of year?

I love New York during the holidays! It is absolutely amazing. Rockefeller Center is magical. I am so lucky that I get to be there every day during the season and see ice skaters, the beautiful tree…and the great shopping. 🙂 I am also obssessed with Christmas decorations, so I spend A LOT of time at Macy’s!

Click here for information on the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting ceremony!

How will you spend your first week off after the Christmas Spectacular closes?

After the show closes, my husband and I will probably go home to spend some time with his family. He is from a farm town and there is no place more relaxing. Just fields covered in snow – incredibly peaceful and quiet. We will probably sit by the fireplace and watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation which, in my opinion, is the best movie ever made.

Click here for some “behind the scenes” facts about National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation!

Click here to see Karolina perform in the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular now through Dec. 30th!

Karolina Blonski is originally from Legnica, Poland. At the age of seven her family relocated to Canada, where she would begin her training as a dancer. She received further training at the American Musical and Dramatics Academy in New York City. In addition to performing with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Karolina has performed with Tokyo Disney, the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as “Judy” in the national tour of Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out, as “Graziella” in the International Tour of West Side Story, and on Broadway in West Side Story as well.

The Radio City “Stage Door Tour”

February 27, 2010 by 4dancers

Sometimes you get the inspiration to write a post from the most unexpected places. I was talking to someone who took the backstage tour at Radio City Music Hall and they really piqued my interest about the venue. I did a little investigating, and was impressed enough to share it with you here on 4dancers. I know if I ever get out that way, I’m going to check it out myself!

The more you look, the more you see.

As I was reading up on the facts about this particular venue, I could easily understsand why this tour is so fascinating. There are many layers to Radio City Music Hall that you might not ever notice if they weren’t pointed out to you. For example, if you look underfoot, the Grand Foyer has a carpet that features the abstract designs of six musical instruments. More examples of this theater’s hidden majesty include the gigantic Wurlitzer organ which has so many pipes that it takes 11 rooms to house all of them, and the four hydraulic elevators which can be utilized on the stage.

Other facets of the theater are so grand that you can’t help but stare in wonder. Look up and you will see 4,000 pound chandeliers floating in the air. The stage itself is enormous–measuring 66 1/2 feet deep and one full city block wide. In fact, this venue boasts one of the largest stages in the world even today.

Home to the world-famous “Rockettes,” this is the spot where the Radio City Christmas Spectacular takes place. (The holiday show draws over 1.2 million people in an 8-week time period each year.) Part of the Stage Door Tour includes meeting a Rockette in person–a fun touch that has been added to the mix.

This art-deco style theater has seen over 300 million visitors since its debut in December of 1932. It acutally closed its doors for a brief period in 1978 before being designated a landmark. In 1999 a massive restoration project began that took $70 million dollars and spanned 8 months.

This spectacular venue has been the setting for everything from “Disney on Ice” to several WNBA All-Star Games in 2004, and it continues to be an important piece of American history when it comes to the entertainment field. For more information about tickets and tours, take a look at the website.

Disclosure – Affiliate & Ad Info

Copyright Notice