Friday, October 09, 2026
Rockettes’ 2026 Christmas Show Adds Live Cameras and New Tap Number
www.timeout.com: You may never have the hamstrings of a Rockette, but this holiday season, you can at least get a better look at what they’re doing. The annual Christmas Spectacular is adding live cameras around Radio City Music Hall’s stage, giving audiences fresh angles on all that famously synchronized fancy footwork.
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I always get excited when the Rockettes decide to incorporate new routines into their Christmas Spectacular, as they always seem very well thought out and are executed brilliantly. I believe it’s been a few years since their addition of the fairy number, and I really adore those costumes. I am personally partial to tap numbers, as tap is my favourite style, and the Rockettes are the absolute best of the best. They are just so captivating to watch, and their sounds are impeccable clean. I learned the 12 Days of Christmas number once, and it was by far the most complicated routine I’ve ever learned. I can't wait to see the bell costumes! I'm not thrilled about the screens incorporating alternate perspectives into the show, as I feel that a live performance, especially one as traditional as the Christmas Spectacular, is a brief chance to escape technology. I’m sure they will execute them well, but honestly wish they left them out altogether.
I think getting an almost behind the scenes point of view of The Rockettes’ choreography is a really cool opportunity to appreciate the work the performers are doing. The Rockettes continue to be a prime example of how to enhance your performance using technology in a way that does not take away from the actual work/history of the group. The use of wired microphones on their tap shoes is a great example of this, amplifying the ladies' talent. I also think it is very important for non-dancers to have the opportunity to fully appreciate the art that is being created on stage. I do wish they had some performances that did not offer the video, as it could potentially take away from the actual performance, although they may only utilize the screens for certain numbers. Personally, I often get distracted by screens on stage and miss what’s actually happening live in front of me.
It is interesting how they are adapting the performance for additional viewing and possibly online streaming. This shift is interesting to me because I feel that most dance performances are better experienced live and present in the space because then the audience member has a choice on what to look at and a different view than everyone else in the theater. I think that the planning and executing of these new shots and screens for the performance will change some of this feeling and make it feel more like a pop concert and less of a dance performance. Either way, I am excited to see new advancements in the Rockettes. I have only seen them so far in the Macy’s Day Parade, so maybe this will give me a bigger opportunity to view them. I wonder how this will affect other dance performances that may be less popular.
10 performances in the show is a lot for the Rockettes with such demanding and precise numbers. Adding cameras is a great way to add to the viewing of the performances and I think it will be fun to see new angles for their iconic numbers. I haven't seen the full Rockettes performances, only the thanksgiving parade one, but I think the addition of cameras won’t hurt the show. I wonder if they are adding cameras to the show, if that will lead to more forms of entertainment from the Rockettes such as livestreams or recorded productions. I’m also really excited for the new tap number, like the article says 36 women moving in synchronization is a really powerful art form and I’m sure the new number will be just as impressive. The costumes sound incredible too, I love that they are using 3d printing for costume accessories and the amount of gems on each is insane.
I have very mixed feelings about live cameras onstage. I think VMD can be a powerful story telling tool, but it should not replace the live performers onstage. This is not to say that it can't be used in this way to create a gesture. The use of VMD in the little girl moment in “X” this fall was a fantastic example of well used media. Projection mixed with the live performer to create a strong dramatic gesture that served the plot and enhanced the storytelling. When the intention is NOT for the VMD to take the weight of the performance in a given moment, it should not be used to present performers. It’s scientifically proven that our eyes are drawn to screens of light. Putting that next to a live person is a losing battle. Having a nonmoving image projected is one thing but a moving video not to mention video of what’s also happening right in front of them. It becomes an unnecessary battle for your audience’s attention which pulls them out of the story.
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