Rockette’s Dance Class Popular with College Students

Rockette’s Dance Class Popular with College Students

College student Rhapsody Stiggers is one of 38 students at the Boston Conservatory¹ at Berklee taking a dance class that is the first of its kind.

Her teacher, Amarisa LeBar, is a current member of the Radio City Rockettes, a famous precision dance team in New York City.

Stiggers has been dancing since she was two years old. She has taken many kinds of dance classes. However, the 20-year-old has never had a dance class as difficult as this one.

The class is the first for-credit college course taught by a Rockette dancer. The dance instructor² teaches the detailed³, precise technique the Rockettes are known for. The dancers move and kick together in perfect time.

Stiggers is skilled in dance forms including ballet, modern, jazz, salsa, and West African. But she said that "no other style of dance really emphasizes the precision of every single body part." She added that this high level of attention to precision makes this a very different dance class.

Teacher LeBar has been a Rockette for about five years. She is 25 years old and started teaching at her mother's dance business at the age of 16. She finds sharing the Rockettes' style with college students intense.

"Teaching on a Rockette level is completely different and is a lot more difficult to do because we really tune⁴ in to the perfection of our movement," LeBar told the Associated Press.

The Rockettes use tap, ballet, and jazz forms in their dances. The class also teaches strength training and choreography. Dancers learn methods that can be used in many other kinds of dance.

The class is not only difficult, it is also one of the most popular dance classes at the performing arts school. Places in the class fill up fast, said Mila Thigpen. She heads dance at the conservatory.

The Rockettes group is known for a yearly performance called the "Christmas Spectacular." In that show, they perform one of their best-known moves – high kicking at exactly the same time.

Dancing like a Rockette not only requires precision, it requires hard work. Rockettes rehearse six hours per day, six days a week. Another important requirement? Students must love being part of a team.

"So, to be a Rockette, first off you have to have a love of wanting to work together as a team," said Julie Branam, who began her dancing career 36 years ago. She is director and choreographer⁵ of the Rockettes show "Christmas Spectacular." That show first performed in 1933. It is said that 69 million people have seen the Rockettes perform it over the years.

To make sure every dancer moves the same, everything the performers do is examined closely, Branam said. "We're checking what 36 people do in that line over and over again ... ‘Is your head at the same angle? Is you arm at the same height?'"

She added: "So, it's the willingness of wanting to work as one to make the effort of the 36 (dancers) look beautiful."

The college-level class is an extension of the Rockettes' dancer development program. Only promising⁶ dancers are invited.

Rhapsody Stiggers has been very moved by the experience. In fact, one day she may try out for the Rockettes. She said it is a fun goal to have.

"If I don't get in," she said, "it's still useful knowledge that I've learned that can carry on into the rest of my career."

Words in This Story

precision –adj. the quality of being exact and making no error

technique –n. a way of doing something that uses a special knowledge or skill

style –n. a particular form or design of as it relates to something

emphasize –v. to place importance or call attention to

tune in --v. (phrasal) to listen to and pay attention to something carefully

choreography –n. the job of telling dancers how they will dance and move during their performances

rehearse –v. to prepare for a public performance by practicing it repeatedly

career –n. the path someone's work or profession follows

1 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

2 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

3 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

4 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

5 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

6 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。