Seven colorful kickers diversify holiday spectacular
Veteran Rockette, Danelle Morgan. Madison Square Garden
Caribbean Life, NOV. 26-DEC. 2, 2021 11
It’s been 34 years since trailblazer
Jennifer Jones kicked
away the apartheid-like practice
of barring African-American
dancers from performing with a
line of white Rockettes at Radio
City Music Hall.
Although it seems like a millennium
ago, her perseverance
in joining the prestigious precision
troupe erased a tradition
which began in 1932 ending five
and half decades later to dispel
the notion that if included people
of color would be a distraction
from the attraction.
Since Jones’ pioneering debut,
a steady stream of African-Americans
successfully auditioned
to now number seven females
among 80 eye-high kickers gracing
the 2021 parade of spectacular
dancers.
They represent the diversity
of New York City and provide the
most alluring theatrical Christmas
presentation in the USA.
Actually, two casts of 36 dancers
are featured at each showcase.
And four substitutes are at
the ready to fill in when necessary.
The last time yours truly
attended the annual opening
night feature, a lingering pandemic
hovered in 2019.
Accompanied by a pair of little
Black girls, from the closely
positioned vantage seating, I felt
compelled to seek and detect
the four Black women among
the elite troupe. Like a game my
guests and I searched past 36
faces, toned bodies and glittering
outfits to find the chosen few.
There was no distraction.
No longer a game of seek and
find, this year, a septet includes
35-year-old Danelle Morgan who
is enjoying her 15th year with
the Rockettes.
A native of Highland Park,
New Jersey, the veteran Rockette
is also regaled for being distinguished
as a dance captain for
the second season.
Morgan proved her mettle
from an early age and by 16 years
old she was enrolled at the Alvin
Ailey School of Dance.
That for more than a decade
and a half she has shattered
the antiquated mind-set which
deprived others from showcasing
the diversity of this city provides
fodder for aspiring Black girls
yearning to join the 80-member
elite dance troupe.
Like her fellow kickers, Morgan
has aced changing eight
costume changes during each
showcase.
Seemingly in a blink of the
eye, the cast exits and re-emerges
outfitted in one after another
stunning costume. Allegedly,
one of those costume change
clocks 78 seconds from start to
finish.
That’s enough to gasps over.
Morgan has performed for
President Barack Obama, Oprah
Winfrey, Saturday Night Live,
The Today Show, America’s Got
talent, The Tony Award and
a myriad of variety television
shows.
Last year when the coronavirus
forced the first-ever cancellation
of the iconic spectacular,
Morgan went into virtual alternative
mode. She offered free, live
dance lessons on the Instagram
page. Dance enthusiasts were
able to relish the choreography
and magnificence involved in
presenting the favorite holidaythemed
attraction tourists and
residents annually rave.
They include the “Parade of
the Wooden Soldiers,” “New
York at Christmas” and “Christmas
Dream.”
“With everything going on in
the world …, it became apparent
that we needed to throw a little
holiday spirit into the social
media world,” Morgan said.
The colorful cast includes
Maya Addie, JoJo Carmichael,
Alexis Payton, Alicia Lundgren,
LaTarika Pierce and Jacie Scott.
Catch You On The Inside!
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
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