Kicking It With the Rockettes: The Troupe Comes to Baltimore

YOU ALREADY KNEW the lovely, long-legged ladies of the Rockettes had some powerful gams. But few realize the secret behind those famous kick lines. "We're never touching. So, it's all about the abs. It's total body," says Tiffany Whitaker, a 12-year veteran of the Radio City troupe.

The holidays came early last week when Whitaker and three of her colleagues sauntered into downtown Baltimore's Merritt Athletic Club clad in red velvet leotard-esque jackets with poufy white trim and silver heels (to promote their Christmas Spectacular, which opens at the Mariner Arena Dec. 2). Then they promptly changed into workout clothes and sneakers to teach gym members just how much hard work goes into looking that glamorous.

"It's discipline, discipline, discipline, and lots of sweat," explains Temple Kane, who is a yoga instructor on the side. "We're essentially professional athletes in 3-inch heels."

Dancing six days a week for seven hours a day would seem to be exhausting enough. Yet Kane augments her warm-up with endless sun salutations and "an inversion or two." Whitaker, a Pilates pro, relies on that training to "center" herself. Allyson Kelly sometimes visits a ballet class on her day off. And when she's not performing, Jenelle Engleson has a thing for kickboxing. "I have legs of steel," she boasts.

That much movement requires a real emphasis on stretching, particularly of the hamstrings, which cause the greatest problems if they aren't sufficiently limbered up. And would you believe the wrists, too? Even those forgettable joints get a workout when the choreography demands precise placement, like putting them smack on the bottom of the back of the ribs with fingers pointing straight down and thumbs forward.

Virtually every position has developed a nickname. Arms down with hands tilted at 90-degree angles is "penguin." Extending an arm but bending at the elbow with the palm facing the ceiling is "serve it up." "When we're in lines vertically, we call that carrot sticks," Kane adds.

But they promise they chow down on more than just rabbit food. "There's a misconception that dancers don't eat. But we need a big breakfast, a bigger dinner and snacks throughout the day," promises Whitaker, who keeps a jar of crunchy, all-natural peanut butter on hand during rehearsals to keep up her energy level. Kelly's super-snack? Hummus. And they all hydrate like crazy.

After all, the most exhausting part of the gig isn't the fancy footwork — although the number on the moving double-decker bus sounds quite challenging. It's the rigorous schedule of up to four performances per day. "We're kicking 300 times per show. And there are the stairs we're climbing and the halls we're running for costume changes," Whitaker says.

So, did 24-year-old Elissa Roch, who showed up at Merritt on her mother's orders ("It was her dream to be a Rockette," she said), think she might have what it takes to join her four teachers on stage? "Maybe, if I worked out seven hours a day."

Photo courtesy Rockettes